Flipsonic

My w164 is now just over 1k miles. I noticed it produce more brake dust than any car I've owned. This is my first MB and I'd like to know of it's normal. Of course there is more in the front wheels since it works harder than the rear. Will it go away after a while? I just don't feel like wiping it off after every couple of days to keep it looking clean.

Sparky

ALL German cars leave a lot of brake dust on the wheels. This is completely normal.

slvrstar

nope, the impossible quest to keep rims free from brake dust. You'll have to buy those monoblock type rims to block out brake dust.

GGM

Why is it "normal" on German cars but not on others? I see no difference between the brakes on my '99 300M and my '03 C240 other than the brake dust. Drives me crazy. I stop just as well in both but I have to clean the wheels on the German car much more often. Not to mention that the brakes on the C240 squeal when coming to a stop! Never a peep from the Canadian (Chrysler) car.

GGM

Flipsonic

Can I replace it with brake pads that do not produce this much dust? Or am I stuck with an MB part?

vraa

German cars have fantastic brakes, it's just how it is

flipsonic: I think there is a product called the EBC greenstuff. That might reduce the amount of brakedust you get.

Nevada Jack

I have been driving MB's since the early 70's and brake dust is their trademark. They apparently use a softer material in the pads and this accounts for the dust.

MB Fanatic

Get some Porterfield pads or some other pads from Tire Rack. I reccomend Ferro-Carbon pads or even Ceramic pads. They dust considerably less than stock MBZ pads, bite better, and have little to no fade.

sosh

This is an ongoing situation with most all German cars. Its due to the softer material that is used. This material produces about the higest co efficient of friction with the least fade due to heat. Thus, gives you the best stopping under most all conditions. Learn to live with it and use only the oem pads.

GregW / Oregon

s others of said, this is completely normal. I find the level of dust about the same as my W163 and also my BMW M3. I find that waxing the wheels makes cleaning really easy. I just use a little Griot's wheel cleaner, then hit them with car wash solution on a Oxo wheel brush. At least the 19s are really easy to clean.

Kar don

i find the BMWs put a little more dust out than the MB... but regardless its normal. And to say C240 brakes are the same as a 300M is way out there... the LH chassis cars had some of the worst brakes I have ever felt.