Rear Brake Dust

B

bbrich57

Member
:
2004 Mazda3 HB
Moderator,
I hope that I put this in the right forum, as I didn't see anything specific to brakes....

All right. What's all this then about brake dust?

I have an '04 HB (Virgin1) and if I don't clean the back wheels about every three days (90-100 miles) they develop a HUGH amount of brake dust on them. I have complained to my dealer who (of course) schlubs it off as I don't know what I'm talking about. One guy even said, "Use your brakes HARDER and that will clear up the problem." I looked at him like he was from Mars! Traditionally, this causes more wear and more DUST, at least that's been my experience. (I used to SOLO a Honda on occasion
I know I am not alone as I have heard this is common, at least with the '04's, but I don't see it being mentioned here in any kind of extensive way. Nor have I heard any real solutions.
What, if anything, are you all doing about this common problem?
I have only seen one set of REAR aftermarket pads available from the Tire Rack, I think. Green backs, or green slime, or... Oh hell! I don't remember what they call them. $45.00/set. Anybody know anything about these, or have any better ideas? I'd like to get Mazda to admit they have a problem and fix it themselves, but I honestly don't think I'll get anywhere with that one.
 
yeah the rear oem pads suck and most people had luck changing over to ebc green pads... better bite and less dust... i would suggest getting them for all 4 corners though and not just the back...
 
this is "normal" for the factory rear pads
a TSB was issued on this matter and revised brake pads are to be installed to remedy this problem under warranty
 
TheMAN said:
this is "normal" for the factory rear pads
a TSB was issued on this matter and revised brake pads are to be installed to remedy this problem under warranty
Click to expand...

I Looked at both links and didn't see a TSB regarding brake dust???
 
TheMAN said:
this is "normal" for the factory rear pads
a TSB was issued on this matter and revised brake pads are to be installed to remedy this problem under warranty
Click to expand...

Yeah! "Normal" was the excuse I got from one guy at the dealer too. What do they think, that we're all morons! (bang)

TSB= Technical Service Bulletin? (In spite of having been in the business 15 years ago, and got out, I'm a little "new" to modern terminology. Thanks.)

EBC Green. Yes! That's the one. How do they do with stock rotors? I mean, will I have to replace the rotor before the pad wears out?

Hey Guys! Thanks for all the replies! I think I'll try and push it with the dealer and see what shakes out, but they've probably heard it all before. I'll let you know when I know.
 
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well, if there is a tsb for your car on the issue. the dealer should have to take care of it. atleast thats my understanding on a tsb =P
 
I used EBC Greens on the fronts of my 2000 Focus, after being told that both oem rotors and pads needed replacement after only 25k miles. Also bought the matching slotted, drilled rotors. Braking was dramatically improved and dust problem virtually went away
 
Good post cbc. Thanks!
What wear did you experience after switching? Did you do any racing, SOLO, street, etc with the car? Are they noisy?
As one of my previous post suggests, I'm especially leary of of hard pads... as with your Focus, where the rotors wearout BEFORE the pads.
This is what I call the Midas scam. Lifetime pad warranty DOES NOT include rotor wear. The rotors wear down, you buy new ones from them at a hefty profit for them, they give you another $10.00 set of pads. And it begins all over again. Nice, huh.
I'm sure many of you already know about this scam, even if you didn't fall for it yourselves.
 
The EBCs were the "street" version, & yes they were noisier than the oems. The Focus has huge wheelwells which amplify sounds (which is why Ford went with softer pads/discs to alleviate brake noise. Braking ability was much improved, felt much more solid/reliable & never had ANY brak fade during hard braking. Dust was almost totally gone. I am not sure if just using the pads without the matching slotted discs would lessen the noise. Again, it will depend on how they match up with the Mazda wheelwheels, & if you decide to get both EBC products. The EBCs also last far longer than the oems did, in fact I had not had to have any brake work done on the car since I'd replaced them at 26K. My car had 84k on it when I traded it in for my 3T
 
cbc, did you change out your 3's oem pads for the EBC ones? im thinking either EBC or hawk performance. i'm leaning towards hawk just cause i plan on doing autox but any input on both would be great.
 
no sir, not yet. Am going to see how the oems wear, dust up, hold up for a while & go from there. I would think either one would do a good job for you. I got mine from Tire Rack back when, they may have more info on the different brands on their website.

Good luck!
 
ebc makes different levels of pads, yellow and red as well as green for different apps. i would check them out as well as the hawks.
 
WOW! All good info.
I have been looking for pads online and saw the Hawks but no one seems to carry the rears.
Tsunami, do you have a source or know which ebc's are which?

edit: Oops! I just did a quick search and found the answer to my questions, but your opinions still matter to me. Lemme know what your experiences have been!
 
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i don't personaly know as i am waiting till the summer to put on some new brakes (still runnin stockers here) but i would do a quick search through the main forums tech page that deals with brakes (suspension i believe) lots of knowledgable guys that have experience with ebc/hawk for autox setups as well as a daily driver.

edit*>*>**>*>

did a quick search here are a couple threads

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105537&highlight=brake+pads

http://www.msprotege.com/vbb300/showthread.php?t=123620930&page=1&pp=15
 
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The Latest on Brakes (Good for a laugh...)

TheMAN said:
try looking at the one regarding brake squeal
Click to expand...
I looked at that TSB but unfortunately it only covers very early VIN's... earlier than my '04. Also, the repair is for filing, cleaning and greasing of the calipers, and original pads. Unless I missed something I didn't see anything about replacing them.
So, I was in for my 20K service the other day and asked the Service Director what he knew about this issue. He acted surprised by my question and said that what I was saying was opposite of the "norm." I informed him that I was aware of this, but the fact still remained that this was the case with my, and many other people's 3's. That I had researched and spoken to others all around the world, via the internet, with this same complaint. He seemed to "lose interest" in the question after that. Imagine that.
BTW: They did take care of the TSB on the air conditioner, but acted surprised when I showed it to them. 'Said that they would have to "check it out" to make sure that it was a valid bulletin. Can you believe the hoops they (Mazda's lawyers, probably) make these guys run through. I knew they weren't THAT stupid and uninformed. 'Gotta' LOVE it!!
Well, as I said, good for a laugh.
 
thanks for the link rich.

i do have one of those problems, should i take to the dealer? My car is still under warranty, so will there be a charge for them to fix it?

thanks
 
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