Pads that don't dust so bad?

I have a set of brand new Textar OEM pads and rotors on my 03 Carrera, they make what I consider to be "excessive" amounts of brake dust. Oh, the rotors are drilled. Any recommendations on a pad that doesn't dust so bad? And is OEM like in material?

I've used akebono pads previously with great success and 0 brake dust on a couple BMW's.. Was going to get them for my car but they don't make them for turbo cars (I could only find the rears).. I'm not sure if they make fronts for the c2/c4 cars but I would check it out.. Once installed I did a brake in procedure and didn't have any issues with them ever and could never see any brake dust on the rims..

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Exactly which Akebono pad was it? They do make them for my car. Oh, and do you think the drilled rotors is making the problem worse?

FTW:

I replaced my mintex front and brembo rear pads with akebono. So far in about 100 miles I noticed no dust. They do require slightly higher effort the first stop in the morning, but afterwards they feel the same.

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Where they the ceramic ones? Link to Akebono pads Link to Akebono pads

I had my wheels ceramic coated so the brake dust comes off easier, but not having any dust would be great too. I'd be interested in which Akebono pads work best for no dust as a daily driver. When I track the car, eventually, I'll just use a set of different pads if necessary.

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Oops, only 1 set available. Gotta grab it before sasilverbullet! I'm not in a rush to replace my pads, unless I can quit wanting to clean my wheels every other day.

Another vote for Akebono pads. I use them on all of my cars and trucks. They are a great street pad, but will stand up to track day use as well.

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I didn't pay that much. Mine were Akebono EUR776 (99635193915) and EUR738 (99635193914). They are ceramic and were about $150 shipped from RockAuto. So far no squeak, no dust, but I haven't autocrossed with them yet so I don't know how they would do when you do short, hard braking. I won't know if they'll stand up to track use but I suspect not.

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Just checked RockAuto and the only Akebono pads listed are EUR917 and EUR738. They don't seem to fit my car, what do you think?

sasilverbullet, you didn't say what car the brakes are for.

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Opps! 2003 base Carrera coupe.

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Looks like your car (2003 Carrera) and mine (99 Carrera) use the same rear pads but the fronts may be different, you should check with others who know more about 2003. The funny thing is that my previous front pads (mintex) as well as the set before that (textar) all look like the picture of your EUR917 front pads, so when my EUR776 came I thought I ordered the wrong ones but they went in just fine without problems.

I have Akebono's on my S class and my Lexus LS. I can go weeks if not a month before they even start to show any brake dust. Before hand my S class couldnt go a few days without looking like crap with the OE Benz pads. I recently started looking for them for my 04 C4S and was confused too by Akebono'd website. I'm hoping i can get a set for it too because i am a brake dust **** and i am getting tired of cleaning the wheels every time i drive my C4S. I thought my Benz was bad but this is just stupid how fast these Textar pads throw dust.

Yes they were the ceramic akebono pads.. If you anyone finds a set that will fit a turbo/c4s let me know because I will pick them up for sure..

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Another vote for Akebono pads. Same here I use it on my BMW and virtually no dust and the initial bite regardless whether its cold or wet is just very good. However, they don't make them for Porsches. Perhaps they will eventually.

I agree. Akebono for no dust. I have had the ceramic Akebono EUR917 & EUR738 installed for about 10,000 miles now. 2004 C2.

I use them on My 99 996 at the track and for autocross. They do wear out after one season but at the lower cost they are the best value for performance. IMO

Drilled rotors will eat pads faster... I try not to use my brakes as much as possible.

And another satisfied Akebono user. I have them on my CLK and my 99 C2. Brake dust is minimal and I can go weeks before I even think about cleaning the wheels. I got mine from Warehouse 33 and used the Rennlst discount. For my 99, the front part number is 996-352-949-03 and the rears are 986-352-939-10.

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I'm also going to paint my wheels "Brake Dust" grey.

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No need to paint them, just wait a few days and they will be self-painted.

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Below is what Akebono just sent me by email. My car is a 04 C4S. Good morning, Mike � Here is a note from our product development team: We have the EUR917�s listed for front and rear for Porsche 911�s, which in some applications is correct. BUT in his case, he�ll need the EUR917 for the front and EUR738 for the rears. If you have additional questions please call our customer service line at [phone removed] (toll-free) Thanks, Amanda Konja , Asst. Marketing Manager Akebono Brake Corporation

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When I had these installed on an Audi A4 I agree the dust was extremely minimal, but I thought pedal effort was noticeably high across the board, not just on the first stop. It wasn't hard to stop the car or anything, but it did take noticeably more effort than stock Audi pads, and might be a turn-off for some.

Here is what I have for your 2003 911 Front https://www.warehouse33auto.com/AKEB...996-352-949-03 Rear https://www.warehouse33auto.com/AKEB...986-352-939-10 -Jason

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Someone once told me that once you go black , you'll never go back.....speaking of wheels of course

For those of you with Ceramic Akebono pads, can you just use stock rotors? I am likely sticking with my Pagid yellows on my 996, but would love to try Akebono on my 997....maybe some other cars as well. My OCD is killing me with washing wheels everyday.

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Yes! -Jason

Great! When the time comes I will try them on my C4S. Do they wear out rotors faster?

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Akebono are great pads, I have it on my BMW, but they don't have pads for my 997.2.

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I think this is false information I beoieve the euro917 are for a non turbo/c4s 996 cars. The c4s uses the bigger turbo brakes.. If this isn't correct it would be nice but I'm pretty sure they don't have pads for turbo/c4s.

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Bummer....hope that changes.

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Well, i went online and did an image search of EUR917 pads vs other images designed for an 04 911 turbo and the images all look the same. Now i'm nervous to order them. Maybe i will have to call the customer service line and aggravate them.

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If you look at the other posts they show those pads are compatible with a 04 c4.. If our brakes are the same (I haven't done my brakes yet so no idea.. But everything I read says we have the bigger ones).. If you do try them please post your findings.. If they work I'll order a set right after but I'm not confident they will work

I keep microfiber rags in my car and wipe the wheels down almost everyday. Running OEM pads and like the performance, not the dust.

I purchased a complete set of rotors and ceramic pads for my 99 911 off ebay as a kit and so far love them. 3,000 miles, no dust (what little there is washes off easily). The original brakes left rusty red dust like crazy and drove me crazy, can I say I am a little OCD. I was a little hesitant on the brands, but all seems well and brakes nicely. I saw good and bad reviews while searching, but went ahead. For the price I couldn't beat it to try them. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-911...item51e5be399f Two - 404 43 033 - Rear Disc Brake Rotors Meyle One - 404 43 014 - Front Right Disc Brake Rotor Meyle w/o PCCB One - 404 43 013 - Front Left Disc Brake Rotor Meyle w/o PCCB One - D 8917 OC - Set Disc Brake Pad Front OPparts Ceramic One- D 8738 OC - Set Disc Brake Pad Rear OPparts Ceramic Two - 996 612 365 00 - Front Disc Brake Pad Wear Sensors Sebro Two - 996 612 365 00 - Rear Disc Brake Pad Wear Sensors Sebro

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I also carry those brands that are in that eBay link, they're just not on the website. If anybody else wants to buy those brakes from that eBay link just shoot me a PM. I can discount it a little. -Jason

Just my two cents, but I've had those exact Meyle rotors and they are ok, but I'd highly recommend stepping up one notch to the Sebro rotors.

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Can you elaborate? What problems did you see with Meyle rotors? I recently put in Pagid rear rotors which are as cheap as Meyle, Is that a mistake? The front I put in Zimmerman thinking I shouldn't skimp on the front brakes since they do all the work. The funny thing is. I did brakes on 3 cars the past couple of weeks. All of them needed rear brakes, but the fronts were still like new. I wonder why car these days wear out the rear so much faster than the front.

I think it has to do with PSM....

off the beaten path, I would give props to Disc Italia ceramic pads sold through Brakeworld.

Can't comment on the rotors other than don't use the cheap ones. I never have problems with Zimmerman, however on my 997.2 I used a cheaper version (I'll refrain from naming the brand) and while the back is ok, the front became imbalanced and caused vibrations going over 60mph. Upon closer examination I found out the rotors are not balanced. This is where you'll find short cuts. If you examine Porsche OEM rotors, you will find machine cutouts at between the inner and outer surface between the vanes. They grind off any material to balance it. The cheap ones just don't go through this step to save cost. I finally have to rework with OEM rotors to elevate the problem.

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I did brakes last spring and went with Textar pads and Sebro rotors. It's great combo but I can honestly say that the Textar pads are dustier than anything I've ever seen in my life. I have brand new wheels and the constant cleaning is really getting old. I have Akebono s on one of the BMWs and they're a 1000 times better dust-wise. I think I would be more worried about the super el-cheapo Chinese bake pads. I don't skimp on parts that make the car stop.

I also put textar pads on my last brake job, and holy cow they make a ton of dust i may try the akebono? Next time

Rock Auto has a lot of Centric pads and rotors, anyone know what kind of quality they are?

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Then they met me and changed their mind (I have silver wheels)

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I’ve installed MANY dozens of Centric pads and rotors on various cars, but none on a Porsche...yet. BMWs, Fords, Toyotas, Hondas, Dodges, VWS, etc. They are my go-to brand for customer’s cars. If you order drilled or slotted Centric rotors they will actually be StopTech Sport Rotors. Centric makes StopTech. Centric rotors/pads are good quality for daily drivers. I wouldn’t hesitate to install install them on a daily driver Porsche 9x6, or any other car for that matter.

I wouldn’t use drilled rotors on the track though. Drilled looks good for the street, but you can develop cracks if using them on the track.

I’ve also installed a couple of PowerStop rotor/pad kits from RockAuto recently on a couple of Hondas. They’re really nice kits too, with all new pad spring hardware, which has been good quality as well. Last set had a bent pad wear warning indicator, but it was easily fixed. Everyone seems to want drilled rotors lately, even if their wheels hide most of the rotor.

I've been using Hawk carbon ceramic pads on both front and rear for several years now. No braking issues and no dust. Can't speak to their track effectiveness, though.

Ebay/PayPal is having a 15% off promotion thing until 10:00PM tonight so I just bought front & rear Akebono pads. If anyone is looking for a set of F/R Textars with less than a 100 miles, mine will be available soon.

I now have about 250 miles on these akebonos and about 13 autox runs (totalling about 6-7 miles). Still no noticeable brake dust on the wheels. They worked fine in autox, but I definitely noticed that they require a firmer pedal force when cold, and also when stopping right after a highway drive since at speed the wind cools off the brakes.

Update: around 1,000 miles of fun, love the no dust the ceramic pads offer but the rotors are warped already. My indy mechanic says that is what you get for 'inexpensive' rotors. I'll be shopping for good rotors, he believes the pads are still good. I guess I need to downshift more and use the engine, not the brakes.

Flyfishnick, Rather wear out a $3,000 transmission or $200 rotors?

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According to Bob Jones, guy who owns a local indy shop here in San Antonio and the FIRST American ever allowed to attend Porsche's four-year mechanic school (in the 1970's), here's what he says: "NEVER USE THE F****** ENGINE FOR BRAKING!!!! THAT'S WHAT THE BRAKES ARE FOR!!!" (uppercase for a reason) Personally I'd go with what Bob says over anything else I hear... Oh, and are you positive the rotors are warped? Try re-bedding the pads to see if it clears it up.

Good points guys and I thank you for your insight as I am entirely inexperienced with performance cars. Now, performance bikes, ok I know a little. I have successfully ridden the "crotch rockets" for 34 years and know how to navigate them well. However, it took years for me to really understand how the bike should be ridden and I still have not touched my R1's full potential and will not ever. I will check to see if the rotors are really warped and go from there. Regardless, I am having a blast. I think a worthwhile investment would be to look into some track/driving class time and really learn how to drive this car the way it should be, not the way I think it should be. I have no intentions or funds for that matter to put it on the track and really have a go at it as a race car, but I am sure I can learn some things from some Pros. I read lots of these threads and cannot believe the enjoyment I receive. I read the horror stories and the successes with such admiration and share the moments of that persons encounters whether good or bad. I've never been one to join in discussion groups until now and the value I get from the learning of others and their sharing is invaluable.

Fly - do you know how to bed the brakes in and why you would do it?

Sasilverbullet, Thanks for asking and I'll say Yes and No to your question. I am also more than wiling to take suggestions right off the bat. I did some searching after you suggested re-bedding and have a pretty good idea why and how to do it I believe (then again, I don't always trust the "internet" , lol), but I think I will take it to my Indy to put a straight edge on the rotors and then go from there. Hope I get lucky and re-bedding is all I need. I don't have a real garage at this time to be able to pull the wheels myself. I am embarrassed to say, but when I first got my car, I did remove all my wheels in my carport one time and this was the worst, most uncomfortable 2 weeks waiting for the powder coating guy to get my rims done. No damage, but this just wasn't right and I am not going there again, lol. Don't yell at me over the picture please I had to look at my "new" car every day like this---not fun! Anyways, any suggestions for the cleaning of rotors/pads and re-bedding would be great. I'd rather trust you guys than the "internet".

Fly - highly suggest you bed them in yourself BEFORE you bring the car to your indy. Quick way for your 996: Find a long stretch of road where you can safely, quickly accelerate from 20mph to 60mph, hard brake back to 20, and then back up to 60 again, repeat 4 or 5 times. When you start smelling "hot pads", time to stop braking, accelerate to a speed and the most important thing - DON'T TOUCH YOUR BRAKES UNTIL THEY'RE COOL!! I have to drive for about 10 mins for them to cool. After that, do the rotors still seem out of round? If so, then take it to your indy shop. Obviously, if it clears up you just saved yourself a lot of money! Explanation of why this might work: If your brakes were ever pretty hot and you stopped and kept your foot on the brakes while at a traffic light, a very thin coating of the brake pad material is now attached to the rotor and the only thing that will get it off is to heat the brakes, hence the re-bedding above. Also, anytime you replace pads or rotors you need to re-bed them.

Wow, thanks for the details. I have never had to do this with conventional vehicles. I only noticed the feeling of something like warped rotors/ excessive chatter when I hit the brakes above 90 mph and I need to grab them quick. If I am below say 60 mph and use my brakes strongly, I don't have any issues and they seem to grab just fine to come to a stop. I have a 3 hour (one way) drive to eastern WA this Saturday (primarily all highway, but have a perfect, long stretch I can try the re-bedding out on without traffic) and then I get to see a friend for 3 hours and then drive back 3 hours. I assume after I follow your directions successfully, and everything has cooled down, I should be able to crack her open to 90 mph, grab the brakes (not lock them up) and the chatter should go away, yes? I really appreciate your input and guidance and thanks for not laughing at my "white trash prop job", lol. (although I have to admit it was solid and I used rubber pucks on top of the wood so it would not dent/bend any frame work, etc..)

Fly - The more I read your symptoms the more I'm sure it's just a re-bed that will fix your problem. Don't forget to make sure you can safely apply the brakes from 60 - 20 without someone behind you! I prefer a lonely stretch of road. The first or second time you brake hard you may notice a slight vibration, that should go away. Remember you are melting the microscopic coating of brake pad material, so you will get a nasty smell until they've cooled. Goal is to have a nice, smooth coating of pad material with no high spots!

Fly - oh, and this procedure should be done on ALL cars/trucks, not just sport cars. I have to do this about once a year on my 2014 Honda Accord.

Fly - did the re-bedding work?

OK be gentle on me ..... I might get some hell for this but I got my brake pads from the dealership the 1st time and I had brake dust everywhere, and a HUGE hole in my wallet, then I spoke with other PCA members and they told me about getting the brake pads at Auto Zone. So when it was time for new pads I went ahead and got a set from AutoZone and to my surprise they perform the same as the OEM ones and 0 brake dust. No more scrubbing the wheels or wheels looking black. here is a link. Auto Zone Brake Pads

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That is one nice car! And I love the pic!

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Thank you Sir!!!! Not bad for 14 yr old car and 165k miles.....lol

I purchased Akebono Euro ceramics due to the recommendations of many others here on RL.

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SASILVERBULLET is my hero of the week!!!!!!! I just completed my 450 mile back and forth through the Cascade Mountains and successfully re-bedded my brakes on the way over. I had an excellent time, as well as I made really good time too 75-95 mph the whole way (safely of course) with an average of 24 mpg. I was surprised that I got that good of mileage since I was having some fun with the throttle off and on, hehhee. Sasilverbullet, thanks again for your instruction and actually the "care" you took to educate me and offer advice. The brakes are smooth and no chatter whatsoever. I think I better try this on my truck too before I say "warped rotors" again. Now I gotta fix a stereo hum, but I think I switched the RCA plugs into wrong spots when I pulled the deck out to reconnect the Bluetooth mic, lol. That should be a quickfix.

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Your welcome! Bedding in of brakes/confusion with warped rotors is one of the most misunderstood things in the automotive world. Over the years I've only personally met 2 mechanics that knew about all this correctly, one was trained by Porsche in Stuttgart...

I have a question for you USA colleagues. A couple of weeks ago, I was reading in C&D the last lightning test, and talking about brake pads, they actually mentioned that the OEMs send the cars to USA with different brake pads, with lower braking power due to the "hate" of the American market for the brake dust. I mean, I dont like brake dust at all neither, but I rather prefer braking performance over the dust, that I can clean frequently. In Europe, yes, the brakes creates dust, but is nothing that I see critical (you just wash the car when needed it). Actually I never have chosen a pad for if it creates dust (the less the better, of course) but for its performance. Now that I see this threat and after reading that article, Is that true that it is so important for you guys that even makes the manufacturers to take into account?

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Well if that is true someone must have install European Porsche pads on my C4S . I can't go 200 miles without my wheels looking disgusting. Either way, I personally would find it hard to believe that any manufacturer would put a lower dusting pad and compromise braking ability. That sounds like it would be a recipe for a lawsuit.

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You can not imagine how many parts are different because country specific "tastes" (I work for Bosch). For instance, I have realized that in the US is very common that cars come with All season tires, which have lower performance than summer tires. In Europe, all cars come with summer tires (even they are different models and brands), even in those countries where winter tires are mandatory. You can read in the last lightning lap test, that they talk about that as a fact. It seems that is well known that the OEM use brake pads with lower dust specs in US and that reverts in a lower braking performance. Of course, is not going to cause a security issue, but only they perform worst under high demand. In the aftermarket you can find also different specs of pads, and that doesn't mean that they are dangerous.

Which Akebono pads are suitable for front C4S/turbo rotors?

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As per my earlier post. Here is the email response i got from AKEBONO directly about my 2004 C4S Cab Good morning, Mike � Here is a note from our product development team: We have the EUR917�s listed for front and rear for Porsche 911�s, which in some applications is correct. BUT in his case, he�ll need the EUR917 for the front and EUR738 for the rears. If you have additional questions please call our customer service line at [phone removed] (toll-free) Thanks, Amanda Konja , Asst. Marketing Manager Akebono Brake Corporation

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Update: they are definitely low dust but I�m not too thrilled with them. They seem to be just slightly out of dimensions compared to the Textar OEM pads. This causes a clacking noise as each pad shifts around slightly and contacts the caliper. It�s not a huge deal and only does it after the car has sat for a bit. It especially does it when starting the car, backing up and applying the brakes for the first time. I�ve read on Audi forums that some have had the same issue with the Akebono Euro ceramics. I�ve got an email in with Akebono in right now and they are supposedly �researching� the issue. I dont know if anyone else else has experience this on here but I wanted to give an FYI on how they�ve been on my �99.

Second update: I had originally used the tiny packets of brake grease included with the Akebonos. Apparently the small amount of grease in these packets weren't enough for the job and this created the noise. I cleaned off all of the old grease and applied Cermi-Glyde on every contact point I could find. It took 3 small packets from AutoZone to coat what I need on all four brakes. Now the brakes are perfectly quiet in all conditions.