[Shop-talk] Brake dust wheel covers

[Mark Andy]

Howdy,

On Mon, 24 Oct 2011, eric at megageek.com wrote:
> OK, I have a truck that I put on wheel covers to prevent the brake dust
> from making the rims black in a week.
>
> This discs just install inside the wheel between the rim and, I didn't
> think much of them.  They work great for keeping the dust off the rims,
> but...
>
> I wore through a set of brake pads fairly quickly.  When I put the new
> pads in, there was black brake dust everywhere.
>
> Now, since the pads where a brand I never used before, I'm not sure if
> they just wore fast because of their brand or if the brake covers affected
> their life.

My guess is that you're seeing a difference in pads.  Its possible that 
the shields are preventing cooling airflow and that that increases brake 
wear, but I find it more unlikley.  1st, its not like you're talking about 
a race car here...  I have a hard time believing you're generating a ton 
of heat in the brakes.  2nd, even if you're generating a lot of heat, I'm 
not sure that translates into increased wear of pad material.

MHO, and worth what you paid.

Mark