i have disc on all fours of my grand prix and in the last couple of pad changes i notice that the tims get very filthy dirty,a thick black dust comes through the rims ,the pads are probally wearing faster then normal,i am thinking that the quality of the pads or make up of the ones i am using are causing the problem??
IMHO:
Brake pads, like tires, are a balance of factors including long life, dust, rotor wear, cost and stopping power. You need to determine which is the most important element to you and choose accordingly. Getting cheap pads (or even going to a mechanic who uses them without your instructing him to) means shorter pad life and more dust, in most cases. Some people believe that harder pads wear longer at the expense of brake rotors - they are so hard that they actually chew the rotors down. I personally don't believe this is true and use the best pads I can find (usually the most expensive as well).
When I worked at a NAPA store 10 years ago we sold Raylock pads which had 3 series: MS(S), MAS(AS), and MES(ES). MS were the lifetime warranty, MAS was a middle grade, and MES was something you used if you were selling the car within the next few months. Lots of mechanics would routinely use the MAS pads as a compromise between cost and wear. I have noticed that using these pads on my Yukon leads to brake dust on the front wheels. I would never use the cheapest pads on my personal vehicle.
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