Black stuff
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Port St Lucie Fl
Black stuff
Took both my ladies out for a nice ride today along the river with the top off. After a day of cruising I get her back to the barn and I got all this black powder all over the side of the car. I assuming this is brake dust. What a mess. I'm planning a 1000 mile trip in July and I guess my the time I get to my destination my torch red lady will be black. Is this normal. I'm a newby to vettes. Are ceramic pads the answer
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Port St Lucie Fl
No I don't ride the brakes. I'm sure its brake dust because it was all over the wheels and inside the wheel wells and down wind of the wheels. I guess this isn't normal. I expected brake dust, but not down the side of the car. Help please
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5,383
Likes: 6
From: hagerstown md
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Is it on both sides of the car, or just one side? Wash it off. Drive it around the block, hitting the brakes several times. Get out, and spray the wheels with water. Do NOT touch the wheel until you spray it with water. If you see steam or hear sizzling, then you have a stuck caliper. Ceramic, semi-metalic, and even organic brake pads don't make enough dust to coat the wheels AND sides of the car in such a short drive.
Let us know what you find.
Let us know what you find.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 7,604
Likes: 8
From: Belleville Il
Is it on both sides of the car, or just one side? Wash it off. Drive it around the block, hitting the brakes several times. Get out, and spray the wheels with water. Do NOT touch the wheel until you spray it with water. If you see steam or hear sizzling, then you have a stuck caliper. Ceramic, semi-metalic, and even organic brake pads don't make enough dust to coat the wheels AND sides of the car in such a short drive.
Let us know what you find.
Let us know what you find.
Sounds like a sound plan. I was thinking along a similar line.I've had a few stuck calipers on various vehicles. You could check the pads and see if 1 or more seems thinner,,but if it just started might not show yet. This would not be all that unusual,,especially if it is a low mile car.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
Team Owner
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 21,473
Likes: 356
From: Palmdale, Ca----- 2009 Cyber Gray 4LT A6 F55 452 RWHP 422 RWTQ- RIP 1998 C5 734 RWHP & 585 RWTQ-----
Took both my ladies out for a nice ride today along the river with the top off. After a day of cruising I get her back to the barn and I got all this black powder all over the side of the car. I assuming this is brake dust. What a mess. I'm planning a 1000 mile trip in July and I guess my the time I get to my destination my torch red lady will be black. Is this normal. I'm a newby to vettes. Are ceramic pads the answer
Any pics of the residue?
Thanks,Matt
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Port St Lucie Fl
I've had the car a couple of weeks now and haven't had this problem until I did a good wash and detail last weekend. Part of the detail was to use Eagle One tire detailer. Sooo with that in mind, and since it was on all four tire locations I'm leaning more to the tires. What are ya'll using to dress the tires that don't create this mess.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,724
Likes: 2
From: Holland Landing Ontario
I'm in the Port St Lucie area for the winter and saw you drive by. I remember thinking "Tha's an odd 2 tone paint job"
. Just kidding.
I use Zaino on my tires and don't have any problems. In the past I've used Amour All and it was ok too. I just had my wife's Jeep detailed in Stuart, and whatever they used is awesome. I'm going to drop back in to find out.
Corvettes brakes are no different than any other car when it comes to brake dust. However, the wheel spokes show the inside of the wheels more than most and we are much more particular with our cars than most.
good luck.
. Just kidding.I use Zaino on my tires and don't have any problems. In the past I've used Amour All and it was ok too. I just had my wife's Jeep detailed in Stuart, and whatever they used is awesome. I'm going to drop back in to find out.
Corvettes brakes are no different than any other car when it comes to brake dust. However, the wheel spokes show the inside of the wheels more than most and we are much more particular with our cars than most.
good luck.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 552
Likes: 0
From: TEMECULA CALIFORNIA
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09
Ive driven on some recently resurfaces roads. The lamp black material in the road sealers will get thrown up by the tires and can cause what you are seeing, even on the wheels themselves. It is not like tar, but a black powder. And i would be wary of spraying water on your wheels for fear of hitting the hot rotors. They will warp like bad lumber and need to be reground or replaced.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 367,670
Likes: 24,663
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
That would have to be a lot of brake dust to do that and the stock pads won't put out that much dust. My guess is it just came up from the road.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Port St Lucie Fl
Ive driven on some recently resurfaces roads. The lamp black material in the road sealers will get thrown up by the tires and can cause what you are seeing, even on the wheels themselves. It is not like tar, but a black powder. And i would be wary of spraying water on your wheels for fear of hitting the hot rotors. They will warp like bad lumber and need to be reground or replaced.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
From: Port St Lucie Fl
