# Uneven Brake Dust

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/uneven-brake-dust/91282>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** brakes\
**Created:** [September 26, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/uneven-brake-dust/91282 "2015-09-26T19:35:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SueOh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@SueOh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SueOh)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/uneven-brake-dust/91282/1 "2015-09-26T19:35:47Z")

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After getting all the brakes replaced, one wheel is showing way more brake dust than the others. Guys who did the brakes said they had no idea…What could be causing this?

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/uneven-brake-dust/91282/2 "2015-09-26T19:47:37Z")

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Boy, I’d like to see those old pads… I’d bet that one of them is much more worn that the others.  
I think you may have a slightly dragging pad. This shows up in the pad wear and brake dust deposition on the wheel, but not every mechanic bothers to look.

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**Author:** ![SueOh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@SueOh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SueOh)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/uneven-brake-dust/91282/3 "2015-09-26T19:59:12Z")

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By the way, there’s no pulling when I brake, so I didn’t even notice until I washed the wheels.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 8:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/uneven-brake-dust/91282/4 "2015-09-26T20:12:17Z")

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A slightly dragging pad will often not be noticeable in the driving and braking characteristics of the car. But it sure can generate dust.

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**Author:** ![SueOh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@SueOh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SueOh)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/uneven-brake-dust/91282/5 "2015-09-26T20:50:22Z")

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Thanks for your advice!

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/uneven-brake-dust/91282/6 "2015-10-02T06:27:24Z")

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If the inner-part of the rubber hose connecting to that brake caliper breaks down (usually due to age), this can be a symptom. Sometimes this will occur, not b/c of age, but b/c during some prior attempt to test the brake system, that hose was clamped off with a pair of locking forceps or vice-grips. Doing that can damage a hose that was reaching the end of its life anyway.

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**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/uneven-brake-dust/91282/7 "2015-10-02T06:47:02Z")

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- 1 for @GeorgeSanJose.

This acts like a check valve and does not let the brake fluid flow back to allow the caliper piston to retract. Many will retract after a few minutes, so it will not be that noticeable in the braking or handling of the car. But in that short time it is wearing that pad more than the others.

rough caliper slides can also cause this same wearing.

Yosemite