Ceramic Brakes???

[TMQ]

I love using my wheel and tire cleaners---Makes life really easy!

Now, have a question: Are ceramic brakes prone to damage from using caustic cleaners?

These high dollar exotic stuff worries me!

Will be ceramic coating a new Shelby GT500 in few days and I gather the this GT is probably running ceramic brakes!

Please advise...

Tom

 

[Buster906]

What brand of tire and wheel cleaner are the applying?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[FUNX650]

I love using my wheel and tire cleaners---
Makes life really easy!

Usually that’s true.

Now, have a question:
Are ceramic brakes prone to damage
from using caustic cleaners?

^^^Yes!

These high dollar exotic stuff worries me!

Will be ceramic coating a new Shelby GT500
in few days and I gather the this GT is probably
running ceramic brakes!

Please advise...

Tom

•The bad news:
-Be advised to NEVER ALLOW WHEEL CLEANER,
TIRE CLEANER, BRAKE CLEANER, TIRE DRESSINGS,
ETC., TO CONTACT THE ROTORS.

-Ceramic rotors will absorb any material/substance
that comes in contact with them, adversely affecting
their performance level.

•The good news:
-(Carbon) Ceramic brakes are very low dusting.
-A Car Wash Shampoo solution that’s free of Waxes,
gloss enhancers, and the like, should be used to
clean wheel/tire assemblies while they are mounted
to the vehicle. Otherwise:

-It’s best to dismount the wheel/tire assemblies
if cleaners, other than the above listed car-wash
solution, are wanting to be used.


Over all:
No reason to be worried.


Bob

 

[TMQ]

Thanks Bob...

Learnt something today!

Glad got this info in time!

And thanks to this forum as well!

Tom

 

[Sizzle Chest]

Bob hit it on the head! Be very careful with them! They also crack/shatter easily if hit with something. They are very hard/brittle. Use caution if removing the wheels.

 

[TMQ]

Scott...

Thanks for chiming in. That is good to know!

As of now---Ain't gonna touch them!

Just soap and water...

I'm just glad to have this information!

Tom

 

[Sizzle Chest]

1.) Steel brakes are the 'normal' type of brake rotors we run across and are pretty straight forward to maintain/clean.







2.) Ceramic brakes are found on higher end/sports cars/exotic cars and can be identified by the 'look' of the brake rotor.









3.) Tungsten Carbide brakes are found on 2020 Porsche Cayenne's and some Macan's. They can 'usually' be identified by white in color brake calipers, but not always.







Hope this will help with ID'ing some of the different types of brake rotors you may run across and then you can take the appropriate action as to how to care/clean them.

 

[TMQ]

Same deal re Tungsten Carbide brakes? No cleaners--just soap and water?

Tom

 

[FUNX650]

Same deal re Tungsten Carbide brakes?
No cleaners--just soap and water?

Tom

IMO:
“Soap and Water” will suffice.

•Tungsten Carbide (WC) coated cast-iron rotors,
along with their WC-compatible pads, produce
even less brake dust than their Carbon Ceramic
(Silicon Carbide/SiC) counterparts.


•As such:
-My further assessment is, that: if your Company
produces vehicles that are equipped with brakes
that produces practically no brake dust, whatsoever,
you’ll want to overtly advertise that fact.

-Thus the White calipers...


Bob

 

[Sizzle Chest]

Yes, very low dusting. Easy clean up with just your normal wash regime. (rotors are very 'shiny' looking)

 

[Craig Encinitas]

Will be ceramic coating a new Shelby GT500 in few days and I gather the this GT is probably running ceramic brakes!

Please advise...

Tom

Advisement: GT500 does not have carbon ceramic brakes (stock).

It’s good to know what to clean CC brakes with, however.

 

[TMQ]

Thanks Craig....!

Tom

 

[TMQ]

Owner of the Shelby did mention that after he cleaned the tires and rims---said the wheels were locked up afterwards.

Drove it to break them loose....

That's why it got me to thinking maybe it has something special...

Tom

 

[Sizzle Chest]

Wanted to update this thread with some better pics. Sorted through a few jobs I have done. See below:


Ceramic rotors:




















Steel rotors:












Hope these better/close up pics help everyone out!