Wes Grimes

Question:  What causes brake dust to accumulate on my wheels? Do I need new brakes or is this normal?
ANSWER:  Brake dust comes from wear and tear on your brake pads, caused by normal everyday use. If your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes, you might want to make sure your rears are adjusted correctly for optimum brake power. If the rear drum brakes are out of adjustment, and not working correctly, that can cause more stress and wear on the front disc brakes causing them to work harder and wear out faster. In such, causing more brake dust on your front wheels.
Organic and semi-metallic pads don't make as much dust as metallic pads, but usually don't last as long.
Vehicles with 4-wheel disc brakes don't dust as much because the rear disc brakes are designed to stay in adjustment better, requiring less maintenance. Using your parking brake when you park your car (mostly 90's and newer) actually adjusts your rear brakes and helps keep them in adjustment.
If you seem to go through three to four front brake jobs to one rear brake job, you are either getting really cheap front pads or your rear brakes are not working properly and should be serviced.