Do brake dust covers really work?
Whether you’re looking to purchase a high-end car or just dig chrome dubs and alloy mags, chances are you’ve heard the buzz about brake dust covers — plates, typically aluminum, sandwiched between the brake disc and rims — and the protection they supposedly provide your wheels’ fancy finish; but do they actually work? Before we get to that, let’s briefly review how disc brakes work to better understand the icky issue they claim to clean up. Disc brakes slow your car via the friction caused by clamping brake pads onto a rotor — a disc attached to the wheel and axle. The friction-generating material coating these pads gradually grinds off and some of this dust deposits on your gleaming chrome rims. This is normal; it doesn’t signify a breakdown or abnormal lessening of lifespan [source: Jensen]. In other words, brake dust covers aren’t for correcting a mechanical defect, but an aesthetic one. Dark brake dust buildup turns shiny rims
