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Im seeing a lot of comments on brakes containing asbestos. As an automotive engine mechanic, I started my trade changing out brake pads. As far as im aware, t
by nimbius 8y ago
Im seeing a lot of comments on brakes containing asbestos.
As an automotive engine mechanic, I started my trade changing out brake pads. As far as im aware, the last generation of asbestos containing brake pads in the US were Ferodo Brake Pads ending around 1994. The pads were phased out for a number of reasons
- health, of course. as a mechanic, mesothelioma was your biggest risk changing brakes all day. most shops douse the pad assembly in a mix of dawn dish liquid or a basic degreaser liquid we called just called sauce, and send it through a quick carwash after the job. It was also an easy way to please customers and it kept friable dust to a minimum.
- performance. compared to euro/japanese brakes arriving in the states in the early nineties, companies like raybestos were at a serious risk of going bankrupt if they didnt change. My first set of ceramic/ceramide pads was a revelation. I recommended them to all my customers.
- health scares. Your consumer risk of driving a car with brakes impregnated with asbestos was minimal, but the CNN/60 minutes documentaries really did a number on the industry. It got so bad that at one point, Raybestos included big labels reading "CONTAINS NO ASBESTOS."
- quality. As manufacturing for ceramic or exotic carbon pads got better, they got cheaper. the only companies still cranking out asbestos had legacy factories in Mexico or Indonesia that could not re-tool. They were just cranking out cheap pads for fleet customers too lazy to change brands.
*update: checking with a buddy in the shop today It seems im wrong. Older Pierce brand firetrucks (pierce saber models she says) shipped with asbestos front and rear pads if they were not intended for airport duty.
- RankingMember 8y agoHa, for some reason it never occurred to me that the "bestos" in "Raybestos" was a reference to asbestos.
- nimbius 8y agooh man, they were legendary for their use of the stuff. The negative association with Asbestos eventaully cost the owner his company in 1998. Raymark filed for Chapter 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raybestos#Superfund_site_cleanup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raybestos#Superfund_site_clean...
- jdietrich 8y agoOEMs have phased out asbestos, but there's a serious risk posed by aftermarket pads, shoes and linings. Because asbestos brake parts are legal, there's nothing stopping a parts distributor from shipping in a bunch of cheap Chinese parts made with asbestos. If you operate on the assumption that modern braking systems are all asbestos free, there's a greater risk of accidental exposure if you do encounter asbestos. In many cases, there's no visible difference.
- nimbius 8y agoAgreed! but they might be easier to spot than you think... warped pads with low miles or pad material that laps the backplate are all signs of a cheap chinesium aftermarket product. these cheap pads usually have issues with fracturing, which scores the rotor and can cause pistons to seize. - weird pad discoloration with wear or rotor marking is a sure sign the pads been impregnated with a cheap cyanoacrylate as a bonding measure.
- tunap 8y agoAsbestos brakes are also the reason why blowing out undercarriages, wheel wells & rims w/ air pressure is illegal. Does your shop not have a sign directing anyone who observes such behavior to report it? Pretty sure in the US, it is mandatory to post in commercial garages in plain sight.