By L_Tilly on Friday, June 15, 2001 - 01:03 pm: Edit

I know I've seen messages about this before, like the frozen diff it seems a "common" risk w/ Discos. However, my archive searches are comming up nil. I think I'm searching for the wrong key words (I'm getting a LOT of messages about tire sizes, etc.)

Anyway, my rear wheels are clean, but my front wheels have a black residue on the inside of the wheels as well as the outter portion of the rim (almost like it's being sprayed from inside near the break area). The vehicle has been developing this since I purchased it (Nov '00), and the breaks were just inspected in March 01 with no problems. I've looked under yesterday but could not find anything around the front wheels that seems to be leaking (although my oil pan is a different story altogether!) :-o

Does anyone know what this may be from, or if it has been discussed here already could you let me know the best key words to use in the search?

advTHANKSance!
L_Tilly lnctilly@mediaone.net
96 Disco "Beowulf" - USA, NH

By Ron on Friday, June 15, 2001 - 01:07 pm: Edit

Sounds like leaking swivel seals (unless it is brake dust). Search swivel grease.

Ron

By Jon Williams (Jonw) on Friday, June 15, 2001 - 01:59 pm: Edit

Brake dust. It happens on all my vehicles, and not just my Disco. As your brake pads wear, the dust "falls" out and sticks to your wheel rim. If you go long enough without cleaning your wheels, the dust can build-up and be quite difficult to remove. I've even had it stain the finish on the insides of my rims before. It's not water soluble (without a cleaner) so it's not easily sprayed-off.

Take your finger and wipe it through this residue. If it's oily, then it may be what the previous guy said. But if it's thick and dry, it's just brake dust. Oh, and your front discs are used more than your rear ones in stopping the truck, so that's why there's more dust on your front wheels.

You can buy wheel cleaner at any auto parts store, even Wal-Mart. Just make sure it's suitable for alloy wheels. Most should be now, but there's still a few abraisive cleaners that'll eat the finish off your wheels and corrode the alloy.

By L_Tilly on Friday, June 15, 2001 - 02:50 pm: Edit

It feels to me almost like a super fine graphite powder, but unfortunately that means "oily AND powdery". :-( I have no puddles that form under my breaks, and no wet spots on or around my breaks or swivels (except some thick grease on the crome ball itself). I'll pick up some safe wheel cleaner and also clean up the swivel area, and see how things look after the weekend. Maybe I'll drive without using my breaks for a while as a test. ;-)

Thanks for the tip, Jon. I hope that's all that it is!

L_Tilly lnctilly@mediaone.net
96 Disco "Beowulf" - NH, USA

By Ron on Friday, June 15, 2001 - 02:58 pm: Edit

also clean up the swivel area,

If you do this it will most likely make it leak. heheheh

Definately sounds like brake dust to me. I would not worry, maybe top off your swivels or better yet drain and refill with grease as a precaustionary measure.

Ron

By M on Saturday, June 16, 2001 - 05:21 pm: Edit

I have a 99 DD2 & also noticed staines on the rims from the dust. Any suggestions on removing those staines.

Also, w/ the D2's, the heat from the front wheels have changed the color of those plastic "eye-brows" around the wheel.