GTSLEX

iTrader: (2)

Im curious if asbestos still used in car brake pads? I know a few people in the automotive industry and worry about their health. If asbestos is still used in pads what is the best way for them to protect themselves... which mask and clothing?

Alexis-LS

In pads, shoes and clutches, yes.
Here is the OSHA bulletin
http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib072606.html

GTSLEX

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the link. So it sounds like asbetos is still used but is let prevalent. So bascially its hit or miss whether or not you are working on a car with asbetos. What would be the best mask to use to filter out asbetos?

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

from your osha bulletin, not all.

besides, IMO this is much ado about nothing - unless you're snorting brake pads every day.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

TripleL

^^ That's the type of outfit my wife would put on and say "Does this make me look fat?"

back on topic,,,,
Agreed there is not much of it around anymore and even the bulletin is about 4 years old so there is probably even less of it around today then there was 4 years ago.

mmarshall

As the article says, you may still fine it in some very old parts, but, in American-spec vehicles, asbestos has been outlawed now for many years, because of its well-documented association with cancer in humans.

In fact, an old friend of mine, who once worked on school-bus brakes many years ago (buses have huge brake parts, of course, with lots of asbestos) passed away about 10 years ago.......yep, from cancer. The doctors think that's where he was exposed to it, and got it....from the brake parts and brake dust. A shame, too.....he was an avid car-buff like me, and left a widow.

NINEZeRO

I think the amount in a car brake would be negligible. I read that you need to be exposed to asbestos for a long time for it to cause a long term disease. Mine workers, construction workers, plumbers are the type of occupations that need to be worried about asbestos. Its not like all the asbestos from a car brake will magically be funneled through the air to your nose/mouth as you work on a car.

mmarshall

Well, one of the requirements of a proper brake job, besides simply replacing or refinishing the parts, is to clean out the dust generated from the old pads or linings. That's where brake workers would pick up some of the asbestos.....the dust would get stirred up in the air, and they would breathe it. Some workers, of course, wore respirators/masks, but just how effective they were at catching tiny asbestos particles in the dust is questionable.

Asbestos, despite its effectiveness in withstanding high heat, was outlawed in automotive brakes and fire-fighting suits for a reason...its connection to cancer in humans became well-documented.

spwolf

its use if forbidden in europe... thats why new brakes last less and squeal quite often ;-)

theklf99

I know this is an old post but I was wondering the same thing about whether asbestos is still used in brake parts. My Haynes manual for my vehicle has warnings about the fact that asbestos may be present in the brake pads and my car is only a 55 plate car (2005) (it's not a Lexus, it's a Vauxhall (Opel/GM) Zafira but this was the main forum I could find that was asking questions about asbestos in brakes).

As it was only built in 2005, and the Zafira was only introduced in about 1997 this took me by surprise that they'd included these warning as I thought the use of asbestos in anything had been outlawed since at least the early 80's, possibly even earlier.

Also another important thought is that if they do contain asbestos what stops the general public inhaling large amounts of asbestos when walking down the street - I'm thinking that if every time a car brakes it's asbestos brake pads must scratch and release some of that dust into the air near the car, which ok it's only a small amount, but someone walking down the street passing loads of cars and other vehicles that are all braking at various times they will be breathing in quite a high amount of the asbestos brake dust, and the same for someone in a car as does the dust not go through the ventilation systems or even through an open window or does it not work like that?

doge

Not in oem's however some cheap aftermarket's still use it but don't list it

spwolf

it was around that time that was out, definetly not in 80's.... i remember clearly when we had new models in early 2000's that they said that squealing and less longetivity is due to inferior materials compared to asbestos.