Brake Pads With Asbestos: What Mechanics Should Know

For decades, asbestos was used in automotive braking systems because it could withstand high temperatures and friction. Brake pads, brake linings, and other friction components could contain asbestos, especially in older vehicles and replacement parts. The history of brake pads with asbestos is especially important for auto mechanics and others who performed brake repairs. Removing worn brake components, cleaning brake assemblies, and handling brake dust could disturb asbestos-containing material and create opportunities for fibers to become airborne.

Although asbestos-free brake materials have largely replaced older products, understanding how asbestos was historically used in brakes can still be important for workers trying to understand asbestos exposure that may have occurred decades ago. Historical EPA records document asbestos use in disc brake pads, drum brake linings, and other automotive friction materials.

Why Was Asbestos Used in Brake Pads?

Braking creates a large amount of heat and friction.

When a driver presses the brake pedal, friction between braking components helps slow the vehicle. The materials used in these systems therefore need to tolerate repeated heat and wear.

Asbestos was historically useful because of its durability and resistance to heat. Manufacturers incorporated asbestos fibers into different friction materials, including brake linings and certain disc brake pads.

This made brake pads with asbestos useful from an engineering perspective, but the health hazards associated with inhaling asbestos fibers eventually led manufacturers toward alternative materials.

How Could Brake Pads With Asbestos Release Fibers?

Asbestos fibers contained within a brake component were not necessarily confined there forever.

Brake materials gradually wear down as a vehicle is driven. Brake repair could also disturb accumulated dust and worn friction material.

Historically, mechanics sometimes used compressed air to blow dust from brake assemblies. EPA records specifically identified dust being blown from brake drums, roughening brake linings, and relining brake shoes as activities that could create asbestos exposure.

That makes the repair and maintenance process particularly important when discussing brake pads with asbestos.

A mechanic could open a brake assembly containing accumulated dust without necessarily knowing whether asbestos was present.

Why Was Brake Dust a Concern?

Brake dust can contain particles produced as friction materials wear.

When asbestos-containing brake components were used, some of that material could contribute asbestos fibers to accumulated dust.

The concern became greater when dry dust was disturbed and became airborne. Once airborne, microscopic asbestos fibers can be inhaled.

This is why historical brake work is relevant when investigating occupational asbestos exposure among mechanics.

A worker did not necessarily need to manufacture brake pads with asbestos to encounter the material. Someone servicing and replacing asbestos-containing brake components could potentially encounter dust generated from those products.

Which Workers Could Have Encountered Brake Pads With Asbestos?

Auto mechanics are the most obvious group, but they were not necessarily the only workers who could encounter asbestos-containing brake materials.

Potentially affected occupations could include:

• Automobile mechanics
• Brake repair technicians
• Truck mechanics
• Bus mechanics
• Fleet maintenance workers
• Heavy-equipment mechanics
• Automotive dealership technicians
• Workers who handled replacement brake components

Exposure would depend on factors such as the products involved, time period, frequency of brake work, work practices, and conditions inside the shop.

Someone who spent years performing brake jobs could have a very different exposure history from someone who occasionally changed brakes.

Were All Brake Pads Made With Asbestos?

No.

It is important not to assume that every historical brake pad contained asbestos.

Manufacturers developed several alternatives to asbestos-containing friction materials, and the automotive industry gradually moved toward non-asbestos products. Historical EPA records show that semi-metallic and other non-asbestos alternatives were already replacing asbestos in some disc-brake applications decades ago.

Modern brake-pad formulations can instead use combinations of metals, organic fibers, ceramics, graphite, and other materials.

For someone investigating a historical exposure, the vehicle’s age alone therefore does not prove that its brakes contained asbestos. The manufacturer, replacement components, date, and specific brake product may all matter.

When Were Brake Pads With Asbestos Commonly Used?

Asbestos-containing friction materials were widely used during the 20th century.

The transition away from asbestos did not happen everywhere at exactly the same time. Different types of brakes and vehicles moved toward alternatives at different rates.

For example, EPA records from the 1980s show that semi-metallic disc brake pads had already replaced asbestos-containing pads in many applications, while developing suitable replacements for some drum-brake linings presented additional challenges.

Research reviewing the history of automotive brake materials reports that by around 2000, vehicle manufacturers had eliminated chrysotile-containing brake linings and pads from virtually all passenger vehicles and light trucks sold in the United States.

That history is why someone’s years of employment as a mechanic can be important when investigating possible asbestos exposure.

Could Home Mechanics Encounter Asbestos From Brakes?

Occupational mechanics were not the only people who performed brake repairs.

Vehicle owners and hobbyists have long worked on their own cars, including older and classic vehicles. Someone performing brake work may not know the composition or history of every component installed on a vehicle.

For that reason, older or unidentified brake components should not automatically be assumed to be asbestos-free.

The larger lesson is that brake dust should not be treated as harmless simply because its composition is unknown.

How Is Asbestos Exposure Connected to Mesothelioma?

Asbestos exposure is the primary known cause of mesothelioma.

When asbestos fibers are inhaled, some can remain in the body for a long time. Over many years, these fibers can contribute to cellular damage and disease.

However, exposure does not mean someone will develop mesothelioma. Not everyone exposed to asbestos develops an asbestos-related disease, and individual risk can depend on several factors.

Another challenge is the long period between asbestos exposure and disease.

Someone who encountered brake pads with asbestos while working as a mechanic decades ago may only much later develop an asbestos-related illness. This long latency period makes a detailed occupational history particularly important.

Why Does a Mechanic’s Work History Matter?

Someone investigating possible asbestos exposure from brake work may need to look back many years.

Useful information could include:

• Years worked as a mechanic
• Automotive shops or dealerships where the person worked
• Types of vehicles serviced
• Frequency of brake repairs
• Brake products or manufacturers remembered
• Whether compressed air was used during cleaning
• Whether the worker performed brake or clutch replacement
• Coworkers who may remember products or shop practices

The presence of asbestos should not be assumed simply because someone performed brake work. However, these details can help provide a clearer picture of possible historical exposure.

Final Thoughts

The history of brake pads with asbestos demonstrates how asbestos exposure could occur in places beyond factories, shipyards, and construction sites.

Asbestos was historically incorporated into automotive friction materials because it could withstand heat and wear. For mechanics, disturbing accumulated brake dust or handling older asbestos-containing components could create opportunities for asbestos fibers to become airborne.

Although brake technology has changed considerably, those historical exposures can remain relevant because asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma may develop many years after exposure.

At Pennsylvania Mesothelioma Information, we understand how difficult it can be to determine where asbestos exposure may have occurred decades ago, and you do not have to search for answers alone.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, call us today at 800-505-6000 or reach out through our contact form and someone will be with you right away.

Sources:

Full article: A risk assessment of mechanics who changed chrysotile asbestos containing brakes and other vehicle components in the 1950s–early 2000s era: an update on the 2004 evaluation

Overview of the Important Factors Influencing the Performance of Eco-Friendly Brake Pads – PMC