im trying to clean the inner part of my rims, there is rust looking stuff that i cannot get off with a scrub brush and dish soap. i have pictures of it so maybe some of you guys can help me out..

 

That's brake dust that's been on there for a while. You're going to have to get a real good wheel cleaner, let it soak for a while and use some elbow grease. Dish detergent isn't going to help on that. If you let brake dust sit like that for a while, it can eventually eat into the wheel's finish, and then there's not much you can do. If you can get these wheels clean, then make sure you put a good coat of wax on the insides.

 

any good ones you know of? all these cleaners say that they are the best... but i know you guys really know the truely good stuff

 

For brake dust on OEM wheels, take the wheel off, soak it with Simple Green and let it sit for a few minutes, then go after it with a really stiff wheel or other scrub brush (I mean really stiff). Repeat until it all comes off.

Then go get some detailing clay at AutoZone/Pep Boys/whatever and clay them up really well, and put some wax on to avoid that sort of build-up in the future.

 

I only use Simple Green and a sponge on my wheels and it takes all the brake dust off the rim. It works better than anything else out there as far as I am concerned.

 

P21S Gel. I mention the gel specifically since it will sit in place and not run off. You will need a good stiff brush and a fair amount of elbow grease as well.

 

Simple answer, Simple green. Here it is at work on white wheels.






Then a good wheel wax.

Mark

 

lotise is the ken of simplegreen.

 

Mark

 

all right simple green it is.. ill keep ya posted as to how it does when i do it this week

thanks for the quick responses

 

Simple Green is GREAT stuff. However, I would not use it on aluminum that has been coated. I learned this on the Pelican site several years ago:

Link: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showp...7&postcount=18

 

That grit on my wheels doesn't come off no matter what anymore. Next spring, I'm gonna 0000 grade steel wool, and then re-clear coat them.

 

I am quite amazed how soft the coating on the wheels are, I just cleaned mine and they have been on the car only a few months (warrantee replace wheels) and it was quite hard to get the brake dust off, it appeared to have begun to pit the finish.

Peter

 

yeah the original coat looks pretty much screwed from what i can tell.. still waiting on the weather to clear up to see if i can get this junk off.
i will end up using simple green since im only doing the inner portion of the rims... then ill find a place that can help me get these things better protected or even do it myself..

 

It's not just the soft wheel coating that's working against us... it's the extremely corrosive dust that the BMW/MINI pads produce. If you are diligent and keep the dust off, the wheels hold up just fine. But the ultimate fix are good aftermarket brake pads, like CarboTech Bobcats or Hawk Ceramics.

 

I've just changed from OEM pads on the front to EBC Greenstuff. They seem to produce less dust, but I assume there is no such thing as a "dustless" pad/rotor set up.

Are the EBC less or more corrosive? Also has any one tried the brake dust shields like these?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...%3AIT&viewitem=

 

Heat is a product of braking, brakes hate high heat, brake shields hold heat. Brakes, a high cost item.

Waxing/cleaning wheels is cheap, does not take much work, results are WAY better than brake heat shields. Maintenance, not such a high cost item

Mark

 

Yes there is a 'dustless' set up.

They are not for racing, just great street driving and have the same OEM feel. Not only are they totally dustless, but they don't squeal, last a long time and are affordable. Most people don't use them because they are not talked about on this forum very much like EBC, Mintex, Hawk, Carbotech, etc. I'm talking about PBR Axxis Deluxe Plus. These are organic so they don't chew up your rotors either. Here is a link to a vendor and the front set for an 06.

http://www.importrp.com/product.php?...1&cat=0&page=1

Again not for racing, but great for everyday use.

YD

 

I'm not sure where 'square one' is, but here in beautiful $#it city, with the temps in the teens and twenties for weeks during the winter, washing and waxing my wheels is not a big priority, or even doable. You guys that live in the sunbelt are fortunate.

 

Yeah, St.Louis is very moderate temp. wise IMO, but I used to live were winter was 5 months long, with constant temps. below 15F. Mostly -25F


Mark

 

What rims are those? They look to be 17 - 18".

 

I like them.. very purposeful-looking.

 

Those are 15" steel wheels I had snow tires mounted on, so yes they were purposeful.

Mark

 

Is Simple Green sold at auto stores or home depot or lowes? or even grocery stores in the cleaning supplies isle?

 

You should be able to find it at all of those. I think I bought mine at OSH, which is the California equivalent of an Ace Hardware or TrueValue, etc. But I would imagine most grocery stores or places like Target and WalMart would carry it, too.