Hey people,

I'm still desperate to get the embedded brake dust particles off of my white wheels. I'm considering using rubbing compound, but I just noticed that the directions caution that it "may" remove paint. Are they just being overly cautious to avoid litigation, or will I really strip my paint?

Any other thoughts on this question?

Please don't tell me to wax the wheels. I need to get the black specks off first.

FYI here's the old thread I started related to this problem.

 

a small amount of WD-40 on a rag works wonders on these spots on my silver wheels.

 

Specifically what compound are you refering to? You are probably going to have to resort to something semi agressive to get them back in shape, just be sure to not use something that is too agressive that you wont be able to polish the compound marks off after you remove the spots. A true compound will remove paint how much depends how agressive the compound is and how agressive you are in using the product.

I use 99% meguairs products and this is what I would start with,

First get them as clean as possible, I would use wheel brightener then car wash soap.
Then I would hit it with dual action ( #83 ) if that works great, if not I would go to ( # 84 ) this should handle it.
After #84 I would go back to #83 and polish them up and then apply your wax.

The finish on the white wheels is pretty durable so you should be able to do a nice job on them with some patience and some elbow grease.

 

Before going to compounds, I'd try using a clay bar.

The primary purpose of clay is to remove imbedded paint contaminants... exactly what you are talking about with your brake dust problem. There are several different clay bar manufacturers, but you should be able to find Mother's and Meguiars at your local auto supply shop. I prefer Zaino's clay-bar, but it isn't worth the effort to mail order clay unless you are already ordering something else from Zaino, etc.

I prefer 3M compounds (Liquid rubbing compound and light-cut compound) and you can generaly find them at your local auto supply as well. A bit of paint cleanser may also do the trick (less abrasive than compounding), and you should always start with the least abrasive product that will do the job.

The order that I'd try:

1. Clay Bar
2. A cleaner wax
3. Paint Cleanser/polish
4. Light-cut compound
5. medium-cut compound

Good Luck

 

I would echo agranger's comments completely. Other good claybars are ClayMagic, 3M, Sonus. Meguiars would be my very LAST choice.

3M compounds are the best, hands down. Go to an auto paint supplier. Look in auto body shop supplies in the Yellow Pages if you want to get locally. They can help you out there.

Follow agranger's directions. It takes you from least aggressive to most aggressive. Always the smart way.

Good luck!

 

Just read the other thread you started a while back. All of the references to Zaino (Z-2, Z-5) should only happen AFTER you remove the spots.

A good, temp resistant protectant finish will help stop this from happening again. Standard waxes will not stand up to the heat generated from braking. I'd make sure that any white painted wheels have at least 2 coats of a quality polymer like Zaino or Klasse. It will help prevent the re-marring of the finish and will make your weekly (or daily) cleanings easier. I also apply a bit of pure carnuba over the Zaino every 2-3 months... It makes me get my fat *** down to wheel level for a good inspection.

I'm not big into wheel cleaners... spray on and rinse off... BAH! I simply wash my wheels last with the same bucket and wash that I used on the rest of the car. If the crap doesn't come off, I should have keept the protective finishes better and/or should have washed earlier.

 

Thanks for all the advice. I basically saw Turtle Wax rubbing compound on sale and bought it on impulse, thinking it might be the way to solve my problem. But going from less abrasive to more makes sense. I'll try a clay bar first.

I'm thinking of putting Rejex on the wheels once they're clean.

And 11 months and 10,000 miles after picking the car up from the dealer, I'm still kicking myself for not treating them the second I got home.

 

Please DON'T use the Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound. This stuff is WAY off the scale with regard to abrasiveness. If you are not very careful you can do more harm than good. This is more coarse than any product listed on the 1-5 step chart agranger illustrated for you.

If you want to use it, test it on a neighbors car first so you get a feel for how it works.

RejeX is nice, but not the most durable option. Zaino and Klasse will outlast it. Just an FYI.

 

No wonder it was on sale! I'm going to make the clay bar my project for next weekend. I'll report back and tell everyone how/if it worked.