Boy they do get dirty..

Any secrets to cleaning? Soap and water sure make a mess. I used WD40 to cut the oil sludge, and a few towels to wipe them clean. Towels are totaled; wife not happy.

Any better ways?

 

Some folks have resorted to replacing their brake pads with other brands that create less brake dust. I believe "green pads" (I think that's the brand) does significantly cut down on dust, but they don't work as well as the OEM pads. Unfortunately there isn't too much you can do, but you might try coating the wheels with RejecX (www.corrosionX.com). It's a liquid that you apply like a soft wax to clean wheels and it forms a molecular barrier that keeps dirt on the surface making it easier to wash off. You must reapply it every few months, but it does help. Applying a good soft brush will also help.

 

Were they this dirty?


Tip #1.Once they are clean,wax with a good polymer wax,much easier to keep clean.

 

Ditto on the use of a good polymer sealant as preventative maintenance. This will definately help. All of that crap will come off very easily if you was more often...

 

Question brought up by Vulture's (justifiably) angry wife over her ruined towels:

Is there a cheap, disposable product that can be used to clean wheels? I'm embarrassed to say (yes, I'll post in that "other thread" later) that I have used soft Viva paper towels and lots of water (in a spray bottle...on the wheel and on the towel) to wipe down my well Klasse'd wheels. It's a compromise, I'm sure, but that brake dust will just ruin anything else. I like being able to trash the dirty towels.

Any thoughts??? Ideas???? Suggestions???

 

I use cheap terry cloth towels to wipe my wheels.Wash them when they get dirty,then use them to wipe wheel wells,under the bonnet plastic,wash them,and use them to wipe the dip stick for awhile,then chuck them.

 

Eagle 1 wheel and tire cleaner.

 

turtle wax. it works!

 

For the particularly nasty bits on my car, I have a stack of cotton wash cloths that I bought in a bundle of 20 for $2 on super sale at Target. I bought 3 packs! At 10 cents a piece, I just throw 'em away if they get too dirty.

 

To clean off that really nasty brake dust build-up after I've neglected my wheels for a while, I like to use P21S gel, which you can leave on the wheels for a couple of hours and then wipe off. You can get it here: http://www.nacarcare.com/p21-105g.html. After you clean, as others suggested above, put on a few coats of polymer wax. I usually do 1-2 coats of Zaino Z5 plus 1-2 coats of Z2, and after that it's really easy to wipe off the brake dust. Whatever you use, it pays to stay on top of it, because if you leave brake dust on the wheel too long, it will actually eat into the finish and then you'll never get it off.

 

Ding, ding ding! We have a winner!

 

The best thing to clean brake dust off wheels is ....... somebody else.