Hello,

I have a quick question for those of us that hang out in the detailing forums! We have the alloy S-Lites on our MCS. They are ALWAYS COVERED in break dust! I know someone mentioned to me once a product that should help repel the dust and also allow for it to just rinse right off with washing...

What is that product? it sucks to have a clean MINI with nasty break dust all over the rims!

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

 

Wash the rims really well, clay bar them and then use a good synthetic wax like the Meguiar's NXT or Detailers paradise's Epic. It won't "repel" the dust, but it will keep it from sticking very well.

 

With the s-lites think about brake dust shields. Kleenwheels have been on my mini since new(15" holies). My white wheels stay white for one to two weeks. I take them off during spirited driving, track, Dragon etc. and wax the wheels and reinstall the shields. The openings between the spokes on s-lites is pretty small, I would think you would hardly notice the shields. Good luck.

 

They kind of scare me...



I'd be worried abuot the tolerances between the rim and the brake calipers... Some of them are very tight. But you said you have them installed, so...

Have any pictures of what they end up looking like?

 

The correct way to do it is to change the pads out to low-dusting types. The Mintex Redbox pads are reported to be equivalent to the European MINI OEM pads and dust a lot less. EBC Green pads dust even less than that but cost twice as much.

 

Thanks for all the replies so far! The dust guards seem cool, but I don't really want to spend 100 bucks on a set of them. Also, worried about the change in look. I like seeing the rotar and caliper behind the rim.

Changing out the brake pads I know would be best! I had nearly dustless pads on my last car with chrome rims...However, I want to avoid spending all that money, and also want to utilize the maintenance free part of a new MINI by having them replace brakes.

Sounds like I'll go the synthetic wax route and hope that it works better than nothing.

If anyone else has suggestions or chemicals they've used and know works I'd appreciate it!

Thanks again.

 

Remember to wax the INSIDE of the rims, too... most of the rim surface is back inside where you can't see it. After waxing, a good wheel brush will aid in keeping them very clean. I use this one (cost like $7) and I love it:

 

Try rejex That what I use and I had good luck with it.

http://www.corrosionx.com/rejex.html

 

EBC green pads and Meguiar's Hot Rims (cool care all wheel cleaner) to clean off the brake dust once a week works for me...man they really are white! The EBC pads still dust a little but it cleans off very easy and doesn't fuse to the paint, and yellow, like the stock OEM "BMW" pads. Save your money and go for the EBC brake pads...worth every cent.

 

I use Hot Rims as well, about every other week, and it gets off the OEM pad dust no prob. I wax, though, so that might be why.

 

Isn't there a product called Wheelwax that, unlike regular wax, has a charge that repels brake dust?

 

Well, let's see...

::: Types in "wheelwax" into Google :::

http://www.wheelwax.com/

Google is your FRIEND.

PS - I have no idea if this stuff actually works - I just run the Google searches.

EDIT: I TAKE IT BACK... Obviously, Wheel Wax doesn't "repel" the honeys. Put me down for a case of this "space age" wax!!

 

http://www.autogeek.net/dp-wheel-glaze.html

Great stuff! I use it on my moms volvo since it has spoked rims. Dust just seems to fall off

 

That stuff looks pretty promising! And a pretty good price! Thanks for the tip!!!!

 

Ceramic Brakes 2 weeks plus a track day without washing, front ceramic rears stock the rears were far far worse than the fronts. Did I mention the added braking power has saved e and Pearl from serious injury/death twice in the last 11 days (once this afternoon and once 2 Fridays ago)

I used a brake dust cleaner/ repeler from the auto store once it kept the dust back for an extra few days but at the end of the week I was still washing the wheels. But what it did do is cut through the dust much quick I'd spray a little on when I started washing the car, get the rest of the car done by the tome I reached the wheels, a good blast with the hose and 90% of the dust was gone, then a little touch up for the corners and I was all set.

Wash frequently, and a tip a friend gave me for his S-lites but I haven't gotten around to doing so yet, is get a spare toilet bruch so as not to have all fingers jammed up by the end of it. Hopefully this was my last summer with the S-lights (I want to switch to R99s in the spring, anthricite) but I'll still use them in winter when I have to (and I'm not sure how I'll do this yet) relax my detailing standards.

 

i've heard that you should take the wheels off and clay and wax all of it, is there enough space between the s-lite spokes to get your hand in there and clean off the brake dust that gathers on the inside? i'm thinking of putting some zaino on it has anyone tried this?

 

I'm no expert, but that WheelWax looks hot ! Obviously not too good as a hair care product though .
I take off my wheels and Zaino the rims, front and back, and then just use QD to wipe the dust off with a microfiber. I also found a lambs wool tire brush at Pep Boys that fits my R-84 spots really well. I have not had any brake dust embedded on to my rims. If you wax your wheels don't use any harsh wheel cleaner since it will strip the wax. I just use the car shampoo while washing the MINI.
DP now has a product called ONCE that I've just now started using, but since I've now put my winter steelies on the other wheels are all snug and warm in my tire garage until spring .
I'm really liking the WheelWax stuff though. The more I look at it the better I like it (really wish they would move that damn wheel though) .

 

You silly men... I suppose we'll need to take some photos of the Prima line like the Wheel Wax photos. I agree though... she really shouldn't have put the Wheel Wax in her hair!!

Regarding Once, we are just a few weeks from making it available on our website. When it goes up, you'll notice a name change... Wheel Shield. So, Once is now Wheel Shield.

I'll let everyone know when we have the Wheel Shield available online.

Oh, and thanks MiniMaybee for the durability testing you're doing on the Once/Wheel Shield... in your garage!!

-Heather

 

i got my mini last saturday, 340 miles later ;_;



if this is the norm im going to have to try one of these products >_<

 

Fan of the stock pads?

 

no D:

my gti has ebc green stuffs

 

Definitely do not get brake dust shields!!!

Like many others have said, get a low dust pad like EBC Greenstuff; you will be more than happy.

 

Oh yeah that's the norm for OEM pads , but mine can look that way after a couple of days . Nothing is going to repel the brake dust, but a waxed wheel will allow you to simply wipe clean. I use QD and a cheap microfiber (a good use for those Target towels ) and just wipe the dust off. For sure this will turn you microfiber an irreversible black , thus the recommendation for using the cheap towels 'cause that ain't come'n clean.

Chuck

 

I Zaino'd my wheels a few weeks ago and have been pleased with the results so far. Between washes I've easily wiped them clean with a MF then followed with QD. What really impressed me is now when I wash almost all of the dust comes off with a strong spray from the hose.

 

EBC greenstuff dust come off much more easily than OEM. I rarely use rim cleaner any more since normal washing does the job pretty well (although I would like to hire the woman with the wheel cleaner in her hair for washing the rest of the MINI...she might have to stretch a bit to reach the top of the roof, though...)