Brake dust is PILING up on my front wheels. I would like to know what the best way is to get in between spokes and the entire wheel BEHIND the spokes. I can't reach my arms back there because the spokes are tight and the rotors take up a lot of room.

Are my only options to jack the car up and get underneath so I can get my arm around or take the wheel off completely?

Or maybe there's an attachment to a drill that spins and cleans all the dust/dirt off?

Does anyone have suggestions?

 

I just got a meguire's wheel brush that is about 9" long and it is bendy, so you can angle it a bit and get in there good. I used it for the first time today and it worked real well.

 

I just take off my wheels once in a while to get all that brake dust off, but the idea for some drill attatchment sounds like a time saver

 

I started out using the duster Swifer but the plastic handle keep coming apart

Then I stared using a ruler with the wash mitt over the end. Worked OK

Now I use a duster (not the feather kind). Long plastic one piece handle almost a foot of duster. Works OK, less hastle then the ruler

Still serching for the perfect brush

My wheels O.Z. Superturismo GT (white)

Guess I better update my photo!

 

I jam up my hands weekly and do a through job when I have the wheels off for rotations (and wax the insides when doing so).

I know one person uses a toilet brush (dedicated) and it worked extremely effectively as far as the end result and a lack of swolen kunckles.

 

Try Poorboy's Spray & Rinse Wheel Cleaner. Properly diluted, Its one of the best wheel cleaners I've used. It really melts brake dust with minimal human intervention. Great for mesh wheels.
Once they are clean and spotless, apply some Poorboy's Wheel Sealant, truly a must have product. You wont get brake dust build up for a long time after using that.
I have applied Zaino Z2pro to my wheels but didnt get much durability, I still do it anyway.

 

Once I'm done washing the car, I use the remaining soapy water and a different/dedicated sponge to clean the wheels. That way the brake dust doesn't get into the sponge I use to wash the car. I've bought a few different brushes to try and make life easier cleaning our white web spokes, but so far, nothing has worked better/faster than a plain old car wash sponge.

I did wax the wheels with Zaino Z5. But the thing that helps the most is to only wash the wheels when they are stone cold. Any little bit of heat in the wheels makes removing the brake dust much more difficult.

Three or four times a year, I remove the wheels and throughly clean them with Eagle One A-Z All-Wheel Cleaner, then reapply the wax. I normally do this when it's time to wax the car.

 

Tooth brush, plus I take them off quarterly for cleaning and waxing.

 

Can you guys that wax comment durability and dust resistance?
I would think with the heat brakes generate, the wax would dissipate pretty quickly.

Also, have any clayed their wheels? It works great, give it a try.

 

I'm still on the fence as to whether waxing our wheels actually helped.

I'm sold on Eagle One A-Z all-wheel cleaner. Guru Reports rated it #1 and it works great for cleaning the tires as well. It works so well I can't see why you'd ever want to clay your wheels. Sorry.....

 

Try it, it removes the things that chemicals cant get for whatever reason.

They are also so slick after claying, it reduces the chance of dust sticking. This also leave a properly cleaned surface to apply wheel sealant. (I've used PB Wheel Sealant, Z2pro, and Collinite Hi-temp - nothing works like the Poorboys)

 

Detailers Paradise sells a synthetic wax called Wheel Shield that stands up to the heat. I had it on my wheels for about 8 weeks just before I went to snows and it was holding up pretty well. Water was all that was needed to get 95% of the dust off and then a light brushing or a quick wipe with QD took the rest completely off.

I used this brush and really liked it until the handle fell off. I now use a wool covered brush I found at Pep Boys that is great except that it will not bend to get behind the wheel face. However as I mentioned above, using Wheel Shield and a QD like Prima Slick on a microfiber I have no brake dust removal problems.

 

This is the one I've got and love it http://www.autopia-carcare.com/meg-x-1160.html.

 

^^ Yep. That's what I used too and really like how you could bend it around. The damn handle fell off though. I kept using it for a while even without the handle, but I kept getting hand wounds from the sharp pointy metal. I hated to see it go, but could not bring myself to buy another one and suffer that kind of heartbreak again. I was very attached to my first one you see.

 

I use this, too! It's a Meguiar's tool that's sold at target and auto-parts stores, so you might have it locally.



It's got a rubber tip so it doesn't gouge anything. Just run this INSIDE the rims every time you wash them (remember that the majority of the rim is actually back behind the spokes) and the dust doesn't seem to have time to really bake on.

If you have heavy dirt now, I'd take the time to remove the wheels, clean them (first with soap/water, then with clay if they have embedded grime) while off the car, and then apply either something like the DP Wheel Sheild (which I've not yet tried) or at the least a SYNTHETIC wax like NXT or DP Epic - the synthetic holds up under heat better. Waxing them really well will help keep the dirt from adhering and srticking. I usually do a full rim cleaning and wax job when I swap my summer and winter tires and just use the brush while they're on my car, and they look like-new!

 

I need to get one of those brushes. I have gone to using car soap on the wheels and a small lambs wool mitt. I need to get that brush to get in behind the spokes.

As for wheelsheild I have some that I hope to try when I put the summer wheels on.

 

I use the Mequairs brush also. If you have a Big Lots by you, try there. The ones by me sell them for $2.99

 

I really want to get my wheels off to clean the backs but my driveway isn't level. Not sure how I'm going to do it.

 

Garage or street?

 

I used a paste wax and left it pretty clumpy so the insides of the wheels were still green, then when I rotated next time wiped off the clumps that were now black, hosed them down, had to scrub a little bit then waxed again (I just use the bottom of the barrel and a pad that I don't care how dirty it gets) I see it as if the wax bakes on the wheels are protected if the dust bakes on the wheels are grudgingly black and I have to do more scrubbing of the s-heavies.

 

you guys actually remove the wheels and wash the back side?
wow...i thought i was ****. i might do that on my SSR GT3's as they
are 3pcs wheels (rivets could corrode), but on a 1pc, i just clean their
faces after each run.

 

Very easy to do if you autocross and do wheel/tire changes. Just bring some quick detailer and a cloth to wipe down the inside while the street wheels are off.

 

Sure, it is a great way to keep all of the gunk from building up. Plus it is adds 2 HP! Well ok maybe not, but darn it I still do it.

 

ok, i promise to clean the backside of my wheels in the Spring then.
i want to clean off my Brembo's anyway after looking at that vette
octaneguy detailed on the lift.

 

When its a daily I consider it obligatory (gets some interesting looks from the neightbors when I've got 4 wheels out on the lawn and I'm scrubbing though