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Damn brake dust...

5K views 36 replies 15 participants last post by  8007 
#1 ·
I have upgraded brakes and they kick out a good amount of brake dust. Anyone have a great wheel cleaner they could recommend?

I saw the Eagle 1 stuff on horsepower tv and that stuff adds a coating to the wheel that you have to let dry . From that point you can just spray off the brake dust, is it really that easy? anyone use the stuff?
 
#3 ·
I use Meguiars hot rims... works like a charm!


G9524 Hot Rims® All Wheel Cleaner

Hot Rims® All Wheel Cleaner. Achieve A "Show Perfect" Shine On All Factory Wheel Surfaces!

The name says it all! Hot Rims® All Wheel Cleaner is unlike any formula in the world for removing grime, grit and brake dust from all factory wheel surfaces. Remove stubborn road residue with Hot Rims' unique foaming agents. Our Xtreme Cling™ foam is designed to cling to vertical surfaces and break down stubborn road residue between your wheels and a brilliant shine! Safe for all factory, clear-coated and painted wheels.
 
#4 ·
every product including mcguires, has done the same thing as hitting it with the hose. i swear they ALL suck. eagle one especially, that did NOTHING! now for removing crap built up over the winter that turns the rims like a yellowish color, eagle one never dull = amazing, same for cleaning exhaust tips and anything chrome or stainless steal.
 
#5 ·
every product including mcguires, has done the same thing as hitting it with the hose. i swear they ALL suck. eagle one especially, that did NOTHING! now for removing crap built up over the winter that turns the rims like a yellowish color, eagle one never dull = amazing, same for cleaning exhaust tips and anything chrome or stainless steal.
i used some fine thread SOS pads with soap on them to clean my wheels from the winter grime worked like a charm.(i had the cheap ones from Wal-Mart $0.75) then i hit them up with some armorall wheel cleaner for a shine.

P.S. i did take off each wheel to clean the inside as well as the out side and this will take some time to get really clean.
 
#6 ·
My buddy uses that method. I guess I just never liked the idea of steal wool on paint :-/
 
#7 ·
Don't use steal wool on wheels or paint. If you want to make the look really nice, pull them off one by one and just buy some wheel cleaner fom walmart or pepboys, get them really wet with water and then spray them with the wheel cleaner and use a wash mit to rub all the brake dust and grim off the wheel and the go over the inside of the wheel with laquer thinner and hat should get rid of the rest of the cake on brake dust. Dont waoory the laquer wont ruin the wheels unless you do it after you have driven the car hard. Never spray anything on your wheels while they are hot. I detail cars for a living. After your done cleaning the wheell make sure you use a spray wax on the inside and the face of the wheel protect, this will alo make it easier to clean them the next time you wash your car.
 
#13 ·
The ratsputin i think that the name. but any organic pad will do the trick. Stopping power is a little bit less then ceramic but not by much.
 
#20 ·
LOL, i am good at complaining. Its one of my great talents. Yeah my rims where silver (even offered me gold rims when i bought the car but I wasnt into the two-tone look)

In my defense, mine are gloss black so the dust makes 'em look like flat black. wah wah I know. But when the car is waxed and the rims shine....ooooh baby.
 
#21 ·
ACDelco (OEM for Corvette's) makes brake pads for your application.

Front/Rear cost me $110. I would've gone with Bobcats, but I bought them not long after starting my job, and there is a 6-week delay before your first paycheck, and that's what I could afford :sadwave:

I've run them for about a year now, and there is ¼ the brake dust of OEM pads, and it bites as well (if not better) than OEM. Brake dust looks awful on gold BBSs (it looks like bad diarrhea) - I went from washing the wheels twice/week to every other week.

I recommended them to another user on here (etshulda) and he got them. AFAIK, he liked them. Maybe he can chime in :)



I still have the boxes - shoot me a PM to remind me to get the P/Ns when I get home from work.
 
#22 ·
Right now I run the Hawk Composite pads. They are good, but they squeak at under low pressure (or if they are cold) and they kick off a decent amount of dust. Overall good pads though.

I bought them from tirerack, not too expensive. $205 for all four.
 
#27 ·
Hey skoal... I spaced on your brews last weekend. I'll try and remember this weekend.
 
#28 ·
Sinister said:
Hey skoal... I spaced on your brews last weekend. I'll try and remember this weekend.
It's all good - I stopped at the beer store last night on my way home and they didn't have any of the Imperial IPAs (first time I haven't seen it)
 
#32 ·
i just bought new wheels and i guess the guy NEVER cleaned his wheels. they are in prefect condition with no curbing or anything, but there is so much caked on dust and dirt. i scrubbed for like 3 hours and cannot get some of it off still. is there something out there strong enough to clean this off?
 
#37 ·
My thoughts on most (or really all) of the automotive wheel cleaner products out there are that they weaken the mix to prevent not-so-bright individuals from totally ruining something when they use it on a non-wheel application.

It has been my experience that the marine/boat cleaning products are undoubtadly the best wheel cleaning products out there. All of the McGuires, Mothers, Eagle1 type products....trash and pretty useless over time IMHO. Unless you scrub your wheels with it every day, and I do mean scrub, over time they still accumulate that layer of burnt carbon dust from the pads. It starts as just a tiny bit of discoloration in the crevices of the spoke, around the air tube, or inside the rim, and then it slowly accumulates. Over time, the wheel ends up faded and it takes some major chemical action to bring it back to new.

How many of you have used these products and still had to get the brush out to clean off those little blobs of tar (or big if the awesome road workers left a fresh batch for you to run into)?

Now compare that to some good boat all-in-one products. It is night and day difference. Literally, spray them on, wait a minute or two, hit it with a light sponge or brush, and the wheel returns to its original, show room stock shine. I have never seen anything like this, and I am a pure pessimist when it comes to most cleaning products.

A good clay bar, water, micro fiber towels, non-acidic soap, and some of the marine cleaner and you are good to go.

If you think about it, it makes sense with all the crap serious boaters have to clean off their hulls, bright-work, and interiors. Not to mention the levels of pollution they literally "sink" into during operation.

Check out 4U Boat Cleaner, Marine Grez-Off, or similar products. I'm telling you, you'll never ever buy OTC wheel cleaner again.
 
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