Industrial strength brake dust remover recommendation?

[rumatt]

I just pulled out my winter wheels and hole f*ck. They're black and yellow from brake dust. Soap suds and a brush did nothing. They look ridiculous.

What cleaner to people recommend for this level of carnage? The spokes are bad enough, but the rim itself is thick black. I know clay works but it's so thick I need to clean the top layers off first.

[Terri Kennedy]

Originally Posted by rumatt

I just pulled out my winter wheels and hole f*ck. They're black and yellow from brake dust. Soap suds and a brush did nothing. They look ridiculous.

You're supposed to clean them BEFORE you put them away.

Seriously, mine get cleaned when they come off, since they need to go in "Tire Totes" and then under one of those giant tire-stack condoms.

What cleaner to people recommend for this level of carnage? The spokes are bad enough, but the rim itself is thick black. I know clay works but it's so thick I need to clean the top layers off first.

I use the BMW wheel cleaner (the round brown bottle, not the new "Windex bottle", though that's supposed to be the same stuff) and BMW brushes. I have some sort of large flat Oxo brush that I use on the rim itself and the face of the spokes. I use the BMW big curved brush for the sides of the rims and the "archaeologist's brush" from the BMW set for the lug holes. I don't use the little conical BMW brush.

There are other cleaners that promise to be more gentle - as long as you rinse the wheel with clear water when done, the BMW cleaner seems to be fine for (at least) BMW and Team Dynamics brand wheels. Though the BMW ones need to get beaten into shape by Wheel Collision every couple years from Joisey potholes.

Reply if you need the BMW part numbers.

[rumatt]

Yeah I know. I can't believe I put them away like that. I didn't use them for the last 2 winters either so its been on there almost 3 years now. gulp!

I'll try the BMW wheel cleaner. Thanks!

[Nick M3]

Meguiar's Wheel Brightener. But wear a mask and use the thick yellow gloves. That stuff is BAD for you.

[rumatt]

Originally Posted by Nick M3

Meguiar's Wheel Brightener. But wear a mask and use the thick yellow gloves. That stuff is BAD for you.

This stuff works great! The wheels are brighter than they've ever been!!!

But oh dear lord. The warning on the back about how bad this stuff is for you was AWFUL.

[kognito]

Mequiars does make some good stuff. My Volvo has huge plastic headlight covers, and their headlight restorer (W/ drill ball) worked very good in making them look like new.

[Nick M3]

Yeah. Ammonium bifluoride. Not good for brushing your teeth. Apparently, it decomposes to a meaningful percentage of hydrofluoric acid when mixed in water.

[zach]

Awesome. I need to get some of this stuff to clean Matt's old wheels.

I wonder if it's ok to use this stuff on the LTWs I use in the summer...they have some baked on brake dust that I'd love to get rid of.

Nick, do you think that's too risky?

[Nick M3]

I think that it's not all that risky to you or the wheels as long as it's used correctly. Wash your car after you use it just in case you got any on the paint. The key is that this can *only* be used on clear coated wheels.

[equ]

I usually do a wash just before switching to avoid this... But it's happened to me as well. I just spray the bmw cleaner gel thingie a few minutes before the hand wash I go to... Seems to come out just fine.