I couldn't find anything about heavy brake dust in the search so i'm looking for a solution for my cobalt.

Over spring break in two weeks im going to detail every inch of my car. I've gotten everything to do it, except for cleaning equipment for my stock alloy wheels. The problem is I inherited this car from my parents who never cleaned it since it was purchased in Aug 2007. Ive noticed that the brake dust on the outside is really bad and im sure some is baked on. So what is the easiest way/ solution to use in order to make my alloys clean again?

Any help is greatly appreciated?

 

use engine shampoo on the rims, let soak for a few minutes, take a rag and scrub the rims down. then rinse off and dry. i've found the ACDelco stuff works the best.

 

Get a good wheel cleaner from your local auto parts store. It will be a mild acid. If that doesn't get it off, there's a good chance it's embedded in the wheel.

 

i thought i was screwed with my wheels. tried wheel cleaner after wheel cleaner to no result. i used a clay bar and they came out as shiny as the day i bought the car. i was surprised. of course it took a lot of clay but still, its worth it.

 

Good point!

 

i use armor all wheel cleaner, i see the dirt just roll off.

 

I use turtle wax ice wheel cleaner. Takes even the heaviest brake dust off.

 

Wow lots of replies. Haha.

Ive tried the designed wheel cleaner before and have had little success getting the brake crap from the corners of the spokes. Ive never thought about using a clay bar, luckily i picked up a Meg's clay kit that has two clay bars.

The engine cleaner sounds like a good idea too. Ill have to try different things on each wheel and post here for which had the best result

I pissed because my parents put some curb rash on the passenger side rims and that won't just buff out

THanks for the ideas!

 

i use mothers all wheel cleaner after the winter but then i just wax my rims after that makes it 20 times easier to clean

 

Duragloss All Wheel Cleaner, Meguiar's Aggressive clay.

 

Anybody ever tried Wonder Wheels? I can only find it on Ebay in the UK??? Anyone know where you can get this product in North America?

From the reviews I have read... this stuff is the best.

Thanks in advance.

 

I have use the Mr.Clean magic erasers. work wonders on brake dust. They will also take out scuff marks from parking lot door dings that leave a little bit of the paint from the offending door. If you use it on the paint, make sure it is not the same one that you used on the wheels.

 

I use the black magic one. Works wonders

 

There's no way to eliminate brake dust entirely because all friction linings are designed to wear. If the pads didn't wear, they'd damage the rotors - and pads are a lot cheaper to replace than rotors.

The buildup of brake dust can be reduced by applying a coating of wax or polymer-based protectant, or a spray-on wheel treatment. The coating will reduce the tendency of brake dust to stick to the wheels while enhancing the wheel's appearance.

We had great feedback on this subject. European cars suffer from this syndrome very badly, especially BMWs.

There’s a big misconception that all of the wheel cleaners will stain you wheels, although this is true the majority of wheel cleaners will indeed stain and damage your wheels, BUT not with our Turbo Wax Wheel Cleaner and Brightener. This product actually cleans the wheels without acids or other harmful chemicals, some of which can and will cause spotting or peeling of the clear coat on the wheels, our formula works well on plastic wheel coverings as well. If accidentally sprayed on the vehicle finish, just wipe it off, no harm done, our product is PH balance and will not stain clear coats!

Our Product;

Will NOT Stain or Damage Wheels!
NO Acids or Harmful Chemicals!
PH Balanced to Be Completely Harmless on Clear Coats (Will NOT Stain)
NO Spotting or Peeling on Wheels
Cleans and Brightens Wheels Quickly!

Wheel as found:



Turbo Wax Wheel Cleaner applied to wheel:



Wheel cleaned and polish using Turbo Wax Car Wax.





Directions: (it's easy!)
The wheel can be wet or dry to start.
Apply a small amount of wheel cleaner to the wheel.
Use a clean dry applicator to spread the substance evenly over the entire wheel. If you get any of it on the tire or clear coat, it's okay - our wheel cleaner solution is completely safe and will do no harm.
Gently rinse the suds off the wheel with water.
Dry the wheel, and repeat this process for the other wheels

 

turtle wax user here! i clean mine al least every 2 days