Brake dust from inside wheels

[jnnking]

What can I use to clean the brake dust and other dirt from the inside of my wheels. They have some texture to them, so that makes it more difficult. I`ve tried spraying and scrubbing with P21S but it made little difference.

[gmblack3]

What type of wheels are they? If coated, then try Poorboys SnR.

[ntoddalbert]

I use bottle washers from the Dollar store, sponge on a plastic stick that wont scratch. I also picked up a sheepskin wheel brush ( Brush is a bad term but I cant think of what else to call it) Its flexible, moves around pretty easy, does my wide BMW rims with no problem.



I dont see the longevity of the sheepskin being long. The dollar store solution gets me 6 for a buck, I use two at the same time, works great. When I rinse them a few times I just throw them away....



Other than taking the wheels off I find this works best for me, cool wheels, good cleaner like what your using or Eagle 1 since I get it for 3.99 a bottle, let it soak for a minute or two.



In 4 years of doing this 3 to 4 times a week, OCD I know, my wheels look like new, in fact they look better than the day I picked up the car with 3 miles on it.



Follow up with a good sealant, Klasse SG, Werkstatt, Zaino, UPP take your pick.



Hope this helps

[Accumulator]

For regular cleanings the sponge-on-a-stick works great (I like the ones from Quickee). So do the larger size swabs some places sell. For really neglected wheels, you gotta get aggressive and yeah you gotta take them off.



Depending on how nasty they are, and how willing you are to risk marring/removing whatever finish is under the [stuff], you might try:



Bug sponges or even ScotchBrite pads for nonstick cookware; bristle brushes on a Dremel; other brushes, used manually.



Be really careful with the Dremel approach ;)



I`ve used those with strong wheel cleaners and also milder products like undiluted EFHI. I`ve been able to clean up the back sides of wheels that were *never* previously cleaned.



Oh, an don`t forget clay- I`ve had some surprisingly good results using strong cleaners as lube, though the clay did dissolve reathe quickly it still worked well.



Once you get them clean and sealed, a quick wash with regular car wash shampoo will keep them nice. I usually only pull them off once a year, but I wash the back sides at *every* wash.

[jnnking]

The wheels are chrome plated.



Thanks for the replies guys. I do take them off the clean now and then, so that`s not a big deal. I`ll get a little more agressive in my attempts and see how it turns out.