help with rims and brake dust

[zesty-man]

well, i was trying to do my aunties` car, and i discovered i had a problem. its like, i cant get the two front tire`s rims cleaned, because its brake dust had built up over the last 10 years. what i can tell you about the rims are that, they are NOT chrome, but aluminium (i think). i went out and got this product from meguaries that was supposed to be for rims, but it barely had any effect. Is there any product you would recommend to me, that would do a good job taking off that tough brake dust build up?

thanks

[mirrorfinishman]

Did you buy Meguiar`s `Hot Wheels`. That is very aggessive at getting rid of aged brake dust.

[Chris Y.]

I agree..."Hot Wheels" in the Pink Bottle is some pretty strong stuff.

Tyler...I would get a clay bar and give that a shot. That usually works for the tough stuff....

[zesty-man]

Originally posted by mirrorfinishman
Did you buy Meguiar`s `Hot Wheels`. That is very aggessive at getting rid of aged brake dust.


ya, i tried that. no matter how hard i scrubbed the rims with my brush, it still wouldnt come off, although i did see a difference.


chris, what do you mean by clay?

[blkyukon]

Originally posted by Chris Y.


Tyler...I would get a clay bar and give that a shot. That usually works for the tough stuff....

I did a PT Cruiser with baked on brake dust. The only thing that would remove it was a claybar and alot of elbow grease.


Here they are before washing, they looked the same after washing and wheel cleaner.

[blkyukon]

After

[Chris Y.]

Tyler...

Check out this link...

http://www.properautocare.com/usclaybartor.html

It`s normally used on paint, but it works well for wheels too. :)

[Jngrbrdman]

One of the problems with brake dust is that it is highly corrosive. If you don`t get it off then it will permenantly mar your wheels. After 10 years it is unlikely that you are ever going to be able to restore those wheels. I`ve got some wheels from a 1996 Integra that I use for winter beaters that have brake dust stains on them. I`m sure they were relatively well cared for, but at some point they stopped cleaning them and the rims are forever stained. Try using a wire brush to get the crud off. You couldn`t possibly harm the wheel any more than it has already been harmed by having the brake dust on there for so long. It just might help make the rims look less black if nothing else.

[groebuck]

If they are uncoated - then you can get a good aluminum polish (and some of yukon`s elbow grease) check out your local Ace or Lowes -

[kimwallace]

I have had good luck with Simonize chrome polish ... rubbing it on ... letting it sit for 15 minutes and wiping off. It might take a couple times but it did remove the junk when the spray on wheel cleaners would not.

[zesty-man]

hmmm, would that clay work on aluminium rims tho?