Help with the worst brake dust I have seen!!!

K

karen1122

New member
I thought I had found a bargin for a set of wheels and snow tires for my bimmer. THe wheels are the OEM coated wheels that are standard for BMW. They looked to be coated in the typical black brake dust that is so prevalent and would just take some wheel cleaner and elbow grease to take off. BOY WAS I WRONG!!!



Sorry no pics at this time, but everyone here can imagine the typical black, baked on, brake dust with the corners and crevices being solid black and the more exposed areas spotted.



I tried (in order): Gold Class with wheel brush, Mezerma's pH balanced 7.5, PS21 gel, Hot Wheels and then Simple Green solution. After an hour and a half of bruching and scrubbin on one wheel, there was very minor improvement. What I did learn was that that I was going to need to change my approach or make a career out of cleaning up the 4 wheels.



Any ideas guys???



1) I can hit the flater surfaces with clay, but the corners are where the real problems are (and there are lost of corners).



2) Since the wheels are off the car (but still have the tires mounted on them) would soaking them over night in a water bath with Gold Class help??? I would be fearful to use anything much stronger as it may hurt the wheel and/or tire.



Any thoughts would be greatfully appreciated!! Thanks.
 
you're using the wrong products... Frusterating I know.. Duragloss make a great OTC wheel cleaner. Get's rid of brake dust on contact.





duragloss-all-wheel-cleaner.jpg
 
Karen, you will really need to use an acid wheel cleaner. I personally would stay away from the HF or ABF cleaners (such as Meg's Wheel Brightener or Poorboy's). I just acquired some Auto International Valugard Custom Wheel Cleaner, which uses a "safe" acid, but I haven't gotten to try it yet.



Anybody have an MSDS on the DG 821 or know what the acid is?
 
Meguiar's Wheel Brightener works like nothing else on nasty BMW wheels. It is an acidic cleaner, and needs to be diluted for safe use. It is sold by the gallon, although you can buy a quart-sized sample bottle from these guys: Auto Detailing Supplies Be very careful with Wheel Brightener if you use it; don't let it dry on your wheels and don't get it on your skin.
 
Yeah the right acid cleaner will fix that in about 5 minutes. I like Wheel Brightener diluted 1:1 for truly bad wheels like that, but as Setec said, there are some safety caveats with that product.
 
Thanks for the feedback.



I will be looking for the Duragloss and give it a try. I also read that Eagle One A2Z may be strong enough.



Everyone always seems to come back to Megs Wheel Brightener. I understand it is HF acid and should be treated with great respect. One of the things that always seems to be mentioned with an acid cleaner is to neutralize after rinsing but I do not see a process or product to use as the neutralizer. Can someone fill me in?
 
A2Z will not cut it, you need an acid to dissolve the metal from the brake dust. Most car wash is alkaline and should neutralize the acid wheel cleaners. In an industrial setting, a special alkali is used to neutralize HF on your skin (calcium gluconate); I'm not sure if a special compound is recommended for ABF.
 
The key when first using acid based cleaners like that is do as little as it takes. First wet the wheel down then spray the acid and let it dwell for no more than 5 seconds. Spray it off. Inspect and repeat until it's as clean as you need it and that should give you a good idea of how long and how strong the acid is andwhat it takes to do it. I've seen people spray it right on a dry rim let it sit for a few minutes spray it off and get all P/O'd because it etched the crap out of the rim... Well duh.... same concpet with polishing paint for the first time always start with as little as possible and work your way up.
 
JAKEROONI has given the advice I would have, except wetting the rim first when the rims are that impacted with brake dust. In the same vein, go to work immediately with a soft/medium brush, agitating the surface of the brake dust for faster release, and never letting it dry.

I also recommend rubber gloves to keep the skin on your fingers!!! :chuckle:

Once the rims are clear of the brake dust, they will have the perfect rough surface for the dust to grab-hold again. I like to use Power-Ball(s) and do a multi-step polishing with them, then seal/wax them up thoroughly to keep them easy to rinse off and clean.

Hope this helps.
 
karen1122 said:
Thanks for the feedback.



I will be looking for the Duragloss and give it a try. I also read that Eagle One A2Z may be strong enough.



Everyone always seems to come back to Megs Wheel Brightener. I understand it is HF acid and should be treated with great respect. One of the things that always seems to be mentioned with an acid cleaner is to neutralize after rinsing but I do not see a process or product to use as the neutralizer. Can someone fill me in?
Click to expand...



I do a boatload of Bimmer wheels and use an acid cleaner by AutoMagic called Spoke. It is similar to the Meg's (probably stronger).



My process is: using an industrial spray bottle, I apply the cleaner and let it dwell for 30-45 seconds. Never, ever let it dry on painted wheels! Then, I pressure wash the acid off and immediately spray APC (all purpose cleaner) and let it dwell for 30-45 seconds. Spray wash that away. Done!



Toto
 
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