Removing baked on brake dust
- Thread starter schwa
- Start date
Eliot Ness
Active member
Locally you should be able to find Eagle One's A2Z.
On-line a good choice is Poorboy's S&R (more acidic):
http://www.poorboysworld.com/spray-rinse.htm
If it is baked on you'll most likely need to agitate with a brush or hit it with some #0000 steel wool (works well with Klasse AIO). You may not be able to remove it all if it has pitted and etched into the wheel surface.
You need the weigh the risks vs. benefits of using something as aggressive as steel wool, keep a close eye on things so you don't damage the finish of the wheel.
On-line a good choice is Poorboy's S&R (more acidic):
http://www.poorboysworld.com/spray-rinse.htm
If it is baked on you'll most likely need to agitate with a brush or hit it with some #0000 steel wool (works well with Klasse AIO). You may not be able to remove it all if it has pitted and etched into the wheel surface.
You need the weigh the risks vs. benefits of using something as aggressive as steel wool, keep a close eye on things so you don't damage the finish of the wheel.
wannafbody
wannafbody
maybe clay would help
White95Max
New member
Do they look like this?
White95Max
New member
I would try the P21S cleaner first. Here's that same wheel from above after a little scrubbing with the sponge shown in the above pic...
Lowejackson
New member
I would say that it is better to use a mild cleaner 2 or 3 times before moving up to a stronger cleaner
Canuckster
New member
I bought a 99 last year and the inside of the wheels had apparently never been cleaned. I used nearly a whole bottle of Eagle One Aluminum wheel cleaner with some improvement but a lot left to be desired. So I tried Mother's metal polish and made more slow headway. Then I moved to *cringe* Comet. I couldn't believe how well it worked. I took my wheels off two weeks ago to clean the inside and again the EO did almost nothing and the Comet cleared the last years worth of crap out of there with no problem.
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Brake dust:
Ferrous metal particles produced from the friction of train wheels and rail tracks and brake pad material (semi-metallic, carbon resins, asbestos or ceramics formulations) rubbing against the rotor. The brake material friction as well as metal particles from the rotor or rail tracks disperses tiny particles of black dust, which forms a cohesive bond to the wheels and adheres to localised paint surfaces.
The front wheels are usually more soiled, as this is where most of the vehicle braking effectiveness is.
For badly soiled surfaces use an undiluted citrus-based APC (P21S Total Auto Wash), then use detailerâ€â„¢s clay followed by a gel-type wheel surface cleaner for badly stained surfaces or regular for moderate cleaning (P21S Wheel Cleaner) apply a polymer surface protection to ensure easier future cleaning ZoopSeal or (Klasse All-In-One)
Sequestered metal brake dust, if left for any length of time on the wheels causes galvanic corrosion, which etches the surface and eventually dulls the wheelâ€â„¢s appearance if not removed on a regular basis. To remove brake dust stains use a mildly abrasive cleaner (Izâ„¢ einszett Metal Polish âہ“Chrompflegeâ€Â�, P21S Multi-Surface Finish or Autosol)
Ferrous oxide micro-sized particles when they come into contact with moisture will form rust. Heavy deposits of ferrous oxide will require removal with a decontamination treatment (Finish Kare FK1 1119 / 883 Paint Decontamination System). This will remove the deposits and ensure against rust formation.
Acidic wheel cleaners- should be avoided as these cleaners usually contain a solution of oxalic, phosphoric and hydrochloric acids and they may permanently stain or damage wheel surfaces. The use instructions usually state to spray on and rinse off immediately (also be aware that a very alkaline product can also cause problems)
100% acid free wheel cleaners-these usually contain a mild solution of an alkaline (Ethylene Glycol) and a surfactant, the best known is P21S Wheel Cleaner, a 100% acid free cleaner with a 7.0 pH
JonM
Ferrous metal particles produced from the friction of train wheels and rail tracks and brake pad material (semi-metallic, carbon resins, asbestos or ceramics formulations) rubbing against the rotor. The brake material friction as well as metal particles from the rotor or rail tracks disperses tiny particles of black dust, which forms a cohesive bond to the wheels and adheres to localised paint surfaces.
The front wheels are usually more soiled, as this is where most of the vehicle braking effectiveness is.
For badly soiled surfaces use an undiluted citrus-based APC (P21S Total Auto Wash), then use detailerâ€â„¢s clay followed by a gel-type wheel surface cleaner for badly stained surfaces or regular for moderate cleaning (P21S Wheel Cleaner) apply a polymer surface protection to ensure easier future cleaning ZoopSeal or (Klasse All-In-One)
Sequestered metal brake dust, if left for any length of time on the wheels causes galvanic corrosion, which etches the surface and eventually dulls the wheelâ€â„¢s appearance if not removed on a regular basis. To remove brake dust stains use a mildly abrasive cleaner (Izâ„¢ einszett Metal Polish âہ“Chrompflegeâ€Â�, P21S Multi-Surface Finish or Autosol)
Ferrous oxide micro-sized particles when they come into contact with moisture will form rust. Heavy deposits of ferrous oxide will require removal with a decontamination treatment (Finish Kare FK1 1119 / 883 Paint Decontamination System). This will remove the deposits and ensure against rust formation.
Acidic wheel cleaners- should be avoided as these cleaners usually contain a solution of oxalic, phosphoric and hydrochloric acids and they may permanently stain or damage wheel surfaces. The use instructions usually state to spray on and rinse off immediately (also be aware that a very alkaline product can also cause problems)
100% acid free wheel cleaners-these usually contain a mild solution of an alkaline (Ethylene Glycol) and a surfactant, the best known is P21S Wheel Cleaner, a 100% acid free cleaner with a 7.0 pH
JonM
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
I haven't tried the Michelin Wheel Cleaner so I can't comment.
FWIW- some of the Roadfly contributors don't think too highly of it. Let us have your observations once you've used it
JonM
FWIW- some of the Roadfly contributors don't think too highly of it. Let us have your observations once you've used it
JonM