How do I remove brake dust?
April 25th, 2006 by Danny the web stig
You remove brake dust by cleaning your wheels often with a purpose made wheel cleaner.
Brake pads and discs are made from stuff which is great for making your car stop quickly in a hurry, but all the cast-off can be murder on your alloys. One of the biggest problems is the metal fallout from the discs as this has a static electric charge which makes it stick to your wheels like a magnet. Once stuck there, it will rust, a process which is made easier because the brake dust soaks up water from the road which contains salt.
A wheel cleaner is formulated to remove brake dust but in order not to damage your alloys, it isn’t as strong as it could be. So it’s best not to let the brake dust build up.
If your wheels already have quite a build up of brakedust - black marks that you cannot remove, then you can visit a valeters who have strong acids and caustic solutions which may be able to remove it. In exceptionally bad cases where brakedust and fallout has caused corrosion, you may need to have the wheels refurbished.
You can help prevent brake dust from sticking to your alloys by waxing them. Unfortunately wax won’t last very long on your wheels as wheels take the most punishment. Nor will wax stand up to metal fallout which is hot enough to melt through it. However, there are other products such as Supawheels from Supagard, Protector from Jewelultra and others, which help to repel fallout. These products do seem to do what they say on the tin, even though they can be quite expensive - but then again, it’s cheaper than having your wheels refurbished.
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- Help! My wheels are a magnet for brake dust!
Aren't they all ducky... Actually, "magnet" is the right word for this. Chaps who payed far more attention in science class than I ever did tell me that part of the problem is - How do I clean my mats? Will they go in the washing machine?
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hi i clean cars for a living and best wheel cleaner is wonder wheels
Wonder wheels is all I used for a year and it did a great job of cleaning but after a year it also damaged the immaculate alloy paintwork.Steer clear.Had to have them refurbed and now use the ultra safe and fantastic cleaing of P21s as recommended by a Supercar detailer.The dirt comes off like a thick black oil from the back of the wheels and fronts are showroom.Another good idea is to get EBC Redstuff Ceramic brake pads (no magnetic particles) to cut out the brake dust in the first place.