Removal of baked on Brake Dust!

[Samsara]

Hey all, just asking for a few tips on how to remove baked on Brake dust, I tried using an alloy wheel brush with regular soapy water, but I wasnt expecting results.
As you can see, it's really baked in there:









Any help is greatly appreciated!

[xeon8]

I've tried a few different things, it was a real PITA to get the baked on stuff out of the spokes with my rims, but it was worth it.

First I tried some Meguiars non acid Rim Cleaner which seemed to do the trick - spray on, wait around 30 seconds to soak and then hose off. Then scrub as hard as you can with a wheel brush. I only did this with two rims on the left side - they looked practically brand new after.

Secondly, admittedly not as effective as the first option, I used some degreaser on the rims on the right side of the car. I sprayed it on, left it for about 30 seconds again, rinsed off and scrubbed the rims with the wheel brush. Some of the brake dust came off, but I'd highly recommend a specific wheel cleaner

[Samsara]

Originally Posted by xeon8

I've tried a few different things, it was a real PITA to get the baked on stuff out of the spokes with my rims, but it was worth it.

First I tried some Meguiars non acid Rim Cleaner which seemed to do the trick - spray on, wait around 30 seconds to soak and then hose off. Then scrub as hard as you can with a wheel brush. I only did this with two rims on the left side - they looked practically brand new after.

Secondly, admittedly not as effective as the first option, I used some degreaser on the rims on the right side of the car. I sprayed it on, left it for about 30 seconds again, rinsed off and scrubbed the rims with the wheel brush. Some of the brake dust came off, but I'd highly recommend a specific wheel cleaner

Thanks mate, I'll try pick some up during the week.

on the other hand, would Metho work?

[xeon8]

Originally Posted by Samsara

on the other hand, would Metho work?

It should work, you can always try it and see how you go. You never know though, maybe metho will work and save you the cost of a bottle of the rim cleaner!

[phildough]

An old electric toothbrush might come in handy.

[marcs_sp20]

Oven Cleaner...

[derb]

What about general brake cleaner? Cookie used some on his sump to clean it up and it just annhilated the baked on oil, so brake dust should come off too.

[project.r.racing]

any $9 spray on brake and wheel cleaner from an auto parts shop will work for this problem.

[Rupewrecht]

Originally Posted by marcs_sp20

Oven Cleaner...

+1, that **** will strip anything

[Samsara]

I read that most factory alloy's come with a protective coating on the rims, will the oven cleaner strip that off as well?

[Clean_Cookie]

Possibly. I'd try brake cleaner as it is awesome, however it may strip it too, but at least the manufacturers may have thought about it compared to the alkaline solution in oven cleaner

[TheMAN]

Originally Posted by marcs_sp20

Oven Cleaner...

I think that will take the paint off the wheels too?

[marcs_sp20]

Originally Posted by TheMAN

I think that will take the paint off the wheels too?

Not on the wheels I have done...

[Samsara]

a little bit of metho, toothbrush, a rag and elbow grease did the trick!

Thanks guys

[derb]

Good to know, thanks to you.

[TheMAN]

FYI, there are alloy wheel cleaner sprays you can buy, here in the US at least.... but be warned that some may damage the finishes of the wheels.... best to test in an inconspicuous spot or read reviews/check forums for recommended brands

[Samsara]

all done!

[lukeyprotege]

Wow turned out well

[Samsara]

yeah, it took about 2 hours to do all four of them haha

[xeon8]

Looks a lot better! What'd you end up using to clean them?