[tintopracer]

What's the best stuff to get lttle black smuts of brake dust off my rims? I 've used alloy wheel cleaner which shifts the worst "dirt" off but still have some little black smuts on the rims.

Any recommendations other than a toothbrush and elbow grease?

[minicabrio]

Try a tar removal polish on a cloth

Once you've got them looking top notch, a coat of normal car wax will help prevent future build up

[Nebdingo]

A good quality tar remover should do the trick.

and as minicabrio says, car wax... or a wheel sealant to stop it.

I use turtlewax wheel gaurd, it wont stop the brake dust but it makes the wheels "glossy" and are far easier to clean.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Nebdingo (original)

A good quality tar remover should do the trick.

and as minicabrio says, car wax... or a wheel sealant to stop it.

I use turtlewax wheel gaurd, it wont stop the brake dust but it makes the wheels "glossy" and are far easier to clean.

I've used Turtle Wax wheel guard for the last 2 or 3 years and 30,000 ish miles and it's brilliant. The brake dust simply washes off every time and I've not had to use a drop of wheel cleaner in all that time.

Tigger.

[Gnawme]

I used detailing clay (retired from paint cleaning duties -- using it on your paint after removing schmutz from your wheels is a bad idea) on wheel grit to great effect. Waxing the wheels afterwards helps prevent a recurrence.

[mini33]

I recomend Supagard, i am a complete perfectionist & you name it i have tried it & always go back to supagard.

I have tried it on cars that have been treated & not treated & its works a treat.

My mums the complete oposite & never cleans hers unless i clean it for her & i always works a treat.

The cleaner works like a foam & easlily washes off & then apply the alloy wheel protector & that prevents the brake dust sticking so much .

The cans last for ages dependant on how often you clean them

You best bet is to get them of ebay

Hope thats helps

[2005WORKS]

Quote: Originally Posted by mini33 (original)

I recomend Supagard, i am a complete perfectionist & you name it i have tried it & always go back to supagard.

I have tried it on cars that have been treated & not treated & its works a treat.

My mums the complete oposite & never cleans hers unless i clean it for her & i always works a treat.

The cleaner works like a foam & easlily washes off & then apply the alloy wheel protector & that prevents the brake dust sticking so much .

The cans last for ages dependant on how often you clean them

You best bet is to get them of ebay

Hope thats helps

Car Plan do a similar Nano-technology wheel protector (lasts upto 3 mths), which I have used to good effect for a while now from Halfords. Also used Autoglym version which is also good, but has to be applied more often.

Obviously your wheels have to be mint before you can apply these products, as they seal the wheels and once its on you don't want to strip the wheels back by using mild acid wheel cleaners, not that you will need to! As others have said you will only need to use soap and water thereafter.

[MKIR53]

as far as getting the brake dust off in the first place, i have used Meguiars. works well, depending on how much and how long its been there.
but the tool i swear by is the Powerball. i have the Powerball mini and its great. it is made of several strips of fynthetic foam in the shape of a ball (obviously) and it attatches to the chuck of a power drill. it comes with an extension so you can get all of the way to the back of the rim.
i have the web-spoke 17s and it works well on them, partly because the surfaces are large and there ore not a lot of little fussy areas.

the other option, which is way more fun is to stop using your brakes

[MKIR53]

Quote: Originally Posted by tintopracer (original)

What's the best stuff to get lttle black smuts of brake dust off my rims? I 've used alloy wheel cleaner which shifts the worst "dirt" off but still have some little black smuts on the rims.

Any recommendations other than a toothbrush and elbow grease?

i tried to post some links for you but apparently i am too new to this site to have that kind of extraordinary privelage. Wierd, but whatever.

Anyway, the tool is sold by Mother's® and its called the Powerball mini.
Shouldn't be too hard to find.

[tintopracer]

thanks for all the tips. All I need now is some warm weather and to have the time to give her a good clean

[googly]

I use detailing clay to remove the stubborn marks and Bilberry Wheel Cleaner for regular cleaning which is acid free and works really well.