Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

[cbberry]

Hi gang. My contribution. My wheels were always clean on the outside, but not the inside barrels of the wheels. I've always wanted to clean the inside.
Kind of the finishing touch. Car info: 2005 BMW 330xi with 78,000 miles and is daily driver.

I used Meg's Wheel Brightner. I followed directions to the letter, and, I wore rubber gloves. This is not ordinary wheel cleaner. I have no before photos, but you'll get the idea when you see the after photos.

Process - remove the wheels from the car. I used the wheel brighter with various brushes, and to remove the final brake dust residue, I used #0000 steel wool, which did no damage to the inner finish on the wheel. Someone will surely chime in about using the steel wool, but I choose to use it.

Photos attached. Hope you like.

Remember - my goal was simply and only to remove the brake dust build up on the inner barrel of the wheel.

Chuck

[CieraSL]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

Looks good!

[SVT Lightning]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

Man....that looks amazing. Anyone know if there is an OTC product comparable to the wheel brightener? My truck has 10 years of crud. I'm tempted to do this but I don't need a gallon of the product.

[Tuck91]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

Man....that looks amazing. Anyone know if there is an OTC product comparable to the wheel brightener? My truck has 10 years of crud. I'm tempted to do this but I don't need a gallon of the product.

Hot Rims All WHeel Cleaner is pretty tough.

[Eddie6th]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

Nice work!

Had you tried claying before using the wool?

[Sal329]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

Looks brand new, now protect them with DG 501 or FK 1000p

[Murr1525]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

You can probably order a sampel size of wheel brightener.

How do you like your wheel brush, is that the Daytona brush?

[cbberry]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

Yes it's the Daytona brush and I really like it. Now that the crud is off the wheel the Daytona brush should do the job. I need now to get the brush for lug nut's and I'll pretty much be set.

[ColonelCash]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

Always been a fan of those BMW's. Wheels look great!

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

Wheels look brand new. Great work.

[harshest]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

...I don't need a gallon of the product.

You can probably order a sampel size of wheel brightener.

Sure can - http://www.autodetailingsolutions.net/d14032.html

[the_invisible]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

Looks very good. Too bad you don't have any clear shots of the inside.

I just cleaned my winter aluminum wheels with 15 years of Hawk's brake dust and Canadian road salt. All Wheel Cleaner achieved the same result for me with just a brush. It dissolved the grime and dust and gave it a very nice shine. Perhaps I will get some pictures. I have four sets of winter rims for my cars and AWC worked great on all of them.

Once I finish my six bottles of AWC I bought on sale for $4 a bottle, I will look into Wheel Brightener.

[cbberry]

Re: Wheel cleaning - Removed 5 years of brake dust build up.

All,

Thanks for the great feedback. Have a friend with a droptop Benz coming up later in the month. I plan on doing his wheels too. I'll be sure to do full before and afters with the wheels off the car. I'm just glad I found something to do the job, that and I'm glad I had the good sense to buy a floor jack a while ago.

Chuck