Best thing for removing a years worth of baked on brake dust?

[Kayos]

Giving the Disco it’s annual clean today, I’ve used a full bottle of Halfords alloy cleaner but the really baked on stuff won’t shift

Anything I can use? Not bothered what it is as long as it works and doesn’t want to melt the skin off my hands

 

[indy4x]

I've used Autoglym and a plastic scouring pad for non stick pans, pretty good at shifting baked on pad dust

 

[atomant48]

I’ve not found anything better than the bilt hamber stuff. Smells good and hasn’t affected my hands! I let it sit, give it a bit of a scrub then jet wash off.

 

[Parm]

Any good quality wheel cleaner and plastic scourer like Indy, trick is do one rim at a time or else it dries up. A jet was will help

 

[postie jon]

needle gun?

 

[Endeleus]

TFR (wear gloves) + plastic scourer.... rinse with pressure washer and repeat as many times as necessary

 

[grim_d]

Fallout remover.

The stuff that turns bright purple in contact with iron contamination.

Nothing cleans brake dust and the yellow staining as good IMO.

I see bilt hamber do one called korrosol. Haven't used theirs but I bet it's good.

 

[mike os]

Brake cleaner or tfr

 

[PhillipM]

Fallout remover - the Bilt Hamber auto wheels is good, it'll pull out all the iron embedded in the surface of the paint.

 

[Kayos]

I think it’s the plastic scourer I was missing, I was using a soft brush

I used to clean and detail my car at least weekly but never had to remove baked on brake dust as it never got that bad

I have found some of my old stuff, I will give the wheels a couple of coats of Poorboys wheel sealer, might make next years clean easier

 

[zx9]

I think it’s the plastic scourer I was missing, I was using a soft brush

I used to clean and detail my car at least weekly but never had to remove baked on brake dust as it never got that bad

I have found some of my old stuff, I will give the wheels a couple of coats of Poorboys wheel sealer, might make next years clean easier

You could make cleaning the wheels a biannual event, 2x 6mths. of crud would be easier and quicker to remove.
Alternatively find an off road course on sandy land, driving through the puddles and streams used to bring the Wolfrace alloys up a treat on my Rangie.

 

[Kayos]

You could make cleaning the wheels a biannual event, 2x 6mths. of crud would be easier and quicker to remove.
Alternatively find an off road course on sandy land, driving through the puddles and streams used to bring the Wolfrace alloys up a treat on my Rangie.

Good point, I’m considering polishing the car but that would have to be every 2 years

Last off road trip and we came back like we had driven through the desert, what is normally a deep river crossing was no more than 6”

 

[armalites]

If you get the right product you don't need scouring pads.

Be careful with acid based stuff like Wonder Wheels because they will eat the surface.

Dragons Breath or Iron-X is what I use.

They both stink but there is a chemical reaction with the iron fallout and the wheels will turn purple. Neither product is cheap but they do an amazing job whithout affecting the wheel. Dragons Breath is more gel like so it clings, you spray it on agitate with a brush and move on the to next wheel. You will be amazed how much purple there is if they haven't been done before it's like they are bleeding. You may need to do a second go if they are really bad.

D2 wheels have quite smooth lines so they are easy to clean(depending on the version) once you get them clean if you treat them with a wheel sealer they will just wash off next time

 

[8ob]

Patience ! Any of the above will work if you give it time to soak in and do the job. I dont do car cleaning but do have to degunk machines and trucks, TFR works on anything if you allow it to soak in , on a hot day I normally give the item a few applications if it looks like its drying out .

Bob

 

[slim_boy_fat]

AutoSmart [no, I'm not an agent for the brand ] SmartWheels - can be used at many dilutions, depending on the severity of the 'staining'.

Following up with a couple of coats of wheel wax like the Poorboys stuff will make future maintenance/cleaning much easier.

 

[grim_d]

AutoSmart [no, I'm not an agent for the brand ] SmartWheels - can be used at many dilutions, depending on the severity of the 'staining'.

Following up with a couple of coats of wheel wax like the Poorboys stuff will make future maintenance/cleaning much easier.

Waxing definately works but unless you are big into detailing I wouldn't bother with a wheel wax. A polymer (or ceramic if you are rich) sealant stops most of it from sticking and you just spray that on with a snowfoam Lance once every 6 months or so.

I definitely can't be bothered waxing 48 spokes.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I tend to do mine thoroughly, i.e. front & back, when I swop rims over to those with the Winter tyres on.

 

[indy4x]

Swap to ceramic pads