[toicy4ya]

Hello Everyone,

My wheels have what appears to be baked on brake dust/grime. Unfortunately the previous owner didnt came much about taking care of the wheels. Two months ago i tried utilizing some Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish. It was able to remove a good amount of it, however it appears i constantly need to use Mothers to get the build up off. Is there anything on the market strong enough where i can spray it on and simply wash it off?

I Heard some good feedback about Sonax. Anyone have experience using it? Would it help my issue? Here are some pics as reference




Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Bmwe90sg]

i know sonax is good. many detailers use it. not sure if it will help but give it a try. however once you get the rims clean, seal them with a rim sealer like nanolex rim sealant. that will help make washing easier and so that BMW brake dust doesn't bake on.
Goodluck

[blackrabbit]

I used lighter fluid for spot cleaning tar and baked on dust. Works great on small areas

[toicy4ya]

Originally Posted by Bmwe90sg

i know sonax is good. many detailers use it. not sure if it will help but give it a try. however once you get the rims clean, seal them with a rim sealer like nanolex rim sealant. that will help make washing easier and so that BMW brake dust doesn't bake on.
Goodluck

Have you used it? Is it true to its advertisement?

I always thought wheel sealants were a gimmick, does it really work?

Some of these bottles can be expensive. I'm sure many people have purchased an expensive cleaning product only to be thoroughly disappointed with the results and end up chucking the bottle in the trash can after its first use. It's happened to me several times. I don't mind paying the money as long as it does the job.

[Bmwe90sg]

i have used NANOLEX and I was very happy with results but to expensive use Chemical Guys Jetseal 109. thats stuff is GREAT and CHEAP. and its great for windscreen sealing, and 101 other things., i use that mostly and really happy with but first try cleaning with sonax.

[Pete Schweaty]

Simple green and a soft bristle tooth brush. Then apply a sealer or wax.

[mob17]

Would IronX work?

[Bmwe90sg]

idk about iron x. and to the comment above saying to use aslant or wax. wax won't hold up, u will have to apply like every couple of days and its gets to hot. sealant will better but nopt like wheel sealant. use jet seal 109 like i said

[Bmwe90sg]

also try posting on autopia may be someone there knows more

[335isGuy]

Toothbrush and sonax would work. Then a wheel sealant to help with the nasty break dust. I track my car and always apply wheel wax to my rims, makes it a breeze after.

[CJ421]

I use standard paint sealant on my wheels and haven't had an issue. I clean the wheels thoroughly (off the car) then apply Chemical Guys' EZ Creme Glaze and Blackfire Wet Diamond sealant. Very easy to clean wheels afterwards.

[psnt1ol]

There are stronger chemical wheel cleaner out there but they tend to be acid based and I generally stay clear from all of them.

I had the same issue on my wheel. I managed to resolve it by using the following.

2 applications of CarPro Trix (Iron & Tar Remover)

Meg D140 Wheel Brightener

Clay

Unfortunately, both Trix and D140 require some brush work so it is not a simple spray on/ spray off. Be warn.....both Iron X and Trix have a terrible smell and gloves are highly recommended when dealing with them. A well ventilated work area is a must.

After Claying, I applied 2 coats of BlackFire Metal sealant ( Paint Sealant works just as well but I have the Metal Sealant in my tool box so I used it). The sealant doesn't stop the brake dust from forming on your wheels but it does makes the wheels so much easier to clean. Now-a-days, I just knock them all off with water without the need of a wheel cleaner.

If you are serious about getting rid of all the nasty stuff on your wheel, I recommend you take the wheels off and clean them one at a time. It is actually much easier this way instead of bending over at some funny angle trying to get at them. This would also give you the perfect opportunity to clean the barrel.....while you are at it.

Good Luck.

[1080eyes]

I had a simular stain on my wheels. I used Stoners bug and tar remover. Just sprayed on a MF towel and it came off easy. I had also tried different cleaners and polishes.

[jiaan13]

I used a Mr. Clean magic sponge on mine, and it worked great.

[toicy4ya]

Originally Posted by plantationwalrus

I used a Mr. Clean magic sponge on mine, and it worked great.

Holy shit, I had some Mr. Clean Magic Eraser that I generally use for my walls and tried it on the wheels. With a few light strokes I was able to get the caked on brake dust off easily. I didn't even have to force it in. I just need to follow up with some sealant. Unfortunately none of the sealants previously mentioned are sold at my local PepBoys.

[Phil325]

seriously??? I've had the magic eraser this whole time and I could've used it! will try tomorrow morning. thanks for the tip

[N8N]

My local BMW dealer sells Wheel Wax for not too much markup over retail. It seems to work well but I don't know if there is a better product or not out there. Like you I haven't seen anything marketed as a wheel sealer at any of my FLAPS. My wheels currently look better than those on 99% of the cars on the road now and after washing the car I literally take a MF towel and clean water and wipe the brake dust off the wheels. Been about a month since I applied, we will see how durable it is.

For remedial cleaning I have some Mercedes-Benz "metal dust remover" it is an oxalic acid based product, I don't think that you can buy it anywhere but maybe a DIY oxalic acid solution would work when I run out? I would not recommend this for regular cleaning but for old neglected wheels to bring them back to life it is magical. Brake dust just melts off, scrub with a soft brush and wash with dish soap afterwards, et voila nice clean wheels. I don't like to let my wheels get to the point where I have to use this stuff but I keep buying used cars and wheels and, well, you know.

[Gig103]

Originally Posted by Bmwe90sg

use Chemical Guys Jetseal 109. thats stuff is GREAT and CHEAP.

Awesome advice, because I have a bottle gathering dust. I switched to Blackfire Wet Diamond for the paint and it's too expensive to put on rims. I'll try the Jetseal

[mob17]

Originally Posted by mob17

Would IronX work?

Tried this and yes it does. Not too sure if other products would work better/quicker, but this worked very well.

[UncleWede]

Be careful with those Mr. Clean, they will scratch your wheels. Not that it's as visible as on your hood, but . . .

Pull the wheels, put on a board between sawhorses, then clean, clay, and seal. I prefer Poor Boys Wheel wax. I've managed over the years to use almost 1 tub by applying 2-3 coats twice a year, both inside and out.

[ScheerSpeed]

Clean them well with SONAX Full Effect, Clay, Swissvax Cleaner Fluid Medium and seal it with Swissvax Autobahn after and you should be good!

[2QAYL]

Originally Posted by plantationwalrus

I used a Mr. Clean magic sponge on mine, and it worked great.

Mr. Clean magic erasers should never be used on your vehicle unless you really want to damage it, or you have the materials and training to correct the damage that may occur.


For wheel cleaning, I use Hydroflouric Acid (HF). It will get everything off and not damage the wheel if cone properly. A lot of people don't like using it b/c of the dangers associated with it but it really does the best job in a short period of time.

Make sure to wax your wheels with a carnuba wax after thoroughly rinsing and you should be good. Just make sure you keep up on keeping them clean!