Brake dust repellent for wire wheels

E-Type
1

After cleaning my wheels, I noticed an Armour-All product at a local store claiming to repel brake dust. It says to spray it on and let it dry.

Has anyone tried such a product or found any solution to increasing the time between cleaning the wire wheels?

(I find I can clean the wheels much faster if I take them off the car. Although the Chrome Polish says it has special polymers for protection, I also put car wax on the part of the rim that faces inside, that one cannot see)

Dennis 69 OTS

2

This guy says it works. Surprising for anything with the name Armor All on it. I can’t believe he let the overspray get on his rotor.

It makes me wonder what’s in it and what the buildup is like if it only lasts a month. If you have to buff it off, it’ll be a nightmare.

3

I would switch to ceramic brake pads to deal with brake dust issues. For anything short of competition, they’re equal to or superior in function, and they create far less dust (actually, the dust they do create is more like a whitish powder which is hard to see for a light-colored wheel, and doesn’t stick as tenaciously as metallic brake dust.)

Dave

4

Erica,

Thanks for finding that clip.

I will buy some tomorrow and spray my newly cleaned wire wheels.

I am curious how it works and read the below on line. Not sure what is in the ArmourAll as I have yet to buy it!!

Dennis 60 OTS

Try Hydrosilex

This is a pretty popular product for preventing brake dust as well as protecting you entire car, although I have not personally used it. This product is said to work magic on wheels since it is a silica soap, and brake dust will pretty much slide right off of the surface better than just about anything. It forms a protective barrier that can be used to coat your entire vehicle and protects against dirt and other contaminants.

5

By the way, I am NOT going to experiment and only do 1/2 a wheel like they did in the ArmourAll experiment on the Corvette. I am going all in and covering all. I will even take off the wheels I have already done and spray them all over outside and inside

The clean and polishing took about 2 hours per wheel…

I found a cleaning product from Germany called Sonax that says it is ok for chromed surfaces. I spray it on, leave it 5 minutes, then spray more on and work with a really soft brush and everything comes off with a spray hose. There are still slight films of dirt in the hardest places to reach so I get in there with a rag.

Then I dry the wheel and go at it with Meguirs chrome polish. I work the polish behind the spokes with a soft toothbrush, let dry then go at it with rags. The chrome polish says there are polymers and stuff that protect after one wipes off with a rag.

Dennis 69 OTS

6

All of this right here…is why I have Minilite wheels on my car. Maybe I’ll mount wires when I retire and have lots of time to kill.

2 Likes
7

Couldn’t agree more.

EBC Green Stuff are good for regular street use. I’ve also used Red Stuff on the street for cars that get used more ‘spiritedly’, and they’ve also been good.

8

I’m probably the laziest guy on the forum. I’d get rid of my beautiful chrome wires if it meant taking two hours to clean them. When I wash the car, I spray the wheels with Meguiar’s Hot Rims, give a quick brushing with a wheel brush if they’re REALLY dirty, rinse with the hose and then dry with my leaf blower. It takes about 2-3 minutes per wheel. Almost every time that I show the car, someone asks me how do I keep them so clean.

3 Likes
9

I have had wire wheels on every British car I have owned going back to the 60’s. If it didn’t have wire wheels I wouldn’t buy it. But they do take time to make them look right. My secret to cleaning them is to use an electric toothbrush to get between the spokes. Any rust on the spokes can usually be removed with aluminum foil. Call me crazy but I enjoy the annual spring ritual of taking them off the car and spending a sunny afternoon making them sparkle. While they are off I also lube things up. What I don’t like about them is having to mount my own tires because I don’t trust a shop to do it.

10

My problem isn’t so much with the wires, but the tires. Quick hit with the pressure washer takes care of the wires, but living on a dirt road makes the tires look like hell the first time down the mountain. :worried: for the car, I ended up getting a California duster that I can run over it once onto pavement.

11

You have given me much food for thought Mark !!!

12

That’s how I do mine. A key, IMHO, is to not let the gunk build up in the first place. Leave it and brake dust seems to set up like concrete.