Bought a new 2017 GC SRT last October with the black wheel option. Does anyone know how to clean off all of the brake dust that accumulates? I'm having a hard time keeping them clean. even when I do clean them, it looks like they still have a film left over from the brake dust. I don't want to use any harsh chemicals that would ruin the finish.
I like Sonax wheel cleaner for heavy cleanings (this stuff will turn purple as it dissolves the iron particles) and P21S wheel cleaner gel spray for maintenance.
Be sure to not order any Meguiar's Detailer Wheel Brightener - that stuff can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
Many use Simple Green/Purple Power which can be found cheap and in bulk. You can use various dilutions but feedback is not unanimous. Use at your own risk.
I use diluted Chemical Guys wheel cleaner. First I spray with the foam bath that the car gets, then the wheel cleaner. Then I use a soft wheel brush dipped in the car soap to loosen and remove most of the dust. I then follow up with a mitt and more soap to remove everything. Then a rinse.
Most importantly I coat with either a ceramic type wheel coating or sealant after every wash to make sure that any future brake dust has a hard time sticking and is very easy to remove the next time around.
Always use the two bucket method and dedicated wheel only mitts/brushes/sponges. I use a stiff carpet brush for the tires and a stiffer rounded end paintbrush about 1" wide to clean the area around the lugnuts, center caps, embossed logo, and brake calipers. I just dip it in my foam bath bucket and let it foam up from the brush.
Thanks for the suggestions. I will try some of those products and techniques. I've done a little additional research and some of the chemicals I've seen will start to fade the paint on the calipers. So watch where you're spraying and rinse thoroughly.
What were some of the chemicals that affect the caliper paint? No issues with the chemical guys stuff even with the non-oem VHT finish I have on the front calipers.
The only thing I'm worried about in the long term is damage to my caliper paint. I've seen some people using wheel cleaner and then the paint on the Brembo's slowly starts to fade away. I don't want to trade one problem for another
If you are worried just coat your wheels with a good protectant and use your car wash soap with a soft wheel brush. I ise McKees 37 wheel coating and brake dust comes off very easily.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
LX Forums Forum
5.2M posts
122.9K members
Since 2004
A forum community dedicated to all LX owners and enthusiasts including Dodge Charger, Challenger, Magnum, Hellcat, SRT8, and Chrysler 300. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!