Tips for cleaning wheels?

[skyline408]

Originally Posted by Eljefe25

Good point but the man the amount of brake dust is ridiculous. I feel like after my wheels are clean, driving 2 miles and the amount of brake dust you see is crazy.

I’ve never experienced this amount of brake dust before.

The only good thing is it’s motivated me to probably start washing my car myself which should give me more control over the process.

On every M car i've ever owned, the brake dust is part of life!

[Housekeeping]

Get brake pads that dust less, makes a huge difference.

[Jrock645]

Originally Posted by Throatpunch

Sonax wheel cleaner then a pressure washer.

Ceramic coat them and u never have to hand clean

I second this. Doesn’t hurt to have some brushes to get into the crevices but this should blow off most of it. Poorboys has a good wheel cleaner too.

Polish Angel has a good wheel coating that is quick and easy to work with.

[pasta]

Does the Wolly Wormit actually fit in the barrels without just smashing into the brake pad shield? I haven’t found a brush thin enough to get in there and just tried the bristle type one without much success.

[Ralph III]

I've been using Turtle Waxes Hybrid Wheel Cleaner & Tire Prep (HyperFoam) on our 650i. It's safe, has iron remover, and leaves a protective finish.

Most of the time I just spray it on and then rinse it off, being that is all that is really necessary. You can see all of the grime/dust just dissolve right off. It's meant for both the rims and tires and leaves the tires so clean, that a tire dressing isn't necessary.

Anyhow, I managed a detail business for 14 years and this is some of the best stuff that I've ever used. It stinks a little though due to the iron remover but it's a great product.

Ralph

[Nick8915]

Originally Posted by Ralph III

I've been using Turtle Waxes Hybrid Wheel Cleaner & Tire Prep (HyperFoam) on our 650i. It's safe, has iron remover, and leaves a protective finish.

Most of the time I just spray it on and then rinse it off, being that is all that is really necessary. You can see all of the grime/dust just dissolve right off. It's meant for both the rims and tires and leaves the tires so clean, that a tire dressing isn't necessary.

Anyhow, I managed a detail business for 14 years and this is some of the best stuff that I've ever used. It stinks a little though due to the iron remover but it's a great product.

Ralph

Any concerns with the Turtle Wax Hybrid Wheel cleaner on ceramic coated gloss black 718M wheels?

[fraschusa]

Originally Posted by Eljefe25

Brake dust is insanse on my car though and my wheels are ceramic coated.

I went through a touch less laser wash recently but they did not clean the wheels well.

Think I’m gonna start washjng my car by hand. I’ve been doing a lot of research and the process does not seem hard.

Does seem like you need some agitation to get the brake dust off the wheels though.

I wash the wheels before I go to the car wash, that seems to do the trick. I have also sprayed the wheels when you are waiting in line for the car wash but it doesn't do a great job but it's better than just the car wash option.

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by allinon72

- You clean them frequently enough that the dust does not build up to a level that is hard to remove.

For me, this is the big secret.

Originally Posted by skyline408

I have ceramic coated my wheels, and no - I can't just hose off the wheels with no scrubbing to get them clean.

Originally Posted by skyline408

There is no magic solution and no amount or any kind of ceramic will clean the wheels from just water spray without agitation.

This has been my experience as well. Those who think they can just spray and rinse either do not get the wheels very clean, or they don't own a BMW with high performance brakes.

Originally Posted by skyline408

On every M car i've ever owned, the brake dust is part of life!

Absolutely. Porsche is nearly as bad.

Originally Posted by Sy1616

Get brake pads that dust less, makes a huge difference.

But you lose in braking performance.

Originally Posted by pasta

Does the Wolly Wormit actually fit in the barrels without just smashing into the brake pad shield? I haven’t found a brush thin enough to get in there and just tried the bristle type one without much success.

I find that it depends on the car - some have larger shields than others. I guess it also depends on the wheel size...

FWIW, I try to wash the wheels every time I wash the car, which is weekly. That's the only true solution.

For the 826 wheels on my M4, which are very difficult to clean, I bought a grout sponge and cut it in half. It works well, along with Griot's wheel cleaner and soapy water.

[Ralph III]

Originally Posted by Nick8915

Any concerns with the Turtle Wax Hybrid Wheel cleaner on ceramic coated gloss black 718M wheels?

Hello Nick and sorry for being slow to reply. That product only says it's safe for "chrome, steel and aluminum". They have another product called Hybrid Solutions Pro All Wheel Cleaner + Iron Remover that says it is safe for painted surfaces and clear coats. So, I recommend using that on your painted rims.

God Bless,
Ralph

[Tony_M3]

Okay so I started doing the following in my existing wheel cleaning process and am noticing better results:

• Bought a dedicated wheel mitt and stopped using the boars hair brush for everything except the lugs.
• Switched out the whooly wormit for a microfiber madness inredibrush. The microfiber madness brush seems to glide in smoother and I can get it behind most of the front calipers.
• Started spraying the wheels with foam cannon filled with the soap I use for the rest of the car in addition to spraying the wheels with brake buster (which I was previously doing).

I’ll keep everyone posted to see how this process holds up over time. I’m considering getting my wheels ceramic coated but I believe I had that done on my f80 and could barely notice a difference.

[neilybealy]

Bilt Hamber’s Auto Wheel. Spray on leave for 5 mins then use wheel mitt and brush to agitate then jet wash off. Simple

[DocL]

Originally Posted by Eljefe25

I’ve never experienced this amount of brake dust before...

Is this your first BMW?

I can remember my mother's 733i and my father's M6 back in the 80s always having terrible brake dust. When it came time for me to replace the pads on my F80 I installed Akebono. Although there is 90% less dust, the wheels are a little dirty but not as bad.

[GoRomeo]

Ever since I replaced my brakes for the AKEBONO ceramic kind the brake dust is a thing of the past. This is for my e90 though. I am thinking of doing the same for my E88 but I just replaced them with regular ones and yes brake dust gets crazy quick.

[NickyC]

Originally Posted by Sy1616

Get brake pads that dust less, makes a huge difference.

That's really the only true option.

[Artdnj]

I always use Sonax and just wanted to say I decontaminated my new X3 and had a little Adams iron remover left over. My daughter has an older 128i with wheels that have baked on brake dust material in some of the curves of her wheels.

Adams made the wheels come out damn near new, unbelievable product, can't believe I never used it before. Her wheels haven't shined like they do now for years.

[evoi19]

My wheels are ceramic coated and I stopped using a specific wheel cleaner. Too much of a hassle.

I just foam the wheels when washing the car and then after washing the body, I use a separate MF towel to clean the wheels.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by alexpro45

I would recommend Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus. You can get it at amazon. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and test new products on a small area before applying them to the entire wheel surface. Happy cleaning!

That product worked very well for me when I was running race pads and track wheels. The pads produced quite a bit more dust than do the OEM pads that already produce a lot of dust.

Even with the Sonax product, I needed brushes and some work to return the wheels to looking as good as new. It helped that the wheels were off the car when I cleaned them. These are the brushes I finally settled on: https://www.2addicts.com/forums/show...6&postcount=14.

Now, I live in a condo and just take the car to a detailer.

[Score04]

Originally Posted by snakes1021

I use chemical guys signature series wheel cleaner and every few months some hydro charge ceramic spray on a microfiber towel after they are clean repels break dust pretty good IMO. Im sure there are other similar sprays from other companies

and wheels brush similar to these

https://www.amazon.com/bzczh-Metal-F...%2C197&sr=8-15

Try Iron X after brake buster:

[RichF90M5C]

Originally Posted by neilybealy

Bilt Hamber’s Auto Wheel. Spray on leave for 5 mins then use wheel mitt and brush to agitate then jet wash off. Simple

I’ve just got some of this and it’s amazing. The multi spoke wheels on my wife’s new 128ti look great, but are a nightmare to clean, but with this stuff I just sprayed it on, jet washed off, and they’re spotless. Didn’t even need to touch them with a sponge.

[neilybealy]

Yeh it’s great stuff. If my wheels are really dusty then I’ll still tend to use a mitt etc rather than just jet wash off but I might try that next time

[M5Rick]

Pressure washer on the wheels or car is a no for older models. On the 343M wheels a smaller bucket with suds and a sponge for the facings then an old long handled wash up brush for behind the spokes and inner rims then water rinse from a watering can.
An occasional wax polish makes them easier to clean.