Brake dust on clear coated rims=bad?

[Jon718]

I've been so busy lately that I just noticed I have drive ~400 miles since last cleaning my clearcoated 16" rims. Someone told me that prolonged existence of brake dust on the rims will damage the clearcoat and cause pits. Can someone confirm if this is true? It is ~30deg here in NYC and I'd hate to have to wash the car in such a cold weather....





Thanks

jon

 

[shaf]

I can't tell you from experience, but I know I've seen cars that have pitting and brake dust so embedded that nothing short of refinishing the wheel or rubbing it out with abrasive is going to remove them. I can't imagine how else this happened other than by having brake dust sit on the paint and just bake itself in over time through heat or chemicals or whatnot.



Unfortunately my car is one of those because I bought it 2nd hand. Keep those rims clean! If I could start over again I'd clean them really well with wheel cleaner, wax them, and then just wash them with car soap from then on.

 

[imported_Tony]

I can't tell you from experience, but I know I've seen cars that have pitting and brake dust so embedded that nothing short of refinishing the wheel or rubbing it out with abrasive is going to remove them. I can't imagine how else this happened other than by having brake dust sit on the paint and just bake itself in over time through heat or chemicals or whatnot.



Unfortunately my car is one of those because I bought it 2nd hand. Keep those rims clean! If I could start over again I'd clean them really well with wheel cleaner, wax them, and then just wash them with car soap from then on.

Well said! Baked on brakd dust can be a PIA to remove. Try this for cleaning Spray A2Z wait about minutes and wash the A2Z off with Dawn using a wheel brush then use spray brake cleaner on a old mf for any remaining stains.

 

[Zealot]

By prolonged, I think it means over a period of months, not a few days or weeks. I'll throw this out too - the wheels on my wife's Escape are clear-coated, and anyone who owns an Escape can back me up on this - the brake dust from the stock pads is horrible! I wash it about every week and a half (usually once a week), so it doesn't sit on there any longer than 3 or 4 days (they look good for 2 to 3 days after it's washed). I use Eagle 1 Aluminum Wash & Cleaner (in the black bottle) and it works like a charm. I use that because the wheels on my Stang are polished with no clear-coat, and this one product works on both vehicles. Good luck

 

[Scottwax]

If the dust is only there for a week or two, you shouldn't have any problems, but if it builds up over a long period of time, it will pit the clear coat. Look at any neglected Nissan or Infiniti (especially those idiotic diamond-style rims on the J30) and you will see what I mean.

 

[Nagchampa]

I think you should try to clean them first before getting too worried. I have seen cars that have had months worth of brake dust on the wheels. A little bit of elbow grease, and they are looking like new again.

 

[Jon718]

Thanks for the input guys!



I came home today and much to my chagrin my water hose had frozen from the cold. So I took my wash bucket and filled it up in the bathtub with hot water. I then went out and splashed some of the water onto the wheels and begain going to work w/the wheel brush. I got all the stuff off quite easily using the hot water and some car wash soap. I then proceeded to apply 1 layer of AIO/SG . The wheels are look great now!

 

[stoneweed1]

i need new brake pads on my old infiniti g20

i went to pep boys and the same type of brake pads ranging from $16 to $45

the counter person doesn't know the difference - he tries to intellectualize by stating that the cheaper ones have asbestos and it decreases my chance of cancer if i buy the more pricey ones. I asked him if the more expensive ones would last longer or are better with the brake dust. he didn't know the answer.



my question - under similar circumstances comparing a variety of different brake pads of different price points for the same vehicle, will certain brake pads last longer and reduce brake dust compared to a cheaper type. Or do u have to compromise one for the other when u pay more?

 

[Scottwax]

i need new brake pads on my old infiniti g20

i went to pep boys and the same type of brake pads ranging from $16 to $45

the counter person doesn't know the difference - he tries to intellectualize by stating that the cheaper ones have asbestos and it decreases my chance of cancer if i buy the more pricey ones. I asked him if the more expensive ones would last longer or are better with the brake dust. he didn't know the answer.



my question - under similar circumstances comparing a variety of different brake pads of different price points for the same vehicle, will certain brake pads last longer and reduce brake dust compared to a cheaper type. Or do u have to compromise one for the other when u pay more?

The Raybestos Quiet Stop Plus pads stop as well as Axxis Metal Masters and are quieter and shed even less dust. My wheels still look good after a week of stop and go driving. Much better stopping power than stock pads.

 

[imported_BretFraz]

Scott's right, you need to find a specific pad whose composition does the job you need it to. Some are designed to create less dust but you need to make sure it will give you the performance you want.



Shop carefully for them and find info from others with the same car who have used them. I put a set of Pagid pads on my car only after I read numerous comments about their performance and quality.



One other comment about dust: Much the pad material is metallic and when your brakes are hot and you use them hard, little metallic shards are flying off the pads and embedding themselves in the wheels. One good thing about a sealant is that it can help protect your wheels from high temp particles and acid damage caused by dust. Brake dust is very caustic and when its mixed with water can be acidic. Get the dust off ASAP and you will help save your wheels. This is an acute problem with chrome plated wheels as they can rust, pit, stain, and scratch.

 

[Detailing NY]

I've been so busy lately that I just noticed I have drive ~400 miles since last cleaning my clearcoated 16" rims. Someone told me that prolonged existence of brake dust on the rims will damage the clearcoat and cause pits. Can someone confirm if this is true? It is ~30deg here in NYC and I'd hate to have to wash the car in such a cold weather....





Thanks

jon

hey john, here is what i do in this feakin cold weather with the rims. Get some of Meguair's APC+ wipes. They are only around 5.00 or so. every so often use a wipe to clean the rims. They will not damage the clear coat, very mild solution. You wont get wet like if you were using a hose & when you are done just throw away the rag.

NYD

PS - how is the car coming along?

 

[mzgloves20]

By prolonged, I think it means over a period of months, not a few days or weeks. I'll throw this out too - the wheels on my wife's Escape are clear-coated, and anyone who owns an Escape can back me up on this - the brake dust from the stock pads is horrible! I wash it about every week and a half (usually once a week), so it doesn't sit on there any longer than 3 or 4 days (they look good for 2 to 3 days after it's washed). I use Eagle 1 Aluminum Wash & Cleaner (in the black bottle) and it works like a charm. I use that because the wheels on my Stang are polished with no clear-coat, and this one product works on both vehicles. Good luck

I have one and I got sooo fed up with the dust from the stock pads I changed to the Ray Bestos pads. Now after a few weeks the rims only look a little less glossy and not BLACk like usual. Wearever Silver's are a more economical replacement and they are lot less dusty then the stock pads. I have aftermarket rims on my Escape. I made sure to wax them before installing and now when I wash any dust just flies right off with a sponge. :xyxthumbs

 

[shaf]

Because of winter, I've just started to do the "washing waxed wheels" routine. I got my rims as clean as I could at the time and waxed them with Nufinish. Now I use QEW to wash them off and have (FINALLY!!) discovered the tool I'd been looking for to help me reach in between my wheel spokes:

A 1" foam paint brush like the kind people here suggest using to apply trim dressing. Its pointed, soft edges let me reach into the corners and lips of my wheel spokes, which even a toothbrush can't get into. A light touch is enough to get the brake dust off because the wheels are waxed. These brushes are a bit soft for this duty, but I just go gently and they cost very little to replace. :up



Putting 2 and 2 together with these brushes ended a 2 week-long quest to find "plush pipe cleaners", "tiny brushes", "fuzzy balls on ends of sticks", "test tube scrubbers", etc, etc, etc...