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devilsown

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some of you jetta owners out there might be able to help me with this one. i own a jetta glx with stock brakes, i have a terrible problem with brake dust building up on my stock rims, to the point where it is terribly hard to get it off, its almost like its ground in. does anyone out there have a solution for getting this stuff off, i've tried various wheel cleaners and they do ok for getting new dust off but not for "deep cleaning/restoring" the rim. i did have some success with a flitz aerosol but i don't like that because i know that there are some abrasives in flitz products. if anyone wants to see what i'm talking about i can post a pic. but i'm sure GLX owners for sure know what i'm dealing with. thanks again
 
When brake dust hits the rim its pretty hot. Its different on different cars but I've seen your problem before. When the brake dust hits the wheel it melts itself into the clear coat or whatever coats the wheel. It is harder than snot to take off. Keeping it off is just a matter of frequent cleanings. If you have access to a sealant like Klasse then that might help keep the brake dust from sticking. Have you tried Greased Lightning to get the brake dust off? I have been amazed at how well that stuff works on things like this. It might be worth trying. If this is a problem that your wheels are having then you just need to keep up on your wheels more than usuall. You might also look into getting some brake pads that are a little harder so they don't shed as much. :)
 
Just be aware that a hard compound brake pad, like Metal Master, will take longer to warm up... you don't get braking power until the pad is up to temperature. Great for sporting drivers. Not so great for Grandma.
 
is greased lightning something u can get like from and autozone store or is it a specialized product, i have never heard of it before.
 
I know the feeling all too well. Unfortunatley, you're going to have to clean the wheels often. I too recommend waxing them a few times a year...it helps tremendously with washing. And I have BBS RX style rims...so that are a royal PITA to clean.



Other than waxing, I suggest using a good wheel cleaner like Griot's Garage Wheel cleaner and their 3 finger wash mit (my preference). Even if I am unable to wash the car...I will make an effort to at least wash the rims to prevent the brake dust from settling in on the wheels.



If you have stubborn embedded dust. You might want to try a fine polish on those areas and possibley a clay bar. I am in deep doodoo with mine though since I have not washed them in a quite some time due to the drought we are having.
 
I've had excellent success with Eimann Fabrik Hi Intensity from Classic Motoring Accessories, the sponsor of Autopia.

VW's have a real problem with brake dust. I've been able to beat it with conscious use of EF HI. There are harder compunds of pads out there (I believe Fedor (from Italy?) makes a quality pad that is "dustless"). My local VW dealer stocks a "dustless" pad, but I don't recall from who?
 
Prevention is the only solution I found for this problem, I have owned quite a few water cooled VWs. Bad front brake dust seems to be common to all VW/Audi group cars.



I did leave brake dust too long on plastic covers in a previously owned car and could not remove all the deposited brake dust without damaging the surface.



In a different car I did have metal master brake pads and found they did produce less dust (still needed weekly cleaning!) but also had less stopping power. Maybe I needed to drive harder ;)



I've seen advertising on EBC brake pads , they claim they're dustless and brake better than originals, they also say it works even when cold and they're practically dustless. This sounds way too good ! After my experience with metal masters I've been looking for opinions on the internet and I've found conflicting opinions.



So far I just clean my wheels often, twice a week with water and a piece of foam - works OK - Engine degreaser and cleaner/wax about every month removes any though spots that I missed during my regular cleaning.
 
I use rain-x wheel protectant (if they even make it anymore ) on my break dust mania dub



anyway a layer of the stuff, will limit the brake dust's ability to stick to your wheel. Then all you have to do is clean it up, (when you're washing the car) with a wheel brush or hand sponge and a little car shampoo (take a little more time, but comes right off)



that way you can even wax your wheels and the wax will stay becuse the rain-x is just a layer of extra not a cleaner (it prevents so you don't need harsh chemicals)



others feel they don't need it cause they wash thier cars, and wipe thier wheels every few days too



if you use wheel cleaner on your wheels you it strips off any protection and sorta "primes" your wheels for accepting more dust to stick to it. Klasse (or other polymer) you wheels and use something like Rain-X wheel protectant (or some have used vaseline, ew) I just use soap and water and a hand sponge to clean my bad braked dusted wheels every time I was. A few spritzes of the protectant and Klasse twice a year and I'm golden. that one GTI guy uses it too :)
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. I tried greased lightning today, it does do a good job taking off what i got there throughout the past week but didn't do much with what i had embedded on the rim. just by fooling around i found that my mother's clay bar worked great. A little instant detailer to lube and the clay bar just worked it right out, just not where i got deep pits from the hot break dust but that's not what i was looking at fixing, i just wanted the dark brown crap off the surface.
 
I use clay all the time it works very well at removing brake dust that has etched into the rims finish. I also like to polish and seal them after i clay, that makes washing them easy.



BTW, don't use the same clay bar for your rims and paint.
 
I have seen myself that p21s removes the heaviest of brake dusts on my M3 and when used with a pressure sprayer p21s really does good. If it leaves some little spots of dust they still come off easy because the p21s loosened it up
 
unfortunately, I got P21S (spray) for like$17 local and it didn't do anything on my VW rims. I don't know what I did wrong, I think it made it stick more. :confused:
 
Ever thought of changing the pads?



I bought Mintex pads for my GTI and never looked back.



I am not kidding when I say about %80-90 less brake dust.



Just a suggestion to help eliminate future problems with brake dust.
 
Well I wanted to join along time ago, but was hesitant to join another forum. Hanging around for a little while lurking made me change my mind. Also hanging out with Bryan also made me want to join.

Its disappointing that I decided to do it so late in the life cycle of PAC, but at least the community is sticking around.

Anywho my name is Joey, and for me, detailing is an addiction.

Hope to stick around and get to know you guys better! Thanks!
 
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