My rims are severely, SEVERELY pitted from brake dust

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What can I do about this? I cannot even scrape this stuff off with a blade. I don't think any chemicals will work, I've tried Simple Green, polish, claybar, and kerosene. I scrub them with a bristle brush. Nothing works.



I was in an accident recently and got two reconditioned used rims out of it, but they are absolutely perfect. This are stock OEM VW rims, so they must have been on a Passat like mine at some point, and ALL Passats have rear brake pad problems. My question is, what did someone do to these rims to make them look like new? Some kind of professional shop?



Needless to say, I have been Klasse-ing these two new rims, and so far, so good. I really gave them a good coat, too.



*Update* Tonight I spent about 1.5 hours working on my rims. They are 8 spoke rims, but I only got about 4 spokes of 1 wheel done during that time. The important thing is that I changed my method. I'm still going the abbrasive route, but instead I alternated between a clay bar and a Scotch dish pad (one of the green ones, not too rough). The claybar was pulling out the easier pits, so I would start a section with that. After that I moved on to the Scotch pad, getting it soaking wet and buffing the surface of the rim in a circular pattern, kind of a wet sanding method I guess. It left 0 scratches that I could see, but it got the more difficult pits out.



I was removing layers of clear coat, there is no doubt about that. One section has a very small 1/4" spot where the finish is gone; I should've used more clay bar there and less Scotch pad. I finished up by polishing the rims with some Meguiar's, then adding a coat of Klasse SG. I am VERY happy with the results. They look GREAT, with no pitting left whatsoever. And the layers of Klasse will provide protection. The key now is maintenance; washing the rims once a week and adding SG. I'm so stoked now, it's like I have new rims again! :xyxthumbs



Due to some idiotic responses on other forums, PLEASE read this thread before you reply. I've basically addressed all the drawbacks of this method.
 
I second the brake parts cleaner suggestion. You can pick that up at any auto supply store or WalMart. Or some of the professional cleaners like EFHI or APC+. Do you have photos you could post here? I'm not familiar with these new cars; are the wheels steel, aluminum, or what?
 
No way am I buying new ones, $400+ would put me well on my way to a set of nice used 16" or 17" rims. I'll try the brake dust cleaner, but maybe dilute it somehow to start.



Anyone else have any more insight into what a professional shop would use? I know there are shops out there that can reform bent rims: maybe they could do this kind of work also. Like I said, my 2 new reconditioned rims don't have any brake dust pitting, so it has to be possible.



Wheels are alloys, by the way.
 
Lynn said:
I second the brake parts cleaner suggestion. You can pick that up at any auto supply store or WalMart. Or some of the professional cleaners like EFHI or APC+. Do you have photos you could post here?
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BTW, you can't (and don't need to) dilute brake parts cleaner. It's an aerosol can; use it full strength.
 
I think "reconditioned" rims would have come from one of these wheel repair shops that have been mentioned. Often they have both services - bend/dent fixing and repainting. Basically I think they sand/strip/blast, etc. and then repaint it, not use some miracle product or process on it. That's AFAIK and I could be wrong though...
 
4DSC is right, they strip the wheels then recoat them. Changing your pads to a lower dusting pad would also help. VWs are notorious for nasty brake dust and PITA to clean rims.
 
Yup, 4DSC and Scott are correct. I was side-swiped by a 5 ton truck a couple of years ago and my truck at that time got one of the rims all gouged up. It was sent off to one of those refinishers and they beadblasted it and recleared it. Cost the insurance company $150 CDN. So it's not cheap.
 
Triumph said:
No way am I buying new ones, $400+ would put me well on my way to a set of nice used 16" or 17" rims. I'll try the brake dust cleaner, but maybe dilute it somehow to start.



Anyone else have any more insight into what a professional shop would use? I know there are shops out there that can reform bent rims: maybe they could do this kind of work also. Like I said, my 2 new reconditioned rims don't have any brake dust pitting, so it has to be possible.



Wheels are alloys, by the way.
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I can't help with the refinishing info, but there if you decide to get new rims, there is no need pay $400 plus. There are lots of places to get them cheaper. Which model VW rims do you have? If you don't know the model a pic or a description would help.



Michael
 
Scottwax said:
4DSC is right, they strip the wheels then recoat them. Changing your pads to a lower dusting pad would also help. VWs are notorious for nasty brake dust and PITA to clean rims.
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Sorry, I would have to humbly disagree. I have a 2001 VW Jetta and the brake dust is a BREEZE to clean off. A little P21s or Meguiars #36 and it rolls right off with slight agitation from a chenille wash pad. After I used Wheel Wax, the brake dust barely sticks. A little GC and water and it comes off in a second. An absolute joy to wash and keep clean. My Saab on the other hand is a pain in the kisser!
 
Spilchy - I have a 2002 Passat with the Wellington wheels which are painted/clearcoated aluminum and I agree with you, they are super easy to clean, especially after a coat of selant.



But there are some VW wheels that are not so easy to clean (I don't theink they are clearcoated), so that's one of the reasons I aske which model wheel he has. Those wheels are usually pretty easy to find cheaply.



Michael
 
I can't help with the refinishing info, but there if you decide to get new rims, there is no need pay $400 plus. There are lots of places to get them cheaper. Which model VW rims do you have? If you don't know the model a pic or a description would help.
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If you know of somewhere to buy a set of FOUR quality 16" or 17" alloy rims for cheaper than 400 bucks, they gotta be stolen. Or I'd like to know where you're buying them.



Spilchy and mpauly: I think what he means is that the VW's are known for creating excessive brake dust, which they are. I just was negligent with my rims for too long, letting the dust bake on before trying to remove it. Yeah yeah, you're supposed to take care of your rims, but people with Camry's and Tauruses who don't give 2 sh!ts about their car have cleaner rims than me! :o
 
Triumph said:
If you know of somewhere to buy a set of FOUR quality 16" or 17" alloy rims for cheaper than 400 bucks, they gotta be stolen. Or I'd like to know where you're buying them.
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I thought you only had 2 bad rims and were looking to replace them with OEM VW rims. And yes, depending on the model, you can definitely get 2 for less than $400. Heck, some of the models like Swings, Boogies and Tangos can easily be found for less than that for a whole set of 4.



If you are willing to go used, on a Passat site I frequent people post all sorts of OEM wheels for sale. Someone right now is selling a set of Wellingtons (15" 9 spoke alloys) with tires for $400 with only 10K miles and no scratches. Lots of people there upgrade to 17", 18" or 19" rims and just want to get rid of their stock setup to offset the cost.



I was just asking which rims you have as I might be able to point you in the right direction to finding cheap replacements. If that's not an option your interested in, I understand.



Michael
 
Well, I decided to go for drastic measures. Most people will disagree with my method, but I don't care. My solution: Scrape it off.



I took a flat head screwdriver and I just started scraping. At first I was scraping with alot of pressure, and it showed; the finish was coming off. So I changed my method, applying much lighter pressure but with more strokes. I didn't see any of the finish coming off this time, but it DID remove the brake dust. What is probably happening is that I am removing the particles that are sitting on the surface, as well as removing thin layers of the finish. But this is no different than what polish does to your cars paint, it removes layers of clear coat. So as long as I don't go too deep, I will be alright. There are some very fine scratches on the finish where I wasn't too careful, but these will become less of a problem as I get better at this.



How deep is too deep? Not really sure. I know the point where I am visibly removing the finish, and I'm able to remove the brake dust without having it look like that. So there is still some finish there. Plus I am adding layers of Klasse to the rims after I clean them. That's pretty good protection. This process is VERY time consuming, but it's the first thing I've tried that has actually worked. And I'm willing to bet that any detrimental impacts of it won't show up until well after I've ditched this car.



But guess what: A wheel with very fine scratches looks better than a black wheel covered with brake dust.
 
Triumph said:
Well, I decided to go for drastic measures. Most people will disagree with my method, but I don't care. My solution: Scrape it off.



I took a flat head screwdriver and I just started scraping. At first I was scraping with alot of pressure, and it showed; the finish was coming off. So I changed my method, applying much lighter pressure but with more strokes. I didn't see any of the finish coming off this time, but it DID remove the brake dust. What is probably happening is that I am removing the particles that are sitting on the surface, as well as removing thin layers of the finish. But this is no different than what polish does to your cars paint, it removes layers of clear coat. So as long as I don't go too deep, I will be alright. There are some very fine scratches on the finish where I wasn't too careful, but these will become less of a problem as I get better at this.



How deep is too deep? Not really sure. I know the point where I am visibly removing the finish, and I'm able to remove the brake dust without having it look like that. So there is still some finish there. Plus I am adding layers of Klasse to the rims after I clean them. That's pretty good protection. This process is VERY time consuming, but it's the first thing I've tried that has actually worked. And I'm willing to bet that any detrimental impacts of it won't show up until well after I've ditched this car.



But guess what: A wheel with very fine scratches looks better than a black wheel covered with brake dust.
Click to expand...



:shocked :scared :eek: :sosad
 
Did you ever try any wheels cleaner omn them? Like eagle one a2z or something.



After the winter my rims looked trashed, i tried some simple green on them since i had it right there, and it did nothing. A2Z on the other hand, cleaned them right up.

The thought of scraping it off with a screwdriver scares the heck out of me.
 
i agree with showroom. did you try something like rubbing compound? brake cleaner or even 2-3K grit sand paper? before resulting to um....the "Scraping" technique?
 
Triumph said:
What can I do about this? I cannot even scrape this stuff off with a blade. I don't think any chemicals will work, I've tried Simple Green, polish, claybar, and kerosene. I scrub them with a bristle brush. Nothing works.



I was in an accident recently and got two reconditioned used rims out of it, but they are absolutely perfect. This are stock OEM VW rims, so they must have been on a Passat like mine at some point, and ALL Passats have rear brake pad problems. My question is, what did someone do to these rims to make them look like new? Some kind of professional shop?



Needless to say, I have been Klasse-ing these two new rims, and so far, so good. I really gave them a good coat, too.
Click to expand...



this happened to me with my ARE Baja wheels which are not clearcoated and are polished aluminum. A detail shop used a 50/50 mix of acid and water, and it pulled almost everything off. I just used to Blue magic to bring the luster back and they looked presentable, but not "pre-pitting"...
 
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