Heavy brake dust removal??

gforce211 · May 27, 2010

I searched the forum for a thread of this nature but found none so here goes, my newly acquired Jetta was fairly well taken care of by the previous owner however she never bothered with cleaning the OEM alloys. Subsequently the brake dust that has built up over the yrs is pretty bad. I'm doing my best to remove it (by hand no less) using Meguiars alloy polish but this a detailing endeavor even I am not loving...and I LUV to detail my DUB!!! Does anyone out there in Jetta land have any suggestions as to a fairly quick and less labor intensive method of removing this stuff? Is there anything on the market that I can just spray on, let the product soak in for awhile then hose off (that won't harm the alloy finish)???? I look fwd to reading any and all suggestions.

Thanks...

"Clean wheels or bust"

John

OregonDweller · May 27, 2010

theres nothing that comes to mind that you can leave on without ruining the finish. toothbrush and wheel cleaner is what I use. simple green too.

gforce211 · May 27, 2010

Thanks for that...I'll try using a toothbrush, although I don't have any Simple Green at the moment (I'll have to get some this weekend). Hopefully the toothbrush works better than my finger....lol. A friend of mine suggested I use a polishing cone attached to the chuck of a corded variable speed drill while using the Meguiars wheel polish.

OregonDweller · May 27, 2010

my brother in law actually did that now that I think about it, idk why i didnt think of it earlier.

slammed_01jetta · May 27, 2010

wheel acid works amazing

gforce211 · May 27, 2010

Wheel acid huh? Where can I obtain this stuff and how toxic is it? Do I need an entire HAZMAT suit to use it?..lol

Noob4Life · May 27, 2010

I use meguiars rim cleaner for mine, it works great for getting the bulk of the new brake dust then I wash the rims to get the rest, I do have a couple small spots that the dust is actually baked on that I cant get off but thats it.

Is the dust on yours baked on?

gforce211 · May 27, 2010

Well I really don't know how to define "baked" but the the dust is no longer just "dust"...this stuff is literally ingrained into the metal. So yeah, I guess you could say it's baked on. Meguiars works but it takes a heck-of-a-lot of elbow grease to get the stuff off in the crevasses of the wheel, not too bad though on the stuff that is "dust". I might try the vinegar idea with a toothbrush?? At this point I'll try just about anything.

Elrodg · May 31, 2010

Th acids in vinegar are not abrasive so they will just eat through the "baked on dust"

gforce211 · May 28, 2010

I think the cone and drill method may just be my best option as this stuff has really built up over the yrs. If I had the $$ I'd just say the heck with it and get replica BBS wheels.

Katic · May 31, 2010

by far the best way is to use "VIM" it's a cleaning product probably found in a grocery store or something, just use that and a rag. it will clean it incredibly i had so much brake dust and that stuff removed it to looking brand new.

gforce211 · May 31, 2010

VIM huh? Never heard of it, but I'll try it. I still haven't yet tried the vinegar and water idea yet, I might try that tomorrow.

Katic · May 31, 2010

try it, you will thank me. my rims looked like they had rust over them and now it sparkles. its like a sandy creamy household item ask at a cleaning supplies store, but im in canada might not be available where your at

Noob4Life · May 31, 2010

If you can handle the smell lol I can't stand vinegar, let me know how it works out though

jthommarson · Jun 2, 2010

I have used both of these with excellent resuls....pricey though.

http://www.autogeek.net/mellow-yellow-wheel-cleaner.html

http://www.autogeek.net/p2wheelclean.html

I recommend the P21s over the Dodo Juice.

Heavy brake dust removal??

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