Baked on Brake Dust!!

Sorry, i have no pics, but i wanted to know a great product to use to rid baked on, or should i say brake dust that has set on a wheel for quite a period of time, i have used my normal wheel cleaning products and also tried, p21s cleaning and polishing soap with no sucess. The wheels are on an 1991 meceredes 190, the protective covering on the wheel has failed as well, i just want to clean them up a bit before delivery to the customer. I apreciate all advice in advance.

 

You might need something acidic like megs wheel brightner.

 

Autoglym Clean Wheels?

 

If the clear coat has failed I would be a little apprehensive on using an acidic cleaner on it. Have you tried to use a mild polish, Menz 106FA, by hand? It may of eaten the metal enough to where you may not be able to clean it off.

 

no, i havent used any polishes except, the p21 polishing soap, which did help a little, but not alot. Actually i was thinking that i would need something more agressive such as megs wheel brightner, but wanted to be sure through other great detailers opinions here on detalilingbliss.

 

As much as I love using Megs WB, I'm with agpatel on this one. If the clear coat has failed then I wouldn't use any wheel cleaner that wasn't PH neutral.

 

I'd try Megs wheel brightener if they are already semi shot.. what's the worst that could happen?

 

Semi shot could very well turn into absolutely ruined.

 

i dont know if this would help or not, but here is a pic of similar wheel on car that i am working on. View attachment 1324

 

Note:
Note:
1. It is important to read and understand the MSDS, process specification, and technical data sheet before working with these products.
2. Acid or highly alkaline wheel cleaner can prematurely age and damage calliper rubber seals
3. Wheel cleaners that are formulated with acid or a high alkali should not be used if the wheel surface is compromised as it will permeate the surface and cause the wheel finish to fail and may cause structural failure

 

Definitely do not use anything acidic if the OEM coating has failed. As Togwt has said it will corrode the aluminum underneath it. i had junk set of rims to mess with and tried Poorboy's Spray and rinse on them and it cause immediate damage. Luckily I was just about to start to media blast the rims right after cleaning them. The media blasting got the really clean

 

Try brown royal.....I understand it supppose to be some good stuff. You can fins a video on the stuff at youtube.

 

Brown Royal worked for my wheels. Had some caked on brake dust and rust from my brake pad being worn down. I am surprised I don't hear about more people using it.

 

So how does brown royale compare to p21s?

 

I have never used P21 so I can't compare the cleaning power. I have read from someone on another forum that they were able to use Brown Royal to clean up some brake dust that P21 could not clean. Brown Royal is not a gel so you don't want it to dwell on the wheels for an extended period of time. You just let it stay on the wheels for about 30 seconds and then use a wheel brush to clean the wheel. Even without any agitation it gets off a lot of brake dust. If your wheels have the type of baked on brake dust that mine had, you will need a wheel brush. When I saw the videos on youtube, I thought that it was a gimmick. After trying it, I can say that it really is a strong wheel cleaner. I am sure the wheel gels such as P21, Autoglym, CG Diablo are great too, but I had no need to get them because the Brown Royal worked for me. It is also only $15.95 for a gallon, can't beat that price. I do plan on trying one of the wheel gels in the near future to see how they compare.

 

If you have access to a steamer; I have removed baked on 'stuff' from a antique vehicles wheel surface that was stored in for 20 years