Mrhuynh99

I got new Chrome 17' AMG Split spokes today on my 2002 C240, but notice that the front wheels are very hot to the touch. Is this normal? The back wheels are fine when I touch it. What can I do to reduce the hot temperature? I am afraid the high temperature will damage the wheel. Please help me!!!

Mrhuynh99

staticwd

jeez... calm down man...
its supposed to get hot..
i think they call it.. uhh.. friction? hehe
no seriously.. dont worry about it..
your wheels can handle it...
you should be more worried for the roads with your new rims...

Mrhuynh99

Thanks. I don't have to loose sleep over this one.

staticwd

uh.. its "lose"..

mdp c230k

The rims are bolted to the rotors which get hot when you brake. The heat gets transfered from metal to metal. This is a good thing!

TimmyC230boy

if you are really worried about the heat to the wheels, engine brake a little more so as not to use the brakes as much. also if you can, when you get home let the wheels cool and spray them with a little water. But make sure they are cool first. I have found that Simple green is great for removing break dust and preventing it from stiking as bad. Since the wheels are bolted to the rotors slotted or cross-drilled rotors are a option too.

bagwell

how some pics of thoose wheels ?

JustinTRW

Simple green is not good for your wheels and will degrade and dull the clearcoat over time. It's your vehicle, but I've seen people ruin their wheels using this product. In the best case scenario there are much better products. Worst case is you will notice your wheels are not what they should be. Take this for what you will.

viper

I don't know about this. If you wash your wheels with water after using Simple Green like you are supposed to I can't see why you would have a problem. There is no residual chemical deposited on the wheel if they are properly washed. If people would only read the product directions things would be fine.

JustinTRW

Go ahead and call BBS, Ronal, or some other wheel company. Tell them you use simple green on your wheels, then see what they say. Are you guys using this stuff at full strength? It should be dilluted heavily. The product is extremely strong, and I doubt it is pH balanced. Washing it off the wheels afterwards does not alleviate the problem, because the damage is already done. I hate to bad mouth any product, but in this case, it is being used for a job it shouldn't be.

schwarz c230

P21s has some of the best wheel cleaner I have used, if you keep a good coat of wax on your wheels, you will not ever have to use any thing on wheels but soap and water

Fuzzo

well mcguires has a spray to clean brake dust as well and i think that one of the "MB recomended" products.... i have actually always used just normal soap and water...never had a problem with it...except the time i went about a month during the winter without washing my car..... that took some scrubbing but managed to remove most of the dust with just water and soap....

JustinTRW

Both of you have the right idea. Whatever is pH balanced works best.

Accord

The reason your front wheels are scorching hot and your rear wheels are not, is because roughly 80% of the braking power is focused on the front of the car, only 20% of your braking power comes from the rear; thus meaning when your rotors heat up, that heat is transfered to the metal of the wheel since it is a great conductor of energy.

This is why your front wheels get scorching hot, and your rear wheels only become slightly warm. If your front wheels were not becoming hot, then I would be worried, and you should have your brakes checked.

(Thanks Ben )

viper

Like I said if you don't leave it on you will have no problem.

This is from the Simple Green web site -

"Simple Green products have been successfully and safely used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: Aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green or Crystal Simple Green can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times of All Purpose Simple Green and Crystal Simple Green with unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. "

So you just spray it on, wait a few minutes and rinise it off. Anyone saying they had a problem after following these instructions does not know what they are talking about.

MB-BOB

This is for "unprotected aluminum." And of course Aluminum auto wheels are "protected" with the clear coating process, right?

This is really odd and a bit frustrating. Several people recommended Simple Green for wheels at least 8 months ago. No complaints or cautions from forum members then. Now, all of a sudden there's a backlash of opinion. What gives?

I've been using undiluted SG on my stock wheels for 6-months. Spray on, wait 1-2 minutes, then sponge/rinse away thoroughly. Very simple, no mess of fuss. The clear coat on my wheels look as good as delivery day. Compared with other "foamy brake-dust removal" products, which I found to be as useless as **** on a boar hog.

I don't want to harm my wheels, and I want to keep an open mind. But we need to uncover these counter-point discussions earlier, yes?

session

nice; i'll have to remember that one. texans talk funny.

mdp c230k

Good old water and a sponge do a fine job getting the brake dust off without any soaps or cleaners.

viper

I agree MR-BOB. Seems you have the ultimate proof since you have been using it for 6 months. Thats speaks volumes when compared to the "I heard that" frame of logic.

JustinTRW

Yes, our wheels are clearcoated. What I'm trying to say, with not much luck it seems, is that SG will diminish the clearcoat of your wheels.

Viper: SG's own website tells you the story. Application "should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes." You pulled this information yourself. This information, we both agree, is for bare material. However, our wheels are clearcoated. By using SG, now you're telling me that clearcoat is tougher or as tough than the material in which our wheels are made of? If you leave SG on your wheels for a couple minutes, you are plain kidding me if you don't think the clearcoat is affected in some way.

I'm a detailing enthuisiast, therefore I take time in chosing what I use on my vehicle. Rule of thumb: use the least aggressive product that will get the job done. SG is not a bad product, but not ideal for cleaning wheels, especially with no dillution. Will a less aggressive product get the job done? I really really think so. I wash weekly, so for me water works. However, even if you are not a frequent washer, I still feel SG is too much.

Where's AlBoston? I'm absolutely sure he has some comments for us. He's as professional of a detailer as there is.

Please keep in mind guys, I'm not trying to badmouth anyone or any product. I'm simply trying to help provide you with a safer way of cleaning your wheels, one which you may become more happy about.

o2bsurreal

I doubt the heat will hurt the wheels, but I thought I'd mention that I had a similar experience with a previous vehicle (although it was a truck) where the tire was under-inflated. As a result, the flexing of the rubber of the tire sidewalls generated a substantial amount of heat. When I noticed it, I could stand next to the back of the vehicle and feel the heat radiating off of the tire/wheel. Just thought I'd mention that just in case. Other than that, yeah it's probably the heat from the brakes.