blastit

do you guys have any suggestions on how to keep the rims clean. No matter how much i wash them the brake dust seems to coat them in a couple of days. are there any products that would help to clean them up faster. i spent a good hour yesterday wipping them by hand with half a roll of paper towels. not exactly fun

pgaduane

Yes there is a way - Don't drive....

vcruiser

yeah, the amount of brake dust that gets onto the rims is retarded!

I think changing the break pads will help out!

and its a real pain to clean the 18'' AMGs

thats why i got a crazy pressure washer!

blastit

yeah...funny.

blastit

cleaning between the twin spokes is a pain in the ***.

jo17jC230

+1

9elf S

After thouroughly cleaning the wheels, apply a wax or, my favorite, an acrylic sealer like Zaino's sealer. This will make future cleaning easier.

cvas

Over the weekend I tried using TR3 resin glaze polish and the dust came off easily.

misterng

+1, I did that same with Zaino and it lasts 2 weeks of driving before the brake dust really builds up.

itcrashed

+1 for waxing...any old wax should do. It doesn't really prevent dust, but it sure as heck makes it easier to clean. The only way to reduce dust is to change pads to something like Axxis Deluxe or Axxis Ultimates.

webada

i was told ceramic breakpads will create less dust.... not sure how true it is.... very tempted to try tho.

360_iti

Ceramic pads produce practically no dust, I swear by it. I have been using them since last fall. Get Akebono.

RLE

[<<cleaning between the twin spokes is a pain in the ***>>

I can only imagine. Your hands would be better, probably.

Having cleaned my own 18s a few hundred times, I understand. You will now have read dozens of ideas, many of which are too much work and some which can eat the wheel finish or damage the tires.

I use P21S, a spray cleaner approved by the makers of all german car wheels. If you buy it by the small bottle, it's too costly. I buy it by the five-liter refill online which ends up costing about eighty dollars. This sounds like a lot of money but, cleaning the wheels 2-3 times per week, I get about 11 months out a jug of it.

I use a wash mitt which easily fits into the spokes.

Do not use cheapo wheel cleaning sprays, simple green, or a pressure washer.

skillz1318

Any recommended tool to clean the 18" AMG rims other than a power-washer? Any special sponges/towels to get inbetween the spokes easier than a regular towel?

Devastator187

You can save paper towels and trees by designate a towel just for wheels...

blastit

this is what i did take a paper towel and wrap it around your finger. then use it to get between the spokes. there maybe some tool to buy but this works, just timely.

thanks for the products guys. i will give some of them a shot to see what works well for me.

360_iti how much did you pay for the pads? and how long do they last?

edit: do the pads last as long as the regular pads?

360_iti

I paid 88.30 for my front wheels but they were for the W203. I actually browsed around and couldn't find any ceramic pads for the W204, yet. Btw ceramic pads should last longer than the OEM.

Derspeed

Ceramic pads, Axxis Pads.

Seems like all of the Euro cars I have ever owned had dusty OE pads. I also use wheel wax.

theraj2

I find that the best way to clean sport model (7spoke rims) is not to apply any water... just wipe the dust of rim with old rags... adding water makes it messy.. and if you have to drive withing 30 mins of washing... you avoid getting brake dust all over your freshly washed car.... and when applying tire wet or any tire shine... spray on old rags and rub on face of tire... try to avoid getting any on the rim... hope this helps!

trumpet1

Do the ceramic pads squeak less than OEM pads?
If I ever allow the dust to build up from not giving the car a biweekly wash at the touchless car wash, I just keep my wheels/brakes/tires pressure washed twice a week at the car wash using the low pressure pre-soak soap provided at the car wash. Let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes on the wheels, then blast off. After that, I go over what is left over with a dedicated wrag and re-rinse. Keeping the car washed regularly keeps the build up from becoming an overwhelming project plus it keeps the brakes from squeaking. Going through a touchless car wash twice a week (I use the $5 dollar quick wash only) keeps the car clean enough that all I have to do is go over it once in a while with Maquires Quick Detailer for detailing. Works for me and seems harmless. Been doing this for several years on cars and motorcycles.

wingless

Limit brake usage.

My vehicle has large glass panels, that appear to be strategically placed, surrounding the operator, which permits observation of exterior conditions. Those observations permit modulation of the throttle and transmission, decreasing the requirement to utilize the brake system.

Diminished brake usage not only keeps the wheels cleaner, but also extends the brake life (I get about 100K miles per set) and may increase fuel efficiency.

Clean the inside of the rim, near the rotor and caliper, right up to the inner lip, so less crud works to the exposed surfaces.


This image shows those inner surfaces going from normal not-yet-cleaned to really clean.

Oh Cool

To clean these wheels one needs the right tools. I clean my wheels with two types of brushes and a bottle of wheel cleaner. It takes me ten minutes to do all four wheels and they come out perfectly with little effort. Here are the links to the two types of brushes I use.

http://www.goestores.com/catalog.asp...56876&detail=1

http://www.goestores.com/catalog.asp...02173&detail=1

These two brushes are the perfect combination to do the job easily; they are soft and will not harm the wheels. With the long brush it captures all of the inside and between the wheels spokes in seconds. The short green bristle brush is soft making cleaning the outside of the wheel very easy and the soft bristles’ reach into every spot on the wheel. Hose off and that’s it.

Derspeed

Not using water? Are your wheels scratched up? I'd use a quick detailer at the very least.

blastit

thanks for the suggestions guys! i might give the ceramic pads a try when the OE ones run low.

theraj2 - the last wash i did i used paper towels to just wipe the rims and this did work pretty good. its still a pain in the *** since you have a lot of little crevices that you need to use your finger nails to rub into. i guess that is near impossible to keep the rims spotless. looks like i will just have to clean them as frequently as possible.