Best caked on brake dust remover?
05-16-2009 | 04:40 PM
#1
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Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Redondo Beach
Best caked on brake dust remover?
I have my stock AP2 wheels and my Porterfields like to paint 'em black like no other. My usual high power spray and regular wheel cleaner regimen isn't taking off a lot of the hard brake dust nowadays. Is there any product that you guys like that takes off even the hardest grime?
Thanks..
Thanks..
05-19-2009 | 07:36 PM
#4
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 518
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From: Niles
ive heard eagle one chrome cleaner works good but i didnt even bother with mine straight to sandblast ha
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/Prim...id/IMG_0099.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/Prim...id/IMG_0098.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/Prim...id/IMG_0096.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/Prim...id/IMG_0099.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/Prim...id/IMG_0098.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b68/Prim...id/IMG_0096.jpg
05-20-2009 | 06:27 AM
#5
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 867
Likes: 1
The stock brake pads on my Subaru are notorious for dusting and caking on. I got it during the winter and it was too cold for me to keep it regularly cleaned by myself and the problem just got worse with the wheels continuosly getting wet and drying all the time with brake dust still on them. Needless to say, by the time spring rolled around, that stuff was as hard as rock.
This is what I've tried in order over a span of a few months and I eventually got it off with the last method.
1. Normal wash - didn't work, as you've already experienced.
2. Ordered P21S gel + brush as recommended by vendor - got a decent amount of stuff off but not the really bad stuff in between spokes. I even let it sit for 2+ hours as recommended on the bottle and by the vendor. I'd also have to say that this didn't really work.
3. Ordered clay bar + more brushes from the same vendor + shot it with more P21S - took me ~2 hours and got only half of the wheel done. I still had trouble getting the really bad stuff between the spokes off but it was possible. But my claybar was deteriorating REALLY fast and, as you can see, it was EXTREMELY time consuming.
Between methods 2 and 3, I spent a lot of money (relatively) towards the vendor and a lot of time for not so good results. I went through all this because I didn't want to use any harsh chemicals or washing methods. But finally, I didn't see that I had a choice so on to method 4.
4. Ordered Meguiar's Wheel Brightener - This stuff is wheel cleaner acid that body shops and the like use. It's really strong stuff and can seriously screw up the finish on your wheels if you're not careful. So you can see why I was hesitant to go straight to method 4 from the getgo. Anyway, I used the recommended dilution, sprayed it on, and IMMEDIATELY agitated it with a brush I previously bought (hey, so one of those things I got from the vendor DID come in handy
) and rinsed it off. I didn't want to let that stuff sit. A big majority of the caked on dust started dripping off once the concoction hit it; yeah, it's strong stuff. Some of the dust that was stuck in the nooks between spokes needed more convincing so I just repeated the process as needed (hit it with the spray, agitate with a brush, rinse it off/wash it off with soapy water). I also polished and waxed them afterwards for good measure.
I know this was a long post but that's what I tried. It's up to you whether you want to risk it and jump straight to the Meg's product. Who knows, maybe P21S will work better for you than it did for me.
I also want to say that I'm not bashing anyone who recommended the other products to me or even the products themselves. I'm only saying that in my situation, those recommendations and products didn't really come through so I ended up doing what I wanted to avoid all along. With that said, I don't plan on using the Meg's cleaner much at all, maybe not ever again, if it's at all possible (just don't want to risk possible damage). I only wanted to get them really clean again so that regular/semiregular upkeep will prevent the rock hard layer of dust from forming again, making it possible for the more conventional cleaning supplies to work. I've been wiping my wheels down every 2 or 3 days to prevent a buildup since these pads dust if you just look at them (counting down to when it's time to change these pads out) so I won't have to resort to the acid again. Because of this, I'm sure that something like P21S would be more than enough to clean the wheels from here on out.
I hope that helps.
EDIT IF YOU'RE JUST SKIPPING TO THE END OF MY RIDICULOUSLY LONG POST: I'd still recommend against harsh chemicals like the WB if you really didn't have to use them.
This is what I've tried in order over a span of a few months and I eventually got it off with the last method.
1. Normal wash - didn't work, as you've already experienced.
2. Ordered P21S gel + brush as recommended by vendor - got a decent amount of stuff off but not the really bad stuff in between spokes. I even let it sit for 2+ hours as recommended on the bottle and by the vendor. I'd also have to say that this didn't really work.
3. Ordered clay bar + more brushes from the same vendor + shot it with more P21S - took me ~2 hours and got only half of the wheel done. I still had trouble getting the really bad stuff between the spokes off but it was possible. But my claybar was deteriorating REALLY fast and, as you can see, it was EXTREMELY time consuming.
Between methods 2 and 3, I spent a lot of money (relatively) towards the vendor and a lot of time for not so good results. I went through all this because I didn't want to use any harsh chemicals or washing methods. But finally, I didn't see that I had a choice so on to method 4.
4. Ordered Meguiar's Wheel Brightener - This stuff is wheel cleaner acid that body shops and the like use. It's really strong stuff and can seriously screw up the finish on your wheels if you're not careful. So you can see why I was hesitant to go straight to method 4 from the getgo. Anyway, I used the recommended dilution, sprayed it on, and IMMEDIATELY agitated it with a brush I previously bought (hey, so one of those things I got from the vendor DID come in handy
) and rinsed it off. I didn't want to let that stuff sit. A big majority of the caked on dust started dripping off once the concoction hit it; yeah, it's strong stuff. Some of the dust that was stuck in the nooks between spokes needed more convincing so I just repeated the process as needed (hit it with the spray, agitate with a brush, rinse it off/wash it off with soapy water). I also polished and waxed them afterwards for good measure.I know this was a long post but that's what I tried. It's up to you whether you want to risk it and jump straight to the Meg's product. Who knows, maybe P21S will work better for you than it did for me.
I also want to say that I'm not bashing anyone who recommended the other products to me or even the products themselves. I'm only saying that in my situation, those recommendations and products didn't really come through so I ended up doing what I wanted to avoid all along. With that said, I don't plan on using the Meg's cleaner much at all, maybe not ever again, if it's at all possible (just don't want to risk possible damage). I only wanted to get them really clean again so that regular/semiregular upkeep will prevent the rock hard layer of dust from forming again, making it possible for the more conventional cleaning supplies to work. I've been wiping my wheels down every 2 or 3 days to prevent a buildup since these pads dust if you just look at them (counting down to when it's time to change these pads out) so I won't have to resort to the acid again. Because of this, I'm sure that something like P21S would be more than enough to clean the wheels from here on out.
I hope that helps.
EDIT IF YOU'RE JUST SKIPPING TO THE END OF MY RIDICULOUSLY LONG POST: I'd still recommend against harsh chemicals like the WB if you really didn't have to use them.
05-20-2009 | 05:20 PM
#6
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 919
Likes: 0
From: Valencia, CA
Originally Posted by EP Heart,May 20 2009, 05:27 AM
The stock brake pads on my Subaru are notorious for dusting and caking on. I got it during the winter and it was too cold for me to keep it regularly cleaned by myself and the problem just got worse with the wheels continuosly getting wet and drying all the time with brake dust still on them. Needless to say, by the time spring rolled around, that stuff was as hard as rock.
This is what I've tried in order over a span of a few months and I eventually got it off with the last method.
1. Normal wash - didn't work, as you've already experienced.
2. Ordered P21S gel + brush as recommended by vendor - got a decent amount of stuff off but not the really bad stuff in between spokes. I even let it sit for 2+ hours as recommended on the bottle and by the vendor. I'd also have to say that this didn't really work.
3. Ordered clay bar + more brushes from the same vendor + shot it with more P21S - took me ~2 hours and got only half of the wheel done. I still had trouble getting the really bad stuff between the spokes off but it was possible. But my claybar was deteriorating REALLY fast and, as you can see, it was EXTREMELY time consuming.
Between methods 2 and 3, I spent a lot of money (relatively) towards the vendor and a lot of time for not so good results. I went through all this because I didn't want to use any harsh chemicals or washing methods. But finally, I didn't see that I had a choice so on to method 4.
4. Ordered Meguiar's Wheel Brightener - This stuff is wheel cleaner acid that body shops and the like use. It's really strong stuff and can seriously screw up the finish on your wheels if you're not careful. So you can see why I was hesitant to go straight to method 4 from the getgo. Anyway, I used the recommended dilution, sprayed it on, and IMMEDIATELY agitated it with a brush I previously bought (hey, so one of those things I got from the vendor DID come in handy ) and rinsed it off. I didn't want to let that stuff sit. A big majority of the caked on dust started dripping off once the concoction hit it; yeah, it's strong stuff. Some of the dust that was stuck in the nooks between spokes needed more convincing so I just repeated the process as needed (hit it with the spray, agitate with a brush, rinse it off/wash it off with soapy water). I also polished and waxed them afterwards for good measure.
I know this was a long post but that's what I tried. It's up to you whether you want to risk it and jump straight to the Meg's product. Who knows, maybe P21S will work better for you than it did for me.
I also want to say that I'm not bashing anyone who recommended the other products to me or even the products themselves. I'm only saying that in my situation, those recommendations and products didn't really come through so I ended up doing what I wanted to avoid all along. With that said, I don't plan on using the Meg's cleaner much at all, maybe not ever again, if it's at all possible (just don't want to risk possible damage). I only wanted to get them really clean again so that regular/semiregular upkeep will prevent the rock hard layer of dust from forming again, making it possible for the more conventional cleaning supplies to work. I've been wiping my wheels down every 2 or 3 days to prevent a buildup since these pads dust if you just look at them (counting down to when it's time to change these pads out) so I won't have to resort to the acid again. Because of this, I'm sure that something like P21S would be more than enough to clean the wheels from here on out.
I hope that helps.
EDIT IF YOU'RE JUST SKIPPING TO THE END OF MY RIDICULOUSLY LONG POST: I'd still recommend against harsh chemicals like the WB if you really didn't have to use them.
This is what I've tried in order over a span of a few months and I eventually got it off with the last method.
1. Normal wash - didn't work, as you've already experienced.
2. Ordered P21S gel + brush as recommended by vendor - got a decent amount of stuff off but not the really bad stuff in between spokes. I even let it sit for 2+ hours as recommended on the bottle and by the vendor. I'd also have to say that this didn't really work.
3. Ordered clay bar + more brushes from the same vendor + shot it with more P21S - took me ~2 hours and got only half of the wheel done. I still had trouble getting the really bad stuff between the spokes off but it was possible. But my claybar was deteriorating REALLY fast and, as you can see, it was EXTREMELY time consuming.
Between methods 2 and 3, I spent a lot of money (relatively) towards the vendor and a lot of time for not so good results. I went through all this because I didn't want to use any harsh chemicals or washing methods. But finally, I didn't see that I had a choice so on to method 4.
4. Ordered Meguiar's Wheel Brightener - This stuff is wheel cleaner acid that body shops and the like use. It's really strong stuff and can seriously screw up the finish on your wheels if you're not careful. So you can see why I was hesitant to go straight to method 4 from the getgo. Anyway, I used the recommended dilution, sprayed it on, and IMMEDIATELY agitated it with a brush I previously bought (hey, so one of those things I got from the vendor DID come in handy
) and rinsed it off. I didn't want to let that stuff sit. A big majority of the caked on dust started dripping off once the concoction hit it; yeah, it's strong stuff. Some of the dust that was stuck in the nooks between spokes needed more convincing so I just repeated the process as needed (hit it with the spray, agitate with a brush, rinse it off/wash it off with soapy water). I also polished and waxed them afterwards for good measure.I know this was a long post but that's what I tried. It's up to you whether you want to risk it and jump straight to the Meg's product. Who knows, maybe P21S will work better for you than it did for me.
I also want to say that I'm not bashing anyone who recommended the other products to me or even the products themselves. I'm only saying that in my situation, those recommendations and products didn't really come through so I ended up doing what I wanted to avoid all along. With that said, I don't plan on using the Meg's cleaner much at all, maybe not ever again, if it's at all possible (just don't want to risk possible damage). I only wanted to get them really clean again so that regular/semiregular upkeep will prevent the rock hard layer of dust from forming again, making it possible for the more conventional cleaning supplies to work. I've been wiping my wheels down every 2 or 3 days to prevent a buildup since these pads dust if you just look at them (counting down to when it's time to change these pads out) so I won't have to resort to the acid again. Because of this, I'm sure that something like P21S would be more than enough to clean the wheels from here on out.
I hope that helps.
EDIT IF YOU'RE JUST SKIPPING TO THE END OF MY RIDICULOUSLY LONG POST: I'd still recommend against harsh chemicals like the WB if you really didn't have to use them.
05-20-2009 | 11:50 PM
#7
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 327
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From: South Bend, IN
Best bet would be this stuff...
NO. 7
I've used it a lot. Just did some nasty Mustang chrome Cobras. If you want to use the acidic cleaner just leave it on for a short period of time and rinse really well. I would also try using a clay bar if none of those work, but I can surely say that the NO. 7 will work. GL
NO. 7
I've used it a lot. Just did some nasty Mustang chrome Cobras. If you want to use the acidic cleaner just leave it on for a short period of time and rinse really well. I would also try using a clay bar if none of those work, but I can surely say that the NO. 7 will work. GL
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