Wheel cleaning

Recently my rear brakes went bad on me and since I was at school I was not in a position to repair it as quickly as I would have liked. Anyway, the dust from the rotors being ground on got on the wheels and eventually turned to to like a rust coating. (I know, they were bad for quite and while and I should have tried to clean the wheel everyday but it was very cold and snowing all the time) So now I have to clean off the wheel and everything I've tried has worked but not that well. I'm just wondering if anyone has delt with this and knows some secret formula for disolving this crap or something. By the way the finish is ok under the rust, I was worried about that too, and the wheels are 10 spoke SS.

I had to deal with that crap once when I had my '02 with chrome wheels. It was my only car and I had to drive it through the winter. After about 2 months of it being too cold to do any washing/cleanup I had the same problem, rusty looking chrome. Tried a few things but only this stuff called "Hot Wheels" I think was made my Meguiars worked really well. It took about 3 seperate cleaning sessions to get the wheels looking good again. Be warned it is very strong stuff and will damage the clearcote if you're not careful.

I don't know about the rust, but there is this stuff they sell at AutoZ*ne. It comes in a Orange spray bottle. It's not any kind of orange citrus thing, I think it's Eagle One brand. Just spray on and hose off. ALL of the brake dust floats off, it dosn't dammage the whell finish or the clear coat. I'll use about a half a bottle for one wash. Mabie try the Mag Wheel cleaner. It's a paste. :confused: Good luck, though.

---Don't want to clog up space but I just thought of something.--- TRY--Eagle One Never Dull. It works AWESOME on chrome, it's a wadding polish, looks like cotton. Actuall eats away rust and leaves chrome looking like NEW. Don't use on paint, leaves swirl marks. Takes tree sap off, though.

I probabally should have specified the finish, I don't have chrome so the pastes and stuff probabally won't work but thanks for the input anyway. I might have to try that first one, I've been concidering just buying some random wheel cleaner and going at it but I've run across alot of crap cleaners so I was hesitent to start blowing money. Thanks again for the input.

Get eagle one, I tried a couple other brands and didn't like them. Simple Green was OK, but eagle one was the best by far.

Is this a chromed alumium wheel, a polished aluminum wheel, clearcoated polished aluminum, or what?

I use Eagle One A2Z all wheel cleaner on my painted alloy rims. Get a nylon bristle wheel brush (I Have a big blue one that works perfectly) and spray the wheel with the cleaner and use elbow grease, then rinse. The wheels will be spotless. Then dry the wheels and wax them (or use zoopseal for polished non-coated wheels). Don't let the cleaner be on there for more than 30 seconds, though - spray it on quick, let it soak for a few seconds, then get to work with the brush, then rinse it off. Then go to the next wheel, repeat. The eagle one cleaner is also good for cleaning tires and wheel wells.

Another big thumbs up for Eagle One. :thumb: Don't just go out an grab any wheel cleaner. If you grab the wrong one you can SERIOUSLY F-up your wheels! I did on the Firebird. Pay attention to what the finish is of your wheel, like 'kefkafloyd' above me said. If it's clearcoated, getting TOO abrasive a cleaner will turn the clear finish into a white haze....

Mabie try some 409 and a brush.. :confused: I'm out of ideas as to getting rust off.

I probabally should have specified the finish, I don't have chrome so the pastes and stuff probabally won't work but thanks for the input anyway. I might have to try that first one, I've been concidering just buying some random wheel cleaner and going at it but I've run across alot of crap cleaners so I was hesitent to start blowing money. Thanks again for the input.

So you have the Painted 10 spokes? Use a claybar on them before using some harsh wheel cleaner. It should do the trick.

Flitz it!

Dude, I've got a 30th Z. That means white wheels. I've owned & cleaned it since 98.

NOTHING BEATS EAGLE-ONE A-2-Z. Nothing. Just don't spray it on hot rims. Bad, bad, deal to bake it on.

If you're running OE brake pads- I use performance friction pads from autozone. The dust is WAY easier to clean, only turns black (no rust), and the stuff that accumulates on the top of my back bumper isn't as metallic and scratchy. Good luck!