Planet 9

**Vet4scuba** · #1 05-11-2009, 11:10 AM

Hi
Anyone tried spraying Dawn 50/50 on wheels to help clean brake dust>
Have tried simple green 50/50 not impressed.
Thanks
Joe Parisi Salem Ma

AlexMcNabb · #2 05-11-2009, 11:25 PM

You should've seen the insides of my wheels. I had them off tonight while installing camber plates, and my God they were nasty! I'm surprised I have so much pad left.

**Chris(NJ)** · #3 05-12-2009, 09:32 AM

Ive never used dawn, just regular auto shampoo. If you're having a lot of problems w/ brake dust, try to get a sealant on the rims to help make cleaning them easier. It really does work quite well. If you prefer not too, a wheel cleaner can certainly help make things easier

***Stephen_the_Red*** · #4 05-12-2009, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Vet4scuba

Hi
Anyone tried spraying Dawn 50/50 on wheels to help clean brake dust>
Have tried simple green 50/50 not impressed.
Thanks
Joe Parisi Salem Ma

I think some other posters have warned that Simple Green is NOT so good for the wheels. I've been using Sonus' Rim Bright. Still have to brush but not apply any real pressure.

I don't have a jack (yet) and don't have a big flat driveway, so haven't gone that extra mile in removing the wheels, cleaning and waxing them. Only had the car a month, already washed it twice, wheels three times. Starting to think...

**fondueski** · #5 05-12-2009, 08:31 PM

Clean them thoroughly, apply wheel wax, and smile.

**Santa Fe** · #6 05-12-2009, 08:32 PM

I've used 50/50 Simple Green and water for years. No problems. If someone wants a spray on cleaner that removes all brake dust without some arm grease then that ranks up there with magical beans.

**gfspencer** · #7 05-13-2009, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by fondueski

Clean them thoroughly, apply wheel wax, and smile.

Wheel Wax is great. ("Wheel Wax" is a brand name.)

I avoid washing my wheels because water just makes the disks rust and then you have to get rid of the rust dust. It's a vicious circle.

Clean your wheels. (Take them off the car to do it.) Apply two coats of Wheel Wax. Put them back on the car.

When your wheels get dirty - with brake dust - or any other kind of dirt - while they are still dry - clean them with a California Mini-duster. (The blacker the duster gets, the better it cleans.) If the duster won't reach a spot rotate your wheels a quarter turn. Keep a flashlight handy to check your progress.

No mess. No water. Clean wheels.

**SY987CS** · #8 05-13-2009, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by gfspencer

No mess. No water. Clean wheels.

My method is similar to the post above, using Wheel Wax.

After every three or four drives I clean the wheels with paper towel sprayed with a mixture of mostly water and a few drops of car wash soap. If you clean them regularly the dust comes off very quickly and easily.

Dawn works great for cleaning but will remove any wax on the wheels.

911C2 · #9 05-20-2009, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by Vet4scuba

Hi
Anyone tried spraying Dawn 50/50 on wheels to help clean brake dust>
Have tried simple green 50/50 not impressed.
Thanks
Joe Parisi Salem Ma

Joe, are you using a wheel brush to aggitate the cleaning solution? it shouldn't take a very strong cleaner solution to get most/all the brake dust off (assuming the wheel wax or sealant hasn't been stripped).

If the wheels don't get clean with a wheel brush and something like P21S wheel cleaner, then maybe it needs a clay bar and detail spray to bring it back to like-new.. followed by an application of wheel wax or sealant. These instructions don't apply to polished metal wheels.. I'm assuming you have painted wheels like most others.