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Removing brake dust?

11K views 24 replies 10 participants last post by  Bandit4077 
#1 ·
I have a chunk of buildup of brake dust on my front wheels. It is baked on to the wheel.

I had someone tell me with an abrasive compound and a toothbrush, I can get maybe 75% of it off with a lot of time and patience.
Another person told me, there is a heavy duty acetone, that you put on the brake dust, and it scrubs right off with a tooth brush. Acetone sounds dangerous for paint to me.

Any insights?

My 2nd option would be to plasti-dip my wheels to cover up the nasty brake dust. Would the brake dust affect the outcome of the look of the wheels after being pasti-dipped?
 
#5 · (Edited)
Sonax Full Effect does a good job. Megs Wheel Brightner is an acid based one so be careful with that. If it doesn't get it all off the first time, reapply it a couple more times. If those don't work, try to clay it off. If that doesn't work, get a microfiber towel and some aggressive compound and buff it off. It will take a while to get it all out by hand with compound so don't get discouraged.

Your other option is to wet sand the area with some 1000-1500 grit paper, then 2000 grit paper, and then buff it off with compound and polish. Use this as a last resort though.

Before and afters for example:
http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/796750-sonax-wheel-cleaner/
 
#6 ·
Well, the person who told me about the abrasive compound and toothbrush, also said that sonax will NOT get this off. This brake dust is baked on hard.

The before/after you sent, is not what I have. What that picture shows me, is someone with a couple day of brake dust that came off with chemicals. Brake dust comes off with soap and water. Baked on/Build up of brake dust, is what my wheels have.
 
#12 ·
I think I would do the following:

1. Spray the Sonax and let it pool at the bottom in as large an area as you can.
2. After letting it sit for twice as long as the recommended time (I think the recommended is like 3-5 minutes), agitate it with a toothbrush
3. Let it sit again for a few minutes and agitate it again
4. Rinse
5. Turn the wheel so you can get another area where the Sonax can pool and sit and repeat 1-4

Let us know how it turns out. :thumbsup:
 
#15 ·
Iron X and Iron X gel. It is basically a stronger version of Sonax, made not for regular wheel cleaning but removing baked on contamination without removing the finish. I think if you hit that area with a toothbrush and metal polish the finish would start to come off.

Detailed Image and Autogeek sell it. The gel will stay in the area for longer, the Iron X spray will hit the whole wheel. Sonax is good for maintenance.
 
#18 · (Edited)
#19 ·
That was me- and it was because I did it on the outside of the wheels first, but didn't think to take pictures. The gel will work if you just have those spots- it is more concentrated and sticks better. The spray will be a better fit if the majority of the wheel is covered in brake dust staining.
 
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