Brake dust repellent....Does it exist??

TrackAire

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Has anybody tried the ArmorAll or equivalent product that is suppose to make brake dust not stick to the wheels as much and wash off easier?

Armorall claims the product works up to 4 weeks....that doesn't sound like a very long coating of protection to me.

Wifes ML550 coats the fronts in about 4 days of soccer mom driving :dunno:...car has about 5000 miles on it now and still seems to be producing just as much brake dust.

Any real world input would be appreciated.

Cheers,
George
 
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Just use an old California Car Duster on the wheels when they cool every couple times out, dust is very corrosive unless you are running the Carbotech pads (the only ones without corrosive dust).
 
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TrackAire

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The outside of the rim is easy to clean and I have a long pipe cleaner type brush to get inside of the rim. With the giant gaps in the wheel between the spokes, you can see the dust from a mile away.

I'm just wondering if there is a chemical or product that will allow the dust to not stick or wash off very easily?

I've heard of "wheel wax", has anybody tried it and found it to keep the dust from sticking as much?

Cheers,
George
 

vpower01

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Has anybody tried the ArmorAll or equivalent product that is suppose to make brake dust not stick to the wheels as much and wash off easier?

Armorall claims the product works up to 4 weeks....that doesn't sound like a very long coating of protection to me.

Wifes ML550 coats the fronts in about 4 days of soccer mom driving :dunno:...car has about 5000 miles on it now and still seems to be producing just as much brake dust.

Any real world input would be appreciated.

Cheers,
George

I would just try the Armor all.
Also try EBC green pads next brake change it will cut the dust in half.
 

CitySnake

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Jon B sells wheel wax, which I use every so often when I wash the car. After the application, which is pretty easy, most all the brake dust come off with just a hard rinse and the little that remains comes off with an easy wipe.

Great stuff, easy to apply and inexpensive.
 

Lee00blacksilverGTS

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Just keep them waxed well and the dust will come right off with a duster. My choice has always been Zaino. But any wax would probably work. If you are lucky enough to stay out of the rain the Zaino will keep working for years if you do the two or three product sealing. I give it a touch up spray with Z6 once a year, takes 5 minutes. It is stupid simple with the duster. DO NOT use the same duster on the body of the car, have a dedicated wheel duster.
 

Ratical2

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Has anybody tried the ArmorAll or equivalent product that is suppose to make brake dust not stick to the wheels as much and wash off easier?

Armorall claims the product works up to 4 weeks....that doesn't sound like a very long coating of protection to me.

Wifes ML550 coats the fronts in about 4 days of soccer mom driving :dunno:...car has about 5000 miles on it now and still seems to be producing just as much brake dust.

Any real world input would be appreciated.

Cheers,
George

One of my coworkers was singing praises of this product to me just last week. She liked it so much she was going to buy me a bottle. I don't remember for how long it last and will ask her tomorrow.
 

thompsonracing

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I always give my wheels a coat of Adam's Machine Super Wax because they are powder coated. I use Adam's Brilliant Glaze on Chrome wheels and it keeps the brake dust from sticking and adds "bling" to the chrome.

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I use the Turbo Stick to clean the inside of the Wheels. Works great and saves knuckles!

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I can do some good deals, email me: [email protected]
 
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TrackAire

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I always give my wheels a coat of Adam's Machine Super Wax because they are powder coated. I use Adam's Brilliant Glaze on Chrome wheels and it keeps the brake dust from sticking and adds "bling" to the chrome.

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I use the Turbo Stick to clean the inside of the Wheels. Works great and saves knuckles!

You must be registered for see images


I can do some good deals, email me: [email protected]

Eric,

I don't have a turbo stick yet, I'll call you and order some goodies.

The ArmorAll wheel stuff does put a slightly duller finish on the rim, but I do wonder what it does to the calipers/pads/rotors? :dunno: I haven't tried it yet, might try it on one of our work trucks to see what it does. For me it's not the face of the rim thats the problem (easy to clean), it's the hard to reach inner wheel barrel with big discs and calipers in the way.

I don't have a problem taking the wheels off to give them a good coat of wax, but the Mercedes seems to put out a ton of dust very quickly so something that allows it to be washed/brushed off easy would be nice.

Cheers,
George
 

Ratical2

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Sorry George, My coworker was home sick today so I was unable to ask her how long the Armorall last.
 

JGarrett

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Brake dust is wonderful! It means your brakes are working! Pads are meant to be sacrificial.Pads that don't put out dust, (one of which was mentioned here) and are heavily advertised don't do the primary job; stopping the car! Waxes or coatings are fine as the dust may come off easier, but it will still be there. You will still need to wash/clean the wheels. I look at cleaning the wheels as a small price to pay for having a great car and driving it the way it was meant to be driven.

Cheers,
Jim
 

Junkman2008

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Just keep them waxed well and the dust will come right off with a duster. My choice has always been Zaino. But any wax would probably work.

Sal Zaino would beat you with a broom for calling his "polish" a wax. His terminology is a little different from the norm. :D

Brake dust is wonderful! It means your brakes are working! Pads are meant to be sacrificial.Pads that don't put out dust, (one of which was mentioned here) and are heavily advertised don't do the primary job; stopping the car!

I would have to respectfully disagree with this. I use the Wagner Thermo Quiet pads and rotors and they create ZERO dust. None, whatsoever. I have used them on the big oval in Atlanta for the last three years and as you can see that in my videos, I had no trouble stopping the car whenever I ran up behind the slow pokes. Dusty pads are known to have better stopping distances but don't underestimate the non-dust producing ones. :2tu:

I also agree with those here who say that waxing the wheels is is a effective way to control brake dust (I use to use that method before going with the pads I now use), but the most effective way to control it (and the associated pitting and etching that brake dust can do), is to wash them frequently. The power stick that Eric posted is a must have as it makes cleaning the barrels so much easier. Sticking your hand into the barrels and busting up your knuckles is for the birds! :crazy2:
 

Kala

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Jon B sells wheel wax, which I use every so often when I wash the car. After the application, which is pretty easy, most all the brake dust come off with just a hard rinse and the little that remains comes off with an easy wipe.

Great stuff, easy to apply and inexpensive.


Big Brakes Dave used to sell this stuff. He said it was the best he ever used. :headbang:

RIP Dave :crying: :sadpace: :hug:
 
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TrackAire

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Yesterday was rotate the tires and clean the wheels day. I used a sealant I had to put at least something on the barrels. I will order up some of the wheel wax and try that for the cleaning/rotation.

Junkman and others, do you think that the off the shelf wheel cleaners (like Megs all wheel cleaner) will strip the wax off the rim? When cleaning the rims, do you just use car wash shampoo or some other chemical?

The AMG wheels and tire combo on the ML's are damn heavy...way heavier than I expected. I did find out the rims are made in Germany by Ronal...they're 20" x 8" & tires are 265-45-20 Continental 4x4 Contacts. I'll weigh the combo next week, but I bet its close to 70 lbs.

Biggest PIA is that Mercedes uses wheel bolts and not hub studs. Even with a locating dowel stud that comes with the car they are a pain to get back on. What is the advantage of wheel bolts instead of studs coming out of the hub??? :dunno:

Cheers,
George
 

thompsonracing

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I use Adam's Green Wheel Cleaner and Car Wash Shampoo on the wheels. The GWC is safer than the All Purpose Cleaner.

MY VW had wheel bolts and Actually lost a wheel due to a bolt breaking. One thing the Germans screwed up. You won't see bolts on a Porsche.

I forget where I got them, but I got bolt in studs for my VW. Search online, makes putting wheels on and off easier.
 

Junkman2008

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My wheels stay so clean that I just use the Adam's Car Shampoo on my wheels. Like I said before, I have zero brake dust.
 

Slithr

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Jon B sells wheel wax, which I use every so often when I wash the car. After the application, which is pretty easy, most all the brake dust come off with just a hard rinse and the little that remains comes off with an easy wipe.

Great stuff, easy to apply and inexpensive.

I contacted JonB about above mentioned wheel wax, he said that he doesn't sell wax products. He referred me to Griot's wheel wax as the product folks are talking about here, and said it works great? I haven't tried it yet, but might.
 

CitySnake

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Well ..... now you have me thinking he likes you better :dunno: You have been a member much longer :2tu: I just might have to buy that direct, thank you for the link.

LOL. I SERIOUSLY doubt that. Could be that my recall is a bit skewed too. :D

Anyway, I bought 2 tubs. Might have been about $35 for both? Wash your wheels, rub the stuff in, let it dry and wipe off the residue.

Pretty cool the next time you wash when all the dust comes off with ease. Been nearly 2 years and I'm just finishing up the first tub ... but I'm pretty lazy. ;)
 

JonB

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For the record:

Slither, I DO like City Snake better..............[ but I wont say better than what !]

I also have never bought or sold that wax product, but I deeply appreciate City's referral! I have tried the Griots because it came in a gift-pack.... I did a front-wheel half and half, and did a track day.

It worked for about half a day, looked better, but the dust won out. In street driving it works much better and longer.

Dedicated Calif Car Duster is the way to go, even 10-years old dirty.
 

Kala

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Big Brakes Dave had a wheel wax that he used, he said it was hands down the sh*t.

I figured since JonB was selling Dave's brakes he also sold the wheel wax... Here's what Dave liked found it on his website!

Viper Wheel Wax


Smilies for Dave :2tu::headbang::beer::naughty::dance:
 

CitySnake

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Big Brakes Dave had a wheel wax that he used, he said it was hands down the sh*t.

I figured since JonB was selling Dave's brakes he also sold the wheel wax... Here's what Dave liked found it on his website!

Viper Wheel Wax


Smilies for Dave :2tu::headbang::beer::naughty::dance:

BINGO! I bought it from BB Dave (Miss Ya Buddy). That's the same stuff. Sorry for my poor memory :doh2:.
 

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