How do you protect your wheels from brake dust? I washed my CW wheels and it was a real PITA to clean them. The buildup on the wheels was very hard (like stone) and I had to use a screwdriver to carefully remove it. No "chemical way" removed it. Should I now wax my wheels, so the wax makes some additional protective layer and the dust from pads will not stay on my wheels? I don't care of some powder that is easily cleanable, but this was really hard stone cooked to my wheels paint.

Here are some pics:

My wheels were dirty as hell




After several washing and aplying of wheel cleaners, there stayed only the dust cooked to my wheels, very hard almost like stone:




I had to use a screwdriver to remove it, it took me about 1 hour per wheel. The front ones were much harder to do:




Now I have to wash also my ITR



So, after several hours of cleaning, I would like to prevent from this. I will track my ITR on these wheels, so if you have any ideas, please write it here.

 

my idea is wash them more often dont let it have time to build up that bad again........ but i never wash the back of my wheels either

 

My CW's were like that, I started washing them more often.

 

I did the same a few hours ago but without removing the wheels ...

It´s hard to keep those Enkei´s clean

 

I still don't understand what makes the dust to cook to the wheels this way. The wheels are not very hot IMO.

 

Were you driving in any rain? If so, then there you go.

BTW sell me your tailights.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by opie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Were you driving in any rain? If so, then there you go.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Of course. The brake dust is getting hard like stone when running in rain?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by opie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">BTW sell me your tailights.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Yes, the brake dust when mixed with water is almost turning to a clay. In most cases the bigger the bite of pads the more dust/crap buildup you will have.

My Axxis Ultimates give off a lot of dust. I went the entire winter without washing my R, and spent about 6 hrs washing it 2 weeks ago just to get it back to ok.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by opie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yes, the brake dust when mixed with water is almost turning to a clay. In most cases the bigger the bite of pads the more dust/crap buildup you will have.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
I see, thanks for explanation

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by opie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My Axxis Ultimates give off a lot of dust. I went the entire winter without washing my R, and spent about 6 hrs washing it 2 weeks ago just to get it back to ok.</TD></TR></TABLE>
What method did you use? Some screwdriver like me?

 

I try to keep screw drivers away from my wheels

I use simple green and water. I spray the wheels down, let them sit and start scrubbing them with the tips of my fingers. Most wheel brushes are too soft to work on the kind of dust buildup that pads like the ones R owners use as daily driver pads give off

 

My dust was really hard as stone. I tried brushes, wood and nothing worked. I had problems even with the screwdriver. The dust was also probably several years old

 

LOL

I dunno man, maybe you should clean your wheels more than once every few years then

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by petrv &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> The dust was also probably several years old </TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah when i got my 96&97 spec jdm itr wheels with my swap they were brake dusted to hell as well...took me forever to clean them bitches up!

 

FYI:
Waxing your wheels after you clean them will make it easier to remove the brake dust next time...

(any automotive grade wax will work - I use carnuba)

 

I know you aren't in US, but the cobalt pads actually do clean off MUCH better than hawks (and stop<U>&gt;</U>). I say this for both street and track, because I've got permenant crap stuck to my track wheels after hawk blues in the rain...I didn't wash them off immediately, so now I've got ganasty looking whells :-P

 

This is the reason why I painted my stock wheels flat black.....
I am using Ferodo DS2500. Sometimes even DS3000.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DutchITR1689 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">This is the reason why I painted my stock wheels flat black.....
I am using Ferodo DS2500. Sometimes even DS3000. </TD></TR></TABLE>
I'm using DS2500 and even they dust like crazy. DS3000 must be hell

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by petrv &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I'm using DS2500 and even they dust like crazy. DS3000 must be hell </TD></TR></TABLE>
Yep, after using DS3000 you'll have to wash the car immediately after the trackday.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cjames235 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">my idea is wash them more often </TD></TR></TABLE> it doesn't take rocket scientist..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DutchITR1689 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yep, after using DS3000 you'll have to wash the car immediately after the trackday.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that would be a very good idea since the DS300 compound is corrosive

 

I love CW ITR wheels but this is one of the reasons I hate them (Dust shows on them to fast).

Good luck on the clean up but please keep the screwdriver off your wheels.

 

This happens because brake dust is kinda hot and when your braking hard your usally driving fast. so the centrifical force compacts the brake dust and with the heat its like making a mold out of metal. Kinda like how they make gears out of powder, heat and pressure.

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1124907

 

Damn...can't believe you used a screwdriver on those things. Before I'd do that, I'd try some very fine steel wool, and lots of degreaser.

 

I used oven cleaner to get them off my old CW's caked with Hawk pad dust.