# Spend ages cleaning wheels only to be covered in rust!!!



## chowy (Apr 24, 2006)

Has anyone found a solution to this problem?

Clean wheels taking a lot of time to get in spaces with wheel woolies and clean around every spoke. My wheels have thin black spokes and an open design with silver inner rim.

It's unavoidable to get water on the brake discs so they form a layer of rust and as soon as I drive it all the orange rust just splatters all over the clean wheels rendering them not clean no more! 

If the discs and forming rust is still a bit wet and I drive off slowly pressing the brake pedal gently, I get a splattering usually on the inner rim which wasted efforts cleaning with the wollies so I have to do a second cleaning with the woolies with just water trying not to splash water on discs!

If I leave the discs and rust to dry and drive off then all the rust leaves orange dust covering the spokes and I then have to use a dry micrfibre to go round all the spokes to remove it all!

Either method is a pain as it requires a second clean of some sort...

Anyone found an easier workaround?


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Have you not sealed the wheels?


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## rob3rto (May 23, 2007)

In 20 years of cleaning my cars, I can say hand on heart, NEVER had this happen to me. Yes, brakes get rust spots but that's unavoidable.


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## Bentleya (Aug 21, 2010)

Take your wheels off and give them a good clean, polish and seal. Then stick a black bin bag over the wheels when you wash your car, this way your wheels and discs don't get wet and you shouldn't have the rust problem.


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## Azonto (Jul 22, 2012)

You tried wrapping the discs and calipers with a plastic bag before the wash?


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## onnyuk (Jul 11, 2012)

chowy said:


> I get a splattering usually on the inner rim


I hate when that happens


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## chowy (Apr 24, 2006)

The wheels have been sealed.

I usually clean the wheels first before cleaning the bodywork.

I hose down the wheels with water to get surplus brake dust off first and then go about cleaning the wheels with water/shampoo with the wheel woolies and spokes with a lambswool mitt. When cleaned I then hose off to finish so the rust is already forming on the discs before even starting washing the car body (separate buckets/shampoo)

Thanks for the advice on the covering of the wheels but it doesn't apply here as I'm washing the wheels with water which mostly causes the problem


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## rob_vrs (Jan 4, 2012)

This happened to my car when my wheels were silver however this was solved by having them done black


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

There is a method of doing this, when the cars fully washed and dried plus the wheels as well, take the car for a little spin round the area, and when you arrive back, clean the alloys with a soft cloth, this is a alternative for yourself.

Best to seal the wheels, but every car out there does this, including mine as well.

There is no cure for brake dust, the more you use your car the more debris will be on the wheels, more on the front than the rears.


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## GSD (Feb 6, 2011)

onnyuk said:


> I hate when that happens


Nowt worse :doublesho


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## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

My wheels are sealed with RG Nano Wheel Seal so I just need to wipe them over with QD and a soft MF cloth.

Then all I have to do when washing the car is avoid getting water on the discs which is relatively easy. You could use the bin bag option too.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

I must be the only one who doesnt put any form of sealant on their wheels.
Never needed to, they clean really easily. Plus, Im too lazy to do it :wave:


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## mjn (May 16, 2011)

Just get your alloys powder coated orange, problem solved!


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## VW STEVE. (Mar 18, 2012)

My ED30 wheels do the same.


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## SevenW (Sep 19, 2008)

Oh oh!!!
My wife's B-class rear discs love getting water inbetween the vents and then it spits it out into the wheels, after a drive in the wet the rear wheels look like something has had the 'runs' in there. Luckily I have sealed the wheels since day one and washing it off is pi55 pot easy.
I can't really think of anything to prevent this apart from taking the discs out and pouring a rust inhibitor into the vains.


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## chowy (Apr 24, 2006)

RaceGlazer said:


> My wheels are sealed with RG Nano Wheel Seal so I just need to wipe them over with QD and a soft MF cloth.
> 
> Then all I have to do when washing the car is avoid getting water on the discs which is relatively easy. You could use the bin bag option too.


I guess this perhaps is an alternative solution than using water to wash wheels although I must admit I'd be concerned that you will be marring the wheel surface when rubbing off the brake dust with the QD and MF cloth.

I guess there is no real way round it apart from doing the "double" clean or perhaps get some Ceramic brakes! :doublesho


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## HeavenlyDetail (Sep 22, 2006)

simple , wash car , reverse up and down cleaning discs off then dry wheels with aeolus td901.


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## nogrille (Oct 27, 2005)

chowy said:


> as I drive it all the orange rust just splatters all over the clean wheels rendering them not clean no more!


do you have REALLY cheap discs? In 20 years of driving, I've never seen this happen


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## chowy (Apr 24, 2006)

nogrille said:


> do you have REALLY cheap discs? In 20 years of driving, I've never seen this happen


I wish they were cheap when I need to replace them!


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## Crash Master (Feb 5, 2012)

I hate this too, my RS5 is probably the worst in the worl for this, masses of brake dust and then rust after a clean, as they say the only solution is a quick spin off the drive and then soft wife off, rediculous but hey!


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## chowy (Apr 24, 2006)

HeavenlyDetail said:


> simple , wash car , reverse up and down cleaning discs off then dry wheels with aeolus td901.


Thats one expensive hair dryer! :doublesho


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## bugster (Jan 10, 2006)

I recently fitted some black powder coated wheels to my car and have this problem but afraid the only solution I've found is to basically wash the wheels twice. First a normal wash and dry with a run round the block. Next time I use the car I've noticed even after a short run my wheels look brown with the rust that has come off the discs. I clean the wheels again with a damp sponge without touching the discs again. Luckily my wheels are 5 spoke and can easily do this (might be more difficult with multispoke wheels). finish with a bit of quick detailer. 

I never noticed the problem with my old silver wheels. Not sure I would choose black again as its created this high maintenance problem.


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

porsche are very bad for rusting up fast.. 

the only way to stop it really is either blow dry them when they get wet or take it for a spin to put some heat into them.


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## chowy (Apr 24, 2006)

Found this cropped picture after a wash of the wheel which shows the rust typical after a wash










I have had many cars and I do agree that Porsche ones do seem to rust more after water exposure. All said and done I do remember having similar problems with my BMW's in the past although not as bad.


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## rob3rto (May 23, 2007)

So what happens when you drive it in the rain?


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

when you drive in the rain, the brake pads push the water off the disk, 
and if it's a longer drive you normally get enough heat in them to evaporate any water left when you stop so they don't rust.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

Mine are the same, although the dust isn't usually too bad when using them for the first time after washing.


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