# Strong brake dust remover?



## David Herron (Jan 29, 2012)

Hi, I've reciently bought a new 2nd car and have just got round to removing the alloys for a proper clean. 

The face of the alloys were relatively clean but the back barrel was black with brake dust. 

I've so far cleaned with the following products:

Astonish Wheel Cleaner
Autobrite Cherry Wheel Cleaner (non acid) 1:4
Auto finesse Imperial Pro 1:2
Orchard Autocare iron cleanse
White Spirits (to remove tar)
Meg's Clay Bar

The alloy has cleaned up rightly but there's still rough to the touch brake dust on the inside of the alloys, I thought a clay bar would remove it but it was only removing about 5% of it. 

What I want is a heavy duty alloy cleaner. What would you guys recommend for a one off deep clean?


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## s29nta (Mar 9, 2013)

Bilt hamber korrosol sorted mine:thumb:


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

A oneoff, wonder wheels the original version should sort the baked on brake dust be prepared to place some elbow grease and agitation with the product, worked for me when the neighbors wheels next door from his Toyota were baked on, Toyota dealership tried 3 too 4 times to rectify and shift the brake dust and they failed to succeed, they used a high pressure steam cleaner, acid and agitation but did not work, I tried 10 minutes with severe agitation with a brush on 1 wheel and all brake dust was gone he was shocked but it was the force, pressure and speed I was using to shift the grime away, you need time pressure and the product to deliver the results, then seal them afterwards so it makes future easier for yourself.

Goodluck.


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## David Herron (Jan 29, 2012)




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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

The ones I have I done were alot worser than yours, It should be very easy to shift, spray the area with the autofinesse imperial you have work it in with some pressure, then clean the area and spray some iron cleanse and agitation again, then clay bar then polish, but wheel cleaner with one hit will shift that with no issues, even a clay bar will shift that easily.


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## Kash-Jnr (Mar 24, 2013)

Iron-X gel is awesome for really stubborn brake dust patches.


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## David Herron (Jan 29, 2012)

The photo I've uploaded is my result after 1 hours cleaning with the products I've mentioned in my first post. 

I can't shift the last of the brake dust. Clay bar isn't lifting it. Imperial isn't shifting any more. Iron cleanse has stopped bleeding after 2nd application and isn't shifting any more. I'm scrubbing the products with a stiff bristled sausepan brush.


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## David Herron (Jan 29, 2012)

I've just went out and tried another hit of imperial working it vigorously with a microfibre cloth. Nothing. Tried the same with white spirits. Nothing. 

Then I tried some AG paint renovator with a tri foam applicator and it's removing it. It's making a mess of the applicator but it's working.


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## David Herron (Jan 29, 2012)

Got the rotary out and it's sorted the rest of the alloy. 

Only another 3 to go!


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## David Herron (Jan 29, 2012)

s29nta said:


> Bilt hamber korrosol sorted mine:thumb:


Think I'm going to purchase this next when my Orchard Autocare Iron Cleanse runs out.


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## s29nta (Mar 9, 2013)

Earlier in the year I took all my wheels of to attack the insides , bilberry wheel cleaner first then korosol and that really did the business for me. The insides of mine though are smooth where you say you can feel its rough in those areas?


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## Rundie (Oct 2, 2007)

Could it be a rough area as a result of overspray from a smart repair on the wheels? They never seem to mask the inside of the wheel.


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## Guru (Aug 28, 2013)

Mate, to me it just seems a rough patch due to overspray as Rundie mentioned or even more probable - patches of alloy surface abraded or corroded.

If that's the case, you won't be able to shift it with iron removers or wheel cleaners.


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## Ronnie (Nov 15, 2006)

David has the wheel been refurbished as it could be locked under overspray as you have been at it pretty vigerously. if you are near OCD-hq at all I could do a wee test with our new Iron Cleans that should shif it also I have a sneeky supply of my own acid cleaner I made for myself for really bad jobs. I dont give it out but if your about I will do it for you.


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## justinio (Jun 24, 2013)

Here's a before and after of one of my winter wheels before they went on.

Wonder wheels U first, then Iron x, then a quick hit with steam. Still not perfect but not bad


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## Andrew Goacher (Dec 27, 2012)

Kash-Jnr said:


> Iron-X gel is awesome for really stubborn brake dust patches.


+1 for this


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Its either as mentioned actually under the lacquer or it needs some acid.

They certainly look a darn site better than a lot of them with baked on dust.

Most have peeling paint.

*Autosmart do ali i think is there strong acid stuff, but the original wonder wheels is easy to get hold of in small amount.

A test a while back...
*

*Ok Folks... while cleaning my good lady's car, i got a phone call to tell me i was not needed in work that day.....:wall: Just had another today saying you know we said you would be in the rest of the week, well they say not today but then rest of the week yeah Right.....:wall:

The Pleasure of been an agency worker......:wall:

So Did a wash mit test and cleaned my car and then decided the wheels i got from a dismantlers need a clean ill have a bit of a test on them.....:lol:

As You Do....

So Wheels...










Think this one needs some filling for refurb.....:lol:










Anyways the wheel backs...










Some have some peeled paint from the spoke backs so please focus more on the dish of the rim for cleaning purposes please in your viewing of the pics...

So Typical of the wheel grime in this one...










So we know there are a lot of good products for wheel cleaning as in the face of the alloy and a suitably sealed wheel can be cleaned with just a shampoo solution all dependent on contamination.... Yadda... Yadda....

But Wheel backs can be neglected for decades and are more likely to have loads of contamination from brake dust etc..

So lets get rolling.... All wheels were sprayed or spread with the wheel cleaner agitated with an Envy type brush and rinsed only with the mains pressure through the garden hose....

So a pair done...

The Right hand one with Very Cherry non Acid Wheel Cleaner... @ 1 to 10 product to water.

Left Wheel with Surfex HD @ 1 to 10 Product to water...










Again focus on the Dish Here not the Centres please...

Ok lets try one of these wheels 50/50 ... so starting wheel...










Now G101 left hand and Surfex HD Right Hand Both @ 1 to 10 Mix...










In this instance the G101 Cleaned a little better although the Surfex i find Superb as a De Greaser...

Now Some Mer Alloy Wheel Cleaner on Minging Wheel...

So Before application...










After Application and Rinse Off...










Remember the 50/50 wheel???










So this time some Maxolen Fallout Remover... So after Rinsing.....










Now somethings here i would not normally use as a wheel cleaner in the same respect i would not imagine using the Maxolen however majority of the wheel contamination will be Fallout from the brake pads... Could these 2 products possibly do the trick....

So Iron Cleanse V Iron-X again....:lol:

These again applied to partially cleaned wheels i only have so many wheels here to test on....:lol:










These were dispensed from there respective bottles and what i feared did happen as the Iron Cleanse is from a sample bottle with pants atomiser type pump the density of the liquid and delivery system hampers its ability...










You may not tell in the pic but after rinsing seamed to remove slightly less with the iron Cleanse, suspected as much at the application stage only due to how it was been laid down.

So test on another this time both the Iron Cleanse and the Iron-X dispensed from the same type of head as is on the Iron-X Bottle much better delivery and spread from the Iron Cleanse... in both the tests of the Iron Cleanse and Iron-X they had been left for between 3 and 5 minutes... as from other tests i have done the run is slower on the Iron Cleanse and so Clings longer...

So Sprayed on...










Agitated and rinsed off again always done with just cold mains pressure through the garden hose...










Now how about trying some Autosmart Tardis???? HHHmmmm

Well lets see....

Tardis test wheel Minging...










Applied and agitated and rinsed off...Yes recycling bin contents come in handy....:lol:










Now what shall we have a bash with now..??? I Know....

I Know Bilberry @ 1 to 10 Ratio....

So Minging Wheels... (not the Detailing World Member)...:lol:










Applied Agitated and Hose rinsed...










Now an old Boy Product Now....

Wonder Wheels... The original version not the Wonder wheels U... the original version is not recommended for damaged or polished alloy..

So onto what bilberry had left i think...










Agitated and rinsed...










HHHHMMMM im liking that result....

Lets try again...










Agitated and rinsed once more...










Right i am liking the speed of removal of contamination with that, it may be acid but gets the job done fast then just keep ontop of the wheels....
So off to do all the wheels with it....

I know they need some more cleaning but...










So from...










To This... at the point that time and light issues stopped play...










Faced with the same condition wheels again i know what ill reach for... that is until i can find something just as good or better....

Thank you all as ever for viewing...:wave:*


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## ottostein (Sep 11, 2012)

Ali shine by Autosmart. i think its the strongest stuff they do!

if you decide to get this then for the love of god do it in a well ventilated area and use a facemask.


Its an acid!


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## Sheep (Mar 20, 2009)

It's at this point I would resort to Acid. Keep it on the area you need to clean only and hit it with degreaser/apc right after to neutralize it.


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## Matty77 (Nov 7, 2012)

s29nta said:


> Bilt hamber korrosol sorted mine:thumb:


Yeah, for brake dust this works as good as any imo


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