New wheels coming this week, is there any kind of wax or protectant i can put on them to keep them fresh-n-clean. i'd at least like to have the rediculous brake dust wash off with a hose. TIA

 

any type of wax will work fine. i just use what ever cheep wax i have around

 

Wheel surface Cleaning:[/b]
Clean, properly conditioned wheels, tyres and fender wells greatly enhance the overall appearance of your vehicle. Today's wheels come in a variety of materials and finishes. Clean one wheel at a time, wash wheels and wheel-wells before the rest of the vehicle to avoid dirt and etc. coming into contact to newly washed surfaces. Product labels that say to apply "only to cool, dry wheels" are potentially reactive with metal, and are therefore potentially unsafe on certain types of wheels.

It is important to keep wheel surfaces clean, as well as improving the overall look of the vehicle leaving them dirty can have many adverse effects; the black powder coating on the surface of your wheel has four components; a static friction charge (caused by the pads contact with the rotors) that attracts dirt, road tar and other contaminants kicked up by both your vehicle and others. Friction heats the pads and callipers to extremely high temperatures, and causes tiny particles of hot metal to wear off and sent flying in different directions.

Many of these hot metal particles land on your rim and literally fuse themselves to the surface. Finally there is brake pad adhesive, modern brake pads are complex compounds of metals, synthetic materials and adhesives (the binder system) which is designed to wear away under friction like the rest of the pad. The adhesives used in brake pads can be very difficult to remove and they are also corrosive and will etch the wheel surface, the metal particles from the pads and rotors will become a conduit for rust compromising the paint surface of your wheel.

Most wheel cleaners still rely on harsh acidic (low pH) formulas to break up dirt and grime, but it eats through the clear coat on alloy wheels. Use a wheel cleaner that does not contain aggressive acids or alkaline

-Wash surface with car wash concentrate and water
-Road dirt / tar / brake pad adhesive should be removed with a solvent type cleaner (Stoner’s Tarminator ™ ) and any bonded contaminants or over spray removed with Detailer's Clay
-Then clean surface with a chemical cleaner / polish (Klasse All-In-One) wash and dry wheel surface thoroughly.
-Once the brake dust has been removed with a 100% acid-free wheel cleaner (P21S Wheel Cleaner; Gel Red for heavily stained or Green regular for light staining) apply a citrus based cleaner (P21S Total Auto Wash) to the surface, agitate with a boar’s hair wheel brush and rinse off
-Dry thoroughly and then apply a polymer sealant for protection, this will also make future cleaning easier. A polymer is recommended (Klasse All-In-One or Zoopseal)as it has a higher melting temperature (350oF) compared to Carnauba wax (180oF) a wheel surface will reach a temperature in excess of 120oF due to rotor friction and in excess of 195oF when parked in the sun.

Stubborn brake dust- Power Wheel Cleaner (http://www.topoftheline.com/) even though it does not contain harsh acids, it dissolves the adhesive that is mixed with the brake dust. (This is why brake dust is so difficult to remove.) Just spray on wheels and tires, agitate with brush if needed, and hose-off. Don't worry if you accidentally spray your vehicle's body, it will not harm the paint.

Periodically remove the wheels (one at a time) to enable the back of the wheel, callipers and give better access to the wheel wells. Should the wheel surface have small scratches they can he removed with a mildly abrasive polish. The inner rims are usually unfinished aluminium, remove any road tar with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or a solvent cleaner (Stoner™ Tarminator) and then use detailer’s clay to remove any surface / imbedded contaminates.

Dependant upon there condition clean with P21S Total Auto Wash and then spray P21S Wheel Cleaner (Regular or Gel) (http://www.autogeek.net) allow to dwell for five to ten minutes (5-10) and then use a stream of clean water to remove residue.

If this doesn’t remove the imbedded brake dust (sequestered brake dust will etch aluminium over time) the surface will need to be levelled using fine grade (2000/2500/3000) Nikken finishing papers and a block.

Apply a protective product, a polymer is recommended (Klasse All-In-One or ZoopSeal) (http://www.autogeek.net) as it has a higher melting temperature (350oF+) compared to Carnauba wax (185oF+/- ) as a wheel surface will reach a temperature in excess of 120oF due to rotor friction and in excess of 195oF when parked in the sun.
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Caution- avoid metal polishing products that contain anhydrous ammonia, solvents or acids, or zinc, which is often present in aluminium in large quantities, as it can be dissolved very easily by ammonia, the related anhydrous chemicals and acids. Avoid wheel cleaners that contain Hydrofluoric acid, Oxalic, or strong mixes of Sulfuric / Phosphoric acids.

Wheel Detailing Brush:[/b]
This non-scratch, very flexible, E-Z Detail Brush is 18 inches long, 4-1/2 inches in diameter and is super-soft with Nylex bristles, a material that combines the softness of a natural bristle with the strength of nylon. There's a vinyl tip bonded to the top of the brush and a knuckle guard on the handle but the most impressive feature of this brush is the flexible, inner core. This vinyl-coated wire core will bend in every imaginable direction which allows the brush to get into areas where few other brushes can reach. http://www.properautocare.com/ezdetailbrush.html

 

or buy a brake dust shield........http://www.gunsmoke.com/cars/540i/br...es/shields.jpg

 

The only product that I use on my wheels is Poorboy's Wheel Sealant. This provides a barrier of protection that is designed specifically to withstand brake dust from accumulating on your wheels. It makes cleaning your wheels a breeze with just soap and water during the wash phase, so you are not using harsh chemicals on your wheels which can ultimately oxidize and fade the finish.

 

I have used every product available on the market, and tried all the tips/tricks offered, except the one published by AudiJP98....and believe me, none of them works. You have to clean every two weeks. Though, I have heard that putting ceramic break pads keeps them clean, cause the brake dust in that case is light gray(instead of black), so you can actually go well without cleaning for a month.

 

I just make sure to regularly apply some nice tire shine spray (eagle one, armor all)as well as a nice wheel cleaner that won't damage your crhome (read the bottle to be sure). It's done wonders for my car so far. Makes the car look gorgeous day and night.