We have used a lot of different wheel cleaners to clean and remove brake dust from wheels.  Meguiars distributes a product called Meguiars Wheel Brightener D140.  It’s an acid based cleaner that does a good job removing brake dust that has embedded itself in the clear coat of wheels.  While I will say that the product is “good” I do have to be honest to say that I have tested other products that I believe are better.  The object of the wheel cleaner is to spray a cool wheel with the cleaner, let set for about 45 seconds, agitate, then spray of with a garden hose or power washer.  If I had to grade the product I’d give it a B+.  The only negative that I can say about the product is that sometimes it can take two or three applications for all of the brake dust to come off.  To help reduce that, we will discuss a wheel cone brush shown below.  The dilution ratio of the product is 4:1.

 

The photo above shows a wheel from a 2011 BMW 3 series car.  BMWs throw out a lot of brake dust due to their thick brake pads and rotors.  BMWs are known to be quite a bit heavier than cheaper model cars, which adds to the excess amount of brake dust.  Always being very careful not to let the product dwell on the surface too long, simply spray the 4:1 ratio of product on to the wheel.  Let stand for 30 seconds to one minute, then agitate with a soft wheel brush, and spray off preferably with a power washer.  The power washer, with its powerful water blasts, combined with the wheel cleaner, make an excellent team.

 

The wheel cone brush shown above is uniquely designed to fit in tight spaces around the inside of wheels as well as front grills of vehicles.  It features stiff and natural tampico bristles twisted into a stainless, rustproof, wire to give it the capabilities of a thorough cleaning.  It’s perfect for hard to reach areas inside wheels and grills of cars that will not scratch the surface.  This tool along with the Meguiars Wheel Brightener can produce great results as shown below.  Thanks for reading!