[bah14]

Originally Posted by ValvetrainEngineer

The P21S removed some of the caked on stuff, but not all. I actually hit them twice with a clean / rinse / soak for a few hours / scrub... The spots that are left just don't want to budge.

that's a total bummer. something i noticed with my original STi is that if i left any brake dust on in b/t washes, it was exponentially harder to clean off the 2nd time around.

I'm trying to avoid this with the new STi. Live and learn, i guess.

[Joey-D]

Could give these a try.


quote from the site "As standard brake pads wear, brake dust is released as the friction material wears in everyday braking. Hawk Performance HPS brake pads are formulated to run cleaner and release extremely low levels of dust in normal street driving."

<a href="http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/brakes.jsp?autoMake=Subaru&autoModel=Impreza+WRX+S TI&autoYear=2004&autoModClar=&make=Hawk&model=HPS+ Street+brake+pads&perfCode=S" style="text-decoration: none">TireRack</a>

A friend has them and I'm still stock you notice a big difference even after a 475 mile trip mine get dirtier just driving from home and to work in two days.

[smurfm3]

yeah, it's the pads. they dust like crazy.
I'm gonna try Hawk HPS soon.

[Whitford]

Originally Posted by BoostJunkie

try P21S gel cleaner, spray down your wheels when they are dry (and cool) and let them sit for an hour or so in the shade. then spray a little water on them, clean with a kitchen sponge, and hose them off. you could also try using a bug sponge/dobie pad, I have found this to remove some of the stubborn chunks of brake dust without harming the finish. and when you're done, do yourself a favor and use either klasse or rejex on your wheels, it will make cleaning a whole lot easier in the future.

Ok I'll give it a shot. Thanks !

[bah14]

great suggestion

[rodent]

My new SSR wheels rarely ever need cleaning. Unlike my stock BBS wheels. They'd get caked with brake dust after one day of driving and were a PITA to clean. Getting new Hawk pads this week just because the stockers are getting down on wear.

[evilrazor]

They sell a wheel cleaner at wal-mart (dont rember the name off hand) but I just spray it on and then wash it off with water...its almost 2 easy

[MountaineerSTi]

Originally Posted by BoostJunkie

try P21S gel cleaner, spray down your wheels when they are dry (and cool) and let them sit for an hour or so in the shade. then spray a little water on them, clean with a kitchen sponge, and hose them off. you could also try using a bug sponge/dobie pad, I have found this to remove some of the stubborn chunks of brake dust without harming the finish. and when you're done, do yourself a favor and use either klasse or rejex on your wheels, it will make cleaning a whole lot easier in the future.

Where can I find these products? I stopped by my AutoZone but didnt see any of it.

Any help is appreciated.

[Titleist71]

Simple Green makes a unfinished aluminum cleaner which is safe for all surfaces. That stuff works awesome. Spray on, let sit and rinse off. Works awesome on the engine bay too!!

[bah14]

yeppers .. great for engines.

[AndyH]

Originally Posted by evilrazor

They sell a wheel cleaner at wal-mart (dont rember the name off hand) but I just spray it on and then wash it off with water...its almost 2 easy

Be careful of some of the wheel cleaners out there, as some contain acid that can permanently damage the finish of your wheels.

Good tech article titled "How to Properly Care for your Cars Wheels" here:
http://www.carcareonline.com/viewarticle.aspx?art=15

Originally Posted by MountaineerSTi

Where can I find these products? I stopped by my AutoZone but didnt see any of it.

P21S Wheel Cleaners:
http://www.autogeek.net/p2wheelclean.html

Klasse All-In-One:
http://www.autogeek.net/klalpo.html

I'd also recommend either the Detailer's Choice Brake Dust Remover:
http://www.carcareonline.com/detail....oduct_id=17629

Or the Wheel Scrubber Brushes from Griot's Garage:
http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?&SKU=15220

I've used the Detailer's Choice brushes on my old Audi S4 and also on my STi. They work great for cleaning the inside surfaces of the wheels. I just purchased the Griot's Garage brushes, haven't tried them yet but they are similar to the Detailer's Choice brushes so they should work well too.

[Whitford]

Originally Posted by MountaineerSTi

Where can I find these products? I stopped by my AutoZone but didnt see any of it.

Any help is appreciated.

I second that...Where can we find this?

Oh nevermind..

[shftat6]

At the very least keep your wheels waxed (after all they are painted) which will help protect them from the brake dust (corrosive) and make cleaning easier.

[bah14]

rejex does this really well for me.


Nick, now what do you plant to use?

[bah14]

that's prolly your best bet.... i only used rejex b/c i sometimes don't get around to the weekely cleaning ... the shine is nice too, but i'm mostly just lazy :-(