Cleaning only the rims

I

imported_Greg

New member
I have a 2002 BMW 325i SP. There are times when I just want to clean the rims, and not the entire car. What's the best method to accomplish this? QD and a shop towel? Windex? Dust-Buster? I have also been using P21s on the rims when I wash the entire car. It's makes the job really easy, but I'm concerned about the long terms effects on the rims and brakes. I'm sure it also removes all the Zaino on the rims. Any ideas?
 
If my rims arent that dirty, maybe just a little brake dust I will use a cotton towel (no MF for this job) and some QD and wipe the dust off.



If they are dirty, with enough brake dust that you can see I always just wash them with soap and water, and usually end up washing the whole car.



Be careful about what you do to dry wash them because your rims are painted too, just like the car. Brake dust is VERY abrassive and if not removed properly it can scratch. Also, if its not removed often enough it will begin to stain the wheels finish.



Hope this helps.
 
Try spraying the wheel cleaner on the wheel, then slowly pouring a bucket of water on the wheel, from the top down.



I do this 2-3X a week, and it keeps the wheels clean without getting the rest of the car wet.



Dry afterwards, and you're done. It takes less than 10 minutes to do all 4.
 
Alan, I have 2002 325XI so I feel your pain. The brake dust is horrible. I wipe down my rims daily with QD and a cotton rag. It helps prevent the dust from building up too much in between washes. One of the reasons I switched to after market rims was the spokes on the OEM's were tough to really wipe down without washing.
 
do you have any sealant on the wheels? That will help them clean alot easier, I use Zaino and have used Klasse both help tons. Every time I try to just wash the wheels I say...hmm I need to do the wheel wells too.. then ... hmmm I mine as well do the whole car.. I can never do just the wheels lol
 
The OEM pads on BMW's stop well, but shed dust like crazy.



Try Mintex Reds or Rotex Kevlars. (Some may say they chew rotors, but i have not found this to be the case...) The stop as well as OEM's and cut down dust by 95%.

_________



FWIW - I use several coats of Klasse SG. I use only polymer/acrylics not wax/carnauba. Wax does not seeem to withstand the heat. Klasse SG does and makes cleanup easy.



I use a coin car wash power-rinse...water-only. It doesn't overspray much and I use QD around any overspray.
 
A4 No More... how long do you use the same cotton rag before washing it? I've heard you should never wash the towels you use on the paint with towels with brake dust on them. Is this really the case?



Forrest... what about the wheel cleaner that gets into the inside of the rim and on the brakes/calipers... does the bucket method rinse thoroughly enough to get all the cleaner off?



RedCar Guy... I had Z on the rims... but I'm sure the P21s has removed it by now. I'm thinking of re-Zainoing and not using

the cleaner.



VolvoGuy... with the BMW, after braking ONCE, I can see dust :rolleyes:



LowTech... do the Mintex Reds stop as well as OEMs? I assume they won't void the BMW warranty, correct?
 
Alan B said:
RedCar Guy... I had Z on the rims... but I'm sure the P21s has removed it by now. I'm thinking of re-Zainoing and not using

the cleaner.
Click to expand...



About the Zaino thing, thats what I would do. I find by having Z on the rims the dust is soo much easier to get off, and I havent used any wheel cleaners since I applied it. Just soap and water always does the job.



Alan B said:
VolvoGuy... with the BMW, after braking ONCE, I can see dust :rolleyes:
Click to expand...





heh, my 850 is like that too. It had been raining all day a few weeks ago, so I decided to wash it really quick, then just get up on the highway to dry it off, because I knew it was going to rain some more, In about 5-8 miles the wheels were dirty again! :scared
 
LowTech said:
The OEM pads on BMW's stop well, but shed dust like crazy.



Try Mintex Reds or Rotex Kevlars. (Some may say they chew rotors, but i have not found this to be the case...) The stop as well as OEM's and cut down dust by 95%.

_________
Click to expand...



I have seen this claim over and over again. Does it just "seem" that they stop as good, or can you point to lab results which "prove" the statement?



I cant see why BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, etc would all use high dust pads when a 95% reduction in dust can be achieved with the same results in stopping power?!?!



Enlighten me, please.
 
RH said:
I have seen this claim over and over again. Does it just "seem" that they stop as good, or can you point to lab results which "prove" the statement?



I cant see why BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, etc would all use high dust pads when a 95% reduction in dust can be achieved with the same results in stopping power?!?!



Enlighten me, please.
Click to expand...



They feel they need to make our lives as difficult as possible.



Kind of like some of the new Fords and GMs with the single AC/Stereo unit. Geez that would be a ***** to replace.
 
No, really... I think that would be becasue most of the OEM parts, brake pads included are not manufactured by the car company, they are made by other people and the manufacturer gets a great discount. Then they resell them to us at a jacked up price.



So what may look like the same price to us, would be quite a different number for the car companies.



Just a guess... :nixweiss
 
RH said:
Can you point to lab results which "prove" the statement?



I cant see why BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, etc would all use high dust pads when a 95% reduction in dust can be achieved with the same results in stopping power?!?!



Enlighten me, please.
Click to expand...



RH - Can't claim to have the power to "enlighten" anyone. Nor am I motivated enough to do the research or commission a lab to "prove" results. :rolleyes:



Since free forum information from a complete stranger on the internet is worth exactly what one paid for it, ;) I can share the following:



I have been advised by those unbiased experts, whose opinions I trust, that the differences in stopping power (if any) are not material. The issue is in potential damage to the rotors. I have not noticed any such rotor wear damage, and if I did, I am not price-sensitive to replacing rotors.



But to these experts, reduction in dust is apparently at the expense of rotor wear. I would surmise (see my comment to Alan below) that BMW feels that, due to their 100% maintenance coverage, the would not bear the exposure of greater expense of rotor replacement, when pad replacement is cheaper for them.



Alan B said:
I assume they won't void the BMW warranty, correct?
Click to expand...



Alan - My BMW guys stated that during the 100% maintenance period, you must stick w/ OEM pads and sensors. Otherwise, during the ensuing general warranty period, Mintex/Rotex are OK.



BTW - Squeal can be an issue w/ these pads. Make sure you use plenty of anti-squeal compound.



I use them on my E38's - They will be available for my E65 within a few months.
 
Thanks for the reply LowTech. I wasnt challenging you to post results, sorry if it came across that way. I was more hoping that you happened to have some results or a link handy. It's just that I have seen those arguements so many times, and never once has anyone pointed to lab results, manufacturers stopping distance studies or anything. I have searched the web in the past, and I have never come across any official or even unofficial results from an aftermarket company. Not to say such a thing doesnt exist. I'm certain that these companies have performed testing, I'm just wondering why they chose not to publish the testing data.



Perhaps it is a trade off between rotor life and pad life. I think there would be a market for dealers to offer stronger rotors and dustless pads as a purchase option - I know I would have paid for it. Maybe someday.
 
Alan, I buy real cheap cotton towels at Costco for just the rims. I than cut them up into smaller sections around a foot long and about 8 inches wide. I have about 50 or so rim and wheel well rags. Once in a while I take them down to the local laundry mat so all that nasty stuff doesn't run through my own wash machine.



Doesn't Brembo make an entire set of rotors, calipers, lines, and low dust pads for most cars? I know the price is kind of high, but I recently drove a Mustang with a full Brembo package and the 60 to 0 MPH time and distance was unreal.
 
RH - I know what you mean - I know of no objective and quantifiable tests. I think that real-world tests of pads is so hard to do because of hard-to-control variables (tires, exact speed, response of ABS, heat at time of brake application, weight distribution of vehicle, etc.) Perhaps some lab tests may exist.



My reliance was on those who race (who advised me) and on my anecdotal experience.



In any case, we can all agree that the brake dust on BMW's is a pain!!!
 
Is anybody sure that P21S does remove Zaino? I use P21S (great stuff but it sure is expensive) and if it is only a combination of surfactants and detergents then maybe it does not remove Z.
 
Just by reading the thread title I guessed this was a BMW related question LOL:D

P21S makes a killing off of me!

Just purchased a 5 litre container of the stuff.
 
the bucket o' water works okay for removing the wheel cleaner on the back side of the wheels. The trick is not to saturate the wheel with cleaner - if you're doing it a couple times a week you should be fine.



Nothing else, roll the car forward a foot or 2 so the wheel is 180º from when you sprayed the cleaner, and pour another bucket of water on it.
 
get a foam dispencer (or use up dial) put your favorite car shampoo in it, use a soft hand sponge. apply a layer of foam on there, let it be. The stuff should come right off if it's waxed underneath. The wax stays and the dirt is removed. Apply a layer of Rain-x wheel protectant if you want an extra layer of protection. It won't strip your wax either.
 
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