Getting rid of embedded brake dust on stock alloy wheels

Hey guys,

I tried wire brushes and CRC degreaser but did not remove it all.

Has anyone figured out what products work the best and should I use a cordless drill with various grits of sandpaper to remove them to a smooth finish?

 

Just so y'all know, I've done lots of research on this topic and watched a TON of videos from people who claim this or that works.

 

how to remove corrosion from aluminum wheels - Search (bing.com)

 

Have U tried or heard of a product such as this? It does stank worse than you think it ought

https://www.jennychem.com/products/iron-x-super-wheel-cleaner-bleeding-wheel-cleaner

Iron-X

There are many brands to choose from it appears

 

Believe it or not, WD40. Have no idea what else it does to the finish but I do know it'll remove that brake dust pitting. Test it out on a small area.

 

I just repainted mine.

 

My favorite is bead blast in a cabinet with filtered exhaust .

Then for my self as long as the bead seats all is good.

I get paid to clean wheels but not my own.

 

I tried WD-40 the other day!

It just smeared it all around and left me in a state of disappointment
I have the different style OEM alloy wheels, however, and possibly is different by nature
IDK

 

Not sure. I used it on my original wheels (same as pictured above). Removed nearly all of it. Trick is, not too let them get that bad in the first place.

 

It could also be the sketchy power stop brand pads that have been on there for nearly 70k miles
Front wheels were nearly black after 2k miles of mountain wheeling and I used them sparingly!

 

Not familiar with those exact rims but mine had clear coat. May be what you are dealing with, maybe not. Removed that with aircraft paint remover then polished with cordless drill and mothers powerball polisher. May be better ways but worked fairly well for me.

 

I use this stuff every few washes

https://www.amazon.com/Armor-All-Wh...gid=pla-346852629556&ref=&adgrpid=77759986959



And changing to Akebono brake pads pretty much stopped producing dust

 

I thought these were steel, not alloy? At any rate you have the same wheels as mine and I don't think that's brake dust, that's pitting and nicks. Mine were in the same (worse) shape until I painted them a few months ago, link with pics here. They're still holding up really well but I don't do a lot of gravel road driving.

The exteriors of these wheels are painted, in my case someone had painted them again without proper prep which made matters worse. If I had time to do one thing differently it would be to sand off ALL the original paint down to metal, but it didn't come out too bad.

 

It would probably be easier to find a nice used set.

 

Take em to get sandblasted and powdercoated

a good shop will do them for around $400 max and you’ll have brand new looking wheels. If theyre not rashed up or cracked its worth it.

less problems and better fitment than aftermarkets. Ive done several sets

 

I shall have to try those brand of brake pad

 

I believe Akebono are OEM. Besides the brake dust, they resolved another issue I had where the brakes were very touchy when cold. With the old pads I would nearly do a face plant on the steering wheel when I applied the brakes at the end of the driveway. Akebonos work well hot or cold.

 

Rocknbil,

That is exactly what I have going on with my rims. I plan to sand with cordless drill and sand paper disks and wire brush to get them smooth again. Then primer, base coat and clear coat. Gonna need a 3day weekend to get er done. Thanks for your input

 

Update:

I spent a good hour and a half using my Dewalt cordless drill, pointed sanding wheel and wet sanding 500grit my front right rim. Was able to get just about all pitted marks out. Ser pic

My next question is, does anyone know of a base paint to make my rims 'pop' or shine bright?? Pics would be great.

Ty

 

Pic did not upload 1st time