Cleaning Wheels and Brake Pads
 

What does everyone use to clean their wheels and brake pads?

P21S wheel cleaner

http://www.carcareonline.com/detail.asp?product_id=10401

my technique is:
1. spray 2 squirts on each wheel
2. wait 2 minutes
3. wipe off with a sturdy, spongy wheel brush(from pep boys)
4. spray off with hose.

Then I wash the rest of the car.

I just use a netted sponge and the turtle wax soap I use to wash the rest of the car with. Seems to work fine. I keep the wheels free of brake dust and dirt by spraying meguires detailers mist on a rag and wipe off the dust every 100 miles or so to keep the wheels looking nice and to extend the time between washes. BTW, don't use petroleum jelly on your wheels(I tried it like the manual said to on my carrera wheels and it didn't work so great). The detailers mist seems to work much better at giving the wheels protection and a nice smooth shine.

Talking of brake pads, is there a way to get rid of the squeaking noise when I brake? I just replaced my brakes so I atleast know the problem is not brake wear. There was a lot of **************** on the road during winter (sand and salt) and my guess is some of it found it's way to the pads.

High performance brake pads often squeal.

My fresh from the factory brake pads squealed for about 3000 miles. My replacement front pads (at 30,000 miles) did not squeal, but it may be because I 'bedded' the brakes the day I installed them.

Speaking of brake squeals...
Does anyone know why my 7000 mile old boxster squeals sometime after an hour or so of driving, no foot on the brake pedal,no foot on gas, just slowing down for traffic and when the speed drops to about 30-37mph? It squeals by itself. It seems more apparent when wheels are turning. The strange thing is, it does not happen all the time, just when the whether is warm, around 80 F. I am totally clueless on this.

I use the Techquipment wheel cleaning kit to clean my wheels. It does a very good job, however, for what it costs Im sure you could piece together something similar at an auto parts shop for much less money. However, it is pretty sweet to have a brush that says "Porsche" on the handle :)

P21S (gel) is awesome.

It is the only wheel cleaner without hydrofluoric acid (HF). Hf will do significant long term damage to paint; thus avoid all other wheel products. It is very easy to use. spray it on, let it sit a few minutes, sponge (if necessary) and rinse off.

do not forget to dry your wheels after washing and appy a good wax (occasionally)!!

I use Armor All for wheels and Armor all car wash. I bought the Mr Clean but have yet to try it. The car is so small that it really does not matter that much. The Armor All for the wheels is one wheel at a time protocol. Clean it and rinse it and so on. So far it has always done the job. Pretty happy with it. Might try what Ad suggests the P21S gel.

does anyone just use simple green to clean the wheels? I've always used it on other wheels, and it seems to do a great job on these turbo twists on the boxster. it's cheap, simple, and no problem for the environment.

spray running water for the brakes, I read it here, it eliminates the noise. good info!

believe it or not I use dish washing detergent. Even though I have over $200 in detailing products for everything else but the wheels. I make sure to rinse thoroughly and dry. And once a week I apply Klasse All in One polish. Brake dust come off in a single pass with Sonus Acrylic Spritz and a damp microfiber towel.
I've used WheelWax also but its not as easy to buff out.
Stay away from Citrus degreasers unless you know for sure your polished metal surfaces have been treated, it may lead to some problems.