Cleaning Wheels????
 

Is there an easier way to clean the brake dust off the wheels of a Boxster? It feels like I spend more time on the wheels with a brush and wheel cleaner than I do on the rest of the car. It appears that the PO was not as concerned with the inside of the wheels as I am, judging by the amount of dust the cleaner pulled off the 1st time I washed them. I'm hoping that going forward the wheels will come clean with regular washing.

mark
01 Seal Grey
San Antonio

My car is new so this may not benefit you much but I use the Porsche Wheel Cleaner (which I think is P21S) with success. Just spray the wheels and leave them for few minutes, then rinse. P21S also makes a gel for more stubborn dirt. The gel clings longer and it's more concentrated. Waxing the wheels after cleaning significantly helps against dirt and break dust accumulation.

I still haven't used a brush -- the standard 18" S wheels allow me to use a sponge on the inside with my hands. I apply the wax with my hands, as well (on the inside of the barrel too) -- which ends up being the ultimate proof that my fiance needed to conclude that I like the car's legs more than hers. :)

Poorboys wheel cleaner. Spray on rinse off. Dilute it for quick cleanings.


after rinsing use a sealant like Poorboys EXP, or Klasse SG or my choice
Werkstatt Acrylic Jett Trigger. Its important to seal your painted alloy wheels after each washing. Brake dust is like razor blades. To reduce cleanings I use FK 425, keeps my Carreras 5 spokes like teflon. Make sure to spray the surface before wiping. You want lubrication. No dry rubbing with towels or brushes, that wears away the clear coat.

I am using Rejex Wax (www.rejexusa.com) on my wheels with great success. I clean the wheels with soap (Zaino Z7) and hot water. Most wheel cleaners strip off the wax, so I don't use them. Once the wheels are cleaned and have a couple coats of wax, all you need to maintain them is soap and water.

Weekly washing helps too! And yes, it takes me longer to clean all 4 wheels than it does to wash the whole car.

I clean the area around the wheel bolts with a Q-Tip and a couple spritz of Simple Green. Takes about 30 seconds to do the 5 wheel bolt areas on each wheel.

Ha! It takes me about 1.5 minutes per wheel!

Not stripping the wax during cleaning is good for paint but a
good argument can be made that preserving your wax/sealant is not such a good thing for wheel finishes.
Brake dust gets embeded into the wax, it ferrous so it will bite through everything and with comes rust, you don't want that lingering. The best practice is to strip the wheels clean with each washing. No traces whatsoever of brake dust. Re-seal with whatever you choose.
Like your hair shampoo, wash and repeat, wash and repeat.

Pretty soon you're going to tell me I need to shower more than once a month... I'm saving the environment!!! ;)

You might also think about installing some low dust pads, the stock ones are some of the most dirty pads available.