smehta

Anyone have success with a good cleaner for the stock aluminum wheels?

Brake dust accumulates fairly heavy after 400-500 miles of city driving. I Use Meguiar's foam cleaner to keep tires clean which works very well. Not satisfied to try their wheel cleaner. And dont want to risk damaging wheel finish either.

Also reading on amazon, that some wheel cleaners also cause brake assemblies to get stained/discolored. Definitely dont what that.

Any helpful suggestions on wheel care?

kitlz

I use Sonax on my alloy wheels with superchrome finish. It goes on green and turns red as it reacts with the brake dust. Granted I don't have that much dust but I want to make sure they're clean. I also put wheel wax on every two months so the rims are easier to clean.

There are other cleaners out there but I like Sonax the best. All the CL vendors here carry it.

Stormforge

same here kitlz, i don't really have problems with brake dust with my RX450h. my GS450h on the otherhand...

kitlz

X, how true. I wonder sometimes if brake dust black is a rim color choice on BMWs

KI_GSE21

iTrader: (5)

I use the Sonar wheel cleaner once in a while (only if it is super dirty). It is quite an
expensive product so I really use if there is a lot of dust/debris/grime etc.

For weekly washes, I use the Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner Plus on the wheels (1 gal bottle) and I just dilute it/use it in my own spray bottle. The brake dust are pretty easy to clean on Lexus cars. A decent cleaner and a good brush will get the job done quick.
Good thing about the Meguiar's APC plus is that I can use it for cleaning wheel wells and engine bay because the 1 gal bottle is much cheaper than buying wheel cleaners and engine degreasers separately from stores like Walmart or Oreilly.

cafpaf

I haven't driven the new RX enough to comment on the amount of brake dust, but I can tell you that my CTS has brake dust galore. I use Meguiers Gold car wash and once I am finished with the entire car, I just get out my wheel mitt and do the wheels. It seems to do a good job and no other special products to purchase.

Carver

Don't the new RX come with ceramic pads? I've been using Akebono ceramics since '06 and brake dust is a thing of the past.

cafpaf

Carver, I am contemplating the use of ceramic pad on the CTS because of the dust. Can I just swap our the pads or will I require a change in rotors also. I was told some time ago that there are special rotors for ceramic pads, but it sounds a little hokey.

Carver

No special rotors are required. If your current rotors are in good shape the ceramics will adjust to them in a few days. I've only used Akebono so I can only speak for them but dust is over once they go on.

Big Mack

iTrader: (1)

I have used several products over the years and have found that the Meguiar's Quik wheel detailer works very well in eliminating the dust and forms a barrier to it sticking. I have not encountered ANY discoloration on wheels or brake components. My wheels are usually clean, polished, and I hit them with the QWD after. Wash after wash, the dust just comes right off. On the DD, which has alloys (no chrome), it was as simple as spraying it on and wiping it off. Subsequent washes have been a breeze.

It can be tough to find in stores, which is odd, but I know they still make it.

This is being it.

Big Mack

KI_GSE21

iTrader: (5)

If you have not already done so, it is recommended to wash the wheels with the cleaners when the wheels are cool. If the wheels are warm or hot from driving, then the chemical in the cleaners may not serve its intended purpose and heat can affect its chemical properties.

Also, I wouldn`t leave the cleaners on the wheels for so long. A quick spray, 30 second scrub and rinse each wheel individual and right after scrubbing would help eliminate the issue you are having.

Just some pointers =)
If you have done all of the above, then I guess try an all purpose cleaner and dilute it to make it a light duty cleaner which is less strong.
If you are using the Meguiar`s and Eagle one wheel cleaners sold off the shelves, then they should be safe for all wheels and what not and should not cause any problems that you are experiences. These wheel cleaners are packaged to cater to the needs to many consumers and thus application is simple and the cleaners itself is not super aggressive or anything.

You might want to try the Sonax Full Effects wheel cleaner as a lot of people have positive experiences with that product. I`ve used it and I think it is as good as Meguiars wheel cleaner but the Sonax is just more expensive and you get less of the product.

kitlz

Sonax can be expensive but I don't use it every week. I should have mentioned that. I'm still nursing a 5 liter container I bought from a CL vendor last year. The other times I use regular wash with a microfiber mitt. It works for me.

jfelbab

Same here. QWD is super slippery on the wheel and brake dust just doesn't get a grip. It washes right off.

detailersdomain

iTrader: (3)

You may want to clean up the rims more frequently. 400 plus miles is quite a bit and brake dust will accumulate.

Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner should do the trick.

You may want to apply a wheel wax like Prima Wheel Armour on it after to make life easier when cleaning your rims.