I have what looks to be some rust on the wheel of my car. What do you guys think? What can I use to take it off? I already tried some aluminum polish but didnt seem to do anything.

Here are some pics...thanks in advance!

 

That looks like caked on brake dust to me. The metal in the brake pad material may be rusting, but not your actual rims. You really need to get this stuff off the rim, and the aluminum shine will return. Others can probably recommend a better way to clean this than I could, but I would seriously invest in some poorboy's wheel sealant to protect the rims once you get them cleaned, so you don't run into this again.

 

2nd.
its a lot of work to remove that stuff. Fwiw, I've done ones that looked similar to this on a truck and it took over an hour per wheel.
Process? Purple heavy cut clay, ssr3 compound on microfiber, Poorboys APC and Poorboys Spray n Rinse.
Those wheels are probably cleared, so i dont think an alum polish will do too much. if they're clearcoated, standard polishes can be tried, as mentioned above (ssr3).
And like pickle mentioned, throw on some wheel sealant to help prevent this type of buildup. The sealant makes future cleanings much easier when its applied first.

 

Thanks for the response guys!

 

CHECK YOUR BRAKES! BMW are notorious for this. It may be from the brake dust, maybe your pads are cutting into your rotors. This is why it is important to keep some protection on your wheels, even if it is a little armour all from the rag after you do the tires. It makes it harder for anything to stick.

 

If it is legitimate rust on the rim, use tin foil and soapy water. if its not and its just on the CC'd surface, dont do it!

 

Tried some rust remover today and it kind of worked but can't get into the corners. Any suggestions? Methods? Products?

 

Still not buying that its rust between the spokes. Where are you located? Some one here who actually knows BMWs and brake dust should be able to tell you what it is before you use the wrong method to clean them....

 

Im in the San Francisco Bay Area....east bay.

 

I did a little research, use mineral spirits. Trust me, the ppl on the meguiars forum swear by it. IMMEDIATELY after wiping with mineral spirits, wash with hot soapy water, then apply a glaze, and a coat of wax (i prefer Meg's NXT) and that will make it easier to remove the dust/keep it from sticking like this in the future.

 

I don't want to try and sound like a know it all, especially since I have not been detailing cars as long as many people here, but I would not be putting a regular glaze and wax on a clear aluminum wheel that has been abused like this one.

First off, I'm not sure what the glaze would actually achieve. It's design is to hide small scratches in paint. with this amount of brake dust build-up, there is certainly a lot of small scratches (as well as some rim damage in the picture) that is beyond what even the best glaze could fill in. Second. Why use a paint wax on a porous surface? It will give a chalky white look, if you cant get the wax out of all the little pores. Just like when you accidently get wax on a plastic trim piece.

I would stick to a wheel specific sealant after you get them clean, it will be more durable, and won't look chalky. Forgo the glaze, as it may cause the sealant to not bond as well and decrease the longevity.

 

I agree with Chris. Get a medium-heavy claybar. You need to remove these contaminants before protecting it.

Generally, you maintain the wheels the same way you maintain paint. I've never seen any brand, any formula of wheel wax/sealant that differs from regular wax/sealants used for paints. They don't make a difference and don't offer any longer protection. I actually use Zaino Z5, Megs 21 and Collinite 845 as wheel sealants.

 

Ill try the claybar and see how it does....I'll keep you guys posted.

 

YEah, i didnt realize the wheels were porous, I thought they were glass smooth and clearcoated like mine are.

hmm...sorry for the misinfo. Mineral spirits could still work though.

 

OEM BMW pads are soft..hence why they leave dust behind..I don't think they're OEM