[Z06] Washing factory wheels
#1
Washing factory wheels
We all know these brakes shed a lot of dust. I've been washing mine like normal with a wash mitt (not the same one I use on the car) but I'd like to be able to keep the "inside" of the wheel clean too. If I could avoid having to scrub each nook and cranny on the wheel that would be even better. I've considered some form of brush that reaches through the wheel, and searches came back suggesting using P21S as a wheel cleaner. What are you guys using?
#2
Safety Car
They make a variety of different wheel brushes/wands that make cleaning the wheels a breeze. One of my DD cars in a 2013 Audi S4 and its a brake dust monster, I have a flat micro fiber wand that I use to clean the barrels and in between the wheel spokes...... Works like a champ.
#3
Safety Car
Autogeek, Detailers Domain and Griots are all good spots to purchase this kind of thing. You may luck up and find something at your local parts store. Don't buy anything with plastic bristles as they will scratch.
#4
Instructor
I just bought AMMO NYC Plum Wheel Cleaner, it comes in a spray bottle and is extremely safe for wheels. When sprayed on a wheel it reacts with the iron, brake dust, and other contaminates and turns purple, telling you that it is time to rinse everything off. After that I follow up with another AMMO NYC product called Brute wheel cleaner. The barrels of my wheels (which looked like they had never been cleaned) now look a lot better.
As for the wheel brush, I use a standard brush I got off Autogeek a while back, these two options paired together produce pretty great results.
HTH
John
As for the wheel brush, I use a standard brush I got off Autogeek a while back, these two options paired together produce pretty great results.
HTH
John
#6
I do that as well at least once a year. In between I just soak the wheel in a wheel cleaner and jam an old sponge in there and run it around the barrel. Seems to work the best out of everything I have tried.
#7
Melting Slicks
Same here on the annual remove and clean. I also wax my barrels when off the car which prevents a lot of things from sticking.
#8
I personally use the blue dawn soap, a microfiber mitt and these two brushes.
My wheels always look amazing and this http://www.autogeek.net/ezdebrfca.html and this http://www.autogeek.net/boars-hair-detailing-brush.html is the reason why!!
Trust me on the brushes...all the other ones are gimmicks...
My wheels always look amazing and this http://www.autogeek.net/ezdebrfca.html and this http://www.autogeek.net/boars-hair-detailing-brush.html is the reason why!!
Trust me on the brushes...all the other ones are gimmicks...
Last edited by Georgies; 04-20-2017 at 09:46 PM.
#9
I just bought AMMO NYC Plum Wheel Cleaner, it comes in a spray bottle and is extremely safe for wheels. When sprayed on a wheel it reacts with the iron, brake dust, and other contaminates and turns purple, telling you that it is time to rinse everything off. After that I follow up with another AMMO NYC product called Brute wheel cleaner. The barrels of my wheels (which looked like they had never been cleaned) now look a lot better.
As for the wheel brush, I use a standard brush I got off Autogeek a while back, these two options paired together produce pretty great results.
HTH
John
As for the wheel brush, I use a standard brush I got off Autogeek a while back, these two options paired together produce pretty great results.
HTH
John
#10
Change out the stock brake pads to ceramic, no noticeable brake dust, rims look clean for a very long time and cars stops just fine - no squeaks.
The stock Z06 pads are for the track and thus cause a lot of dust which drove me crazy every time i cleaned them.
The stock Z06 pads are for the track and thus cause a lot of dust which drove me crazy every time i cleaned them.
#11
I'd rather have the performance of the stock pads. I don't mind cleaning the wheels I just knew that there had to be a better way than what I was doing.
#12
I don't think there is a performance trade-off unless you track the car, and I mean track it hard? Everyone I know with a C5 Z06 has done this and would never go back to stock organic pads.
Heck give them a try, you can get them for I think around $50.00 a set (at least that is what I paid for them 10 years ago), you could always put the stock ones back on - plus they last longer ............
Heck give them a try, you can get them for I think around $50.00 a set (at least that is what I paid for them 10 years ago), you could always put the stock ones back on - plus they last longer ............
#13
Le Mans Master
Pro Mechanic
I run Hawk HPS...they dust...not horrible, but certainly more than the factory pads (my car is a coupe, not a Z -06). I use Rejex on my wheels and they only need a dry wipe with a clean micro fiber towel to clean up spotless. I do this after every drive...takes literally 2 minutes per wheel.
#14
Melting Slicks
Changed the pads out on my Z16 several years ago to the low dust option. You won't notice any performance difference unless tracking the car (marginal then). You will notice that the wheels stay clean! The Z06 wheels were painted "brake dust gray" for a reason! As bad as you think it is on a Z06 wheel, imagine the polished wheels on the Z16...
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gordy02corvette (05-16-2017)
#15
Changed the pads out on my Z16 several years ago to the low dust option. You won't notice any performance difference unless tracking the car (marginal then). You will notice that the wheels stay clean! The Z06 wheels were painted "brake dust gray" for a reason! As bad as you think it is on a Z06 wheel, imagine the polished wheels on the Z16...
#16
Changed the pads out on my Z16 several years ago to the low dust option. You won't notice any performance difference unless tracking the car (marginal then). You will notice that the wheels stay clean! The Z06 wheels were painted "brake dust gray" for a reason! As bad as you think it is on a Z06 wheel, imagine the polished wheels on the Z16...
#17
Melting Slicks
I know it's blasphemy to some but I use Durolast Gold from AutoZone...buy 'em once and just around the corner! They have a significant amount of brake and tune-up parts in stock or delivered overnight for my toy box; 82 and 04 Z, daily drivers and even parts for our pontoon boat and jet skies!