Notices
C5 General General C5 Corvette and C5 Z06 Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

[Z06] Washing factory wheels

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-18-2017, 05:47 PM
  #1  
Potent68
Instructor
Thread Starter
 
Potent68's Avatar
 
Member Since: May 2006
Posts: 123
Received 15 Likes on 13 Posts

Default 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?
Old 04-19-2017, 07:14 AM
  #2  
MVR 155
Safety Car
 
MVR 155's Avatar
 
Member Since: Mar 2000
Location: Bartlett, IL
Posts: 4,847
Received 10 Likes on 10 Posts
Cruise-In XI Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12

Default

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.
Old 04-19-2017, 07:16 AM
  #3  
MVR 155
Safety Car
 
MVR 155's Avatar
 
Member Since: Mar 2000
Location: Bartlett, IL
Posts: 4,847
Received 10 Likes on 10 Posts
Cruise-In XI Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12

Default

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.
Old 04-19-2017, 11:04 AM
  #4  
BurntNoodle
Instructor
 
BurntNoodle's Avatar
 
Member Since: Mar 2015
Location: Mad. Heights Michigan
Posts: 127
Received 18 Likes on 17 Posts
Default

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



Old 04-19-2017, 11:14 AM
  #5  
fuggles
Racer
 
fuggles's Avatar
 
Member Since: Mar 2017
Location: Northern California
Posts: 406
Received 59 Likes on 52 Posts
Default

I do it the hard way. I take the rim off and clean inside and out with a microfiber towel. lol
Old 04-19-2017, 11:52 AM
  #6  
ApexerER
Pro
 
ApexerER's Avatar
 
Member Since: Mar 2009
Posts: 525
Received 21 Likes on 18 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by fuggles
I do it the hard way. I take the rim off and clean inside and out with a microfiber towel. lol
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.
Old 04-20-2017, 04:23 PM
  #7  
3sACROWD
Melting Slicks
 
3sACROWD's Avatar
 
Member Since: Sep 2011
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 2,144
Received 446 Likes on 328 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by ApexerER
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.
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.
Old 04-20-2017, 09:46 PM
  #8  
Georgies
Burning Brakes
 
Georgies's Avatar
 
Member Since: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,205
Received 44 Likes on 39 Posts

Default

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...

Last edited by Georgies; 04-20-2017 at 09:46 PM.
Old 04-25-2017, 08:52 PM
  #9  
AmbulanceDriver
Instructor
 
AmbulanceDriver's Avatar
 
Member Since: Oct 2016
Posts: 184
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by BurntNoodle
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



Man I need that in my life. My wheels are powder coated black....
Old 05-05-2017, 05:14 AM
  #10  
ZEEZERO-6
Melting Slicks
 
ZEEZERO-6's Avatar
 
Member Since: May 2014
Posts: 2,523
Likes: 0
Received 107 Likes on 79 Posts
Default

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.
Old 05-05-2017, 02:34 PM
  #11  
Potent68
Instructor
Thread Starter
 
Potent68's Avatar
 
Member Since: May 2006
Posts: 123
Received 15 Likes on 13 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by ZEEZERO-6
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.
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.
Old 05-05-2017, 04:42 PM
  #12  
ZEEZERO-6
Melting Slicks
 
ZEEZERO-6's Avatar
 
Member Since: May 2014
Posts: 2,523
Likes: 0
Received 107 Likes on 79 Posts
Default

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 ............
Old 05-08-2017, 05:43 PM
  #13  
4XLR8N
Le Mans Master
Pro Mechanic
 
4XLR8N's Avatar
 
Member Since: Apr 2012
Location: Brighton MI
Posts: 6,615
Received 1,652 Likes on 1,209 Posts

Default

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.
Old 05-12-2017, 09:26 AM
  #14  
2TONE82
Melting Slicks
 
2TONE82's Avatar
 
Member Since: Nov 1999
Location: Madison Alabama
Posts: 2,426
Received 310 Likes on 133 Posts

Default

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...
The following users liked this post:
gordy02corvette (05-16-2017)
Old 05-12-2017, 10:29 AM
  #15  
04silverZ06
Racer
 
04silverZ06's Avatar
 
Member Since: Dec 2007
Location: Ontario
Posts: 472
Received 12 Likes on 11 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by 2TONE82
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...
Which pads did you go with - Carbotech?
Old 05-12-2017, 11:34 AM
  #16  
ZEEZERO-6
Melting Slicks
 
ZEEZERO-6's Avatar
 
Member Since: May 2014
Posts: 2,523
Likes: 0
Received 107 Likes on 79 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by 2TONE82
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...
is "break dust grey" code for ARGENT
Old 05-12-2017, 05:27 PM
  #17  
2TONE82
Melting Slicks
 
2TONE82's Avatar
 
Member Since: Nov 1999
Location: Madison Alabama
Posts: 2,426
Received 310 Likes on 133 Posts

Default

Originally Posted by 04silverZ06
Which pads did you go with - Carbotech?
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!

Get notified of new replies

To Washing factory wheels




Quick Reply: [Z06] Washing factory wheels



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:15 AM.