My front Wheels of my GS460 are becoming black from the carbon from the Brakes.... really eliminating the glitter of the magnificent design :P; any ideas of how to clean them? Will water and a clean towel do the job? or is there a specific chemical?

 

soap, water, a sponge and some elbow grease. It comes off easily unless you let it sit there for months. There are spray on cleaners to help dissolve/loosen the dust. Any autoparts store has them. Talk to your dealership about having the low dust brake pads installed. There was/is a TSB on that.

steviej

 

The dealer replaced the front pads on my '08 for free (TSB for dust) and the new pads are practically dustless.

 

i say just soap and water.. like steviej said, don't let the dust sit for too long.. be careful with some wheel cleaners though, they leave stains that you can't get rid of. waxing your front wheels might help also.

 

I think i have let the dust sit too long, I cant get it off, any advice??!!

 

WD40 is an excellent solvent for this kind of thing. I've used it for years to clean the wheels on my motorcycle. The black crap comes right off.

 

W-40

 

I never go longer than a week without atleast spraying my wheels with a hose. the longer you wait the harder it is. i only use water because of all the horror stories you hear about wheel cleaners.

if you want to lessen your brake dust, try switching to a ceramic pad which gives off less brake dust.

 

now if you want to OD on cleaning then you can Claybar and wax after you wd-40 then wash
also watch for painted wheel and wheel cleaner

 

I use Meguiar's Hot Rims All Wheel cleaner. Available in Kragen or most other auto part stores. Works great but make sure your wheels/brakes are cool before applying.

 

Best to use Meguiars wheel cleaner or even just regular car wash mix.

I would recommend that you regularly wax your wheels. And if your wheels don't feel smooth after washing, clay then wax the wheels. The wheels are a painted surface just like the rest of the car. Regular waxing helps protect the wheel, maintains a smooth an slippery surface, and attracts less dust.

I wax my wheels every 2 weeks.

 

I have the same problem I have to wash my wheels atleast once a week becuz of the damn brake dust on the front

 

Try Invisible Glass Cleaner. I've been using it for years and it makes those rims Shine like crazy. Just spray them down liberally and clean off with a cotton rag. It's strips the brake dust off like nothing. The reason it is my favorite is it is a one step process. Even if the dust is caked on, just gun them down heavy with the Invisible Glass and it leaves it streak and spot free. ESPECIALLY CHROME!!

 

There is a TSIB to replace pads with dustless ones. I just did it a week ago on my "new to me" 2007 GS450h. Took all of an hour. It helps if you bring the text of the TSIB with you since some service advisors are clueless.

 

Makes sense for chrome wheels. But if you have a factory finish, this would strip the clearcoat and ruin the wheels.