Best product ever - for wheels ?!

[EenyBear]

Hi,
I was getting so tired of my rims turning black with brake dust within a day or two of washing the car. I stumbled upon the product pictured below - ArmorAll Rim Protectant - at a local auto supply store. I admit I generally do not buy ArmorAll products (for leather, vinyl, etc.) ... but the recommendation for this one was strong and I figured it couldn't hurt so why not try it? Desperation can lead to wonderful discoveries...

The photo is of my front driver-side rim after two weeks of daily spirited driving.

Look at 4:00 where the spoke meets the rim and at 10:00 at the base of the valve stem. You can see there are a couple of spots where a tiny amount of dust has accumulated but I attribute this to an uneven application. It is a spray after all. I'll gently wash the wheels when I get around to it and reapply a coat of product. Recommended.

By the way, the "wet" on the tires is rain... not overspray or anything like that. Just in case some sharp-eyed skeptic was wondering...

Since then I found these reviews and obviously I agree with the most positive of them.
http://www.amazon.com/Armor-All-7848...ews/B0035XGPNA

The only negative aspect I have learned is that the 'coating' may appear milky on black or dark rims but I can assure you it is invisible on mine, as you can see.

By the way, the tires are the new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3 and I can report that they live up to the manufacturer's claims and have provided a quiet, secure ride under all driving conditions including one day of hot roads and too many days of heavy rain. Recommended.
http://www.michelinman.com/tire-sele...3/tire-details

So... what do you think of this?

[elwesso]

That looks really nice. Might need to give that a try.. It's a bummer especially in the summer dry months when the car looks decent but you can tell it's been a while since it's been washed because of the brake dust.

[Huz-Z]

In addition to just looking grubby and dirty, brake dust that is left on the rim for extended periods tends to discolor the rim. How many times have you seen someone finally wash their car after weeks of leaving it dirty and the front rims, although now clean, have a pissy gold tint burnt into them from brake dust accumulation.

If this product avoids that, and I think it may, it is worth looking into.

[chickdr]

Funny- I tried this a few years ago and still have the original can I purchased. I don't think it worked well at all. To me the definitive solution is ceramic pads. Permanently solves the problem.

[EenyBear]

Originally Posted by chickdr

Funny- I tried this a few years ago and still have the original can I purchased. I don't think it worked well at all. To me the definitive solution is ceramic pads. Permanently solves the problem.

Fair enough. Maybe I put on a heavier layer... or maybe the recipe has changed. I figured $15 for two cans was worth the experiment and I'm satisfied.

Glad you found a solution too. Brake dust is annoying.

[1SerieStud]

I've used the Armorall before, but this product is the king of kings: http://www.detailedimage.com/Poorboy...t-P40/8-oz-S1/

I've been using it for years. Not only does it protect and repel brake dust, but when being applied, it will make you hungry because it smells great lol

[Phishman]

I switched to Stoptech pads and usually my wheels stay clean for a month or so as compared to a day...

[XMetal]

Originally Posted by Phishman

I switched to Stoptech pads and usually my wheels stay clean for a month or so as compared to a day...

Which Stoptech pads? Street?

[Nate4641]

I use this stuff too, its awesome. For a torture test check out this video

where they do over 4000 miles in an X5M with this product on the wheels. The results are pretty awesome. Fast forward to 9:30 for the review

[jdoublehcubed]

wheel wax is another great product for this, and most BMW dealerships carry it.

Its not quite as effective at preventing brake dust accumulation as the photo above, but it makes it extremely easy to clean the brake dust off once it gets on there. Just spray with the hose, usually no agitation needed, and all the brake dust rinses off.

[chickdr]

Originally Posted by Nate4641

I use this stuff too, its awesome. For a torture test check out this videoThe results are pretty awesome. Fast forward to 9:30 for the review

That was funny IMHO. Both front wheels looked dirty at all points they showed them in the video. No appreciable difference to me. Both would need cleaning if they were mine.

[elerner61]

Originally Posted by XMetal

Which Stoptech pads? Street?

+1.

I switched to Axxis deluxe pads over a year ago and while the low dusting is fantastic in the back of my mind I just wish they had better performance for spirited road driving. I'd love to find something more aggressive that is very low dusting.