I took my wheels off my car (time to rotate the tires) and decided to give them a good cleaning to get rid of the caked on brake dust on the inside of the front rims. However, it looks like the inside of the wheels are bare metal, not painted like the outside section, and have become pitted by the brake dust. Anyone know what will get this stuff off? I'd like to get rid of as much of it as possible before giving the whole inside of the rim a good waxing.

I've attached a picture of the inside of the rim.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

69390-wheelspots.jpg

 

Here's a zoomed in view of the spots.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

69391-wheelspots_zoom.jpg

 

Can i buy your G when you are done with it? Will pay more than asking!

 

Huh?

Why?

<font color=red>chinee</font color=red>
2003.5 G35s

 

Anyone who cleans the inside of thier wheels is probably a very detail oriented owner from whom I would prefer to purchase a used car. After I beat the pis out of mine I want his. Then when it dies I will buy a G55 with 600 hp TT-V8 or whatever they improve it to. I bet without looking at his bio - he is an engineer or better, a programmer. These guys rock when it comes to very clean and thoughtful modifications and maintenance (generalizing of course). Every guy i know that is a systems designer/programmer or any type of engineer is freakin nuts about his car, understands it beyond the techs at dealer and treats his car like the beautiful piece of machined marvel that it is.

I am nuts or so i thought before meeting these guys on board. I dont even come close. I thought i was an enthusiast but acutally am just starting...

all aside..the guy who ends up the RYOKEN'S used G will be thrilled - I can tell. I have purchased used cars 7 times and my instincts have never let me down - no need for a mechanical overview if title is clean and i can meet the seller.

 

ryoken... you are rotating the wheels.... have you always done this yourself? I would as well, but I've always believed that it's a good idea to re-balance the wheels at the same time. Do you not think re-balancing is necessary? Just exploring this "no balancing option" option a bit.

But about the pitting issue; if it's pitted, you can't remove these "holes", the stains/spots should come out with a good wheel cleaner like Eagle One and a little elbow grease. Did I understand your problem correctly? The pits are indentations in the surface, rather than spots attached to the surface, correct?

<font color=red>chinee</font color=red>
2003.5 G35s

 

Let get back to brake dust cleaning. I thought about using a wheel cleaner that is for brake dust but I'm afraid that I will ruin the finish.

Anyone out there used this stuff?

 

From recommendations on this board I started using Eagle One A to Z Wheel cleaner. Works great and loosens up the brake dust so it wipes right off... and a lot of it washes right off on its own.

Someone made a good point recently though, for the wheel cleaner to work that well, it's probably a very strong solvent, and probably corrosive in the long run. That may be why the instructions say to wash the wheel off within 60 seconds after spraying. May be bad for the wheel's finish in the long run.

<font color=red>chinee</font color=red>
2003.5 G35s

 

Rotating without balancing is OK if there is no vibration before the rotation. I have found that factory wheel balancing usually lasts the life of the original tires.

Ryo, try using diluted Formula 88 (Heavy duty degreaser from Home Depot) if what Chinee suggested.

I thought I was pretty **** myself by rotating my own tires and cleaning the wheels while they are off. I also do this because I don't trust anyone else touching my cars unless they ABSOLUTELY have to, because I don't have the tools to do the work myself.[img]/w3timages/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

 

Ack. I don't normally clean the inside of my wheels. This G is just getting to me.

I'm rotating my tires myself because after 6600 miles, the rears are noticeable more worn than the fronts, and I didn't feel like waiting until the 7500 mi service. Plus, it never hurts to save a couple of bucks since I've got some free time. And.. well.. I did want to get rid of that brake dust and re-wax the wheels (including the inside) to help prevent further spotting. The rears are fine.. practically new. The fronts were caked in 6 months of accumulated black gunk.

Chinee, I'm guessing they're pits, as there are black spots on the inside of the rim, as you can see in the picture. I'm guessing the dust is now down in those spots making it hard to clean, though I could be wrong.

Here's a list of what does not work:
Pro-Tek cleaner
Quick-N-Brite
Eagle1 A2Z All Wheel Cleaner
Fantastik w/ Bleach
Dawn

I suppose it's not too bad. You actually have to be looking inside the wheel to notice -- and I'm probably the only person that will do that.

As for balancing, well.. getting them balanced costs more money. No point since there's no vibration problems or uneven wear patterns. Normally at this point, I'd be using Firestone to rotate and I'd have bought the lifetime alignment for the car -- however, since upgrading into a luxury nameplate, I'm no so sure I want a Firestone tech touching my car anymore. (FYI, if you have Firestone/Bridgestone tires, they will rotate your tires for free.)

Merlin, I'll keep an eye out for that Formula 88 stuff. I think I'm done with the wheels on this go round, though.

I bet without looking at his bio - he is an engineer or better, a programmer.
SixFive, are you sure you didn't peek first? Hehe, uncanny generalization, especially since I had to explain the difference between the "Aero Package" and the "Aerodynamic Body Kit" to my salesman so that he could find a car I wanted. But, you can't have my car yet -- check back in 5-7 years.

PS: My wife thought I was nuts. [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

PS: My wife thought I was nuts.

<hr></blockquote>

...sounds like she's got you pegged! [img]/w3timages/icons/laugh.gif[/img]


<font color=red>chinee</font color=red>
2003.5 G35s

 

I did not peek - i will now...you've expalined in great deal on past boards (in words i do not understand) the Venturi effect and some other technical prowess has been evident. I'm started to assume that the board in general are mostly used by tekheds and the like. The threads are testament to that.

 

Odd. I don't recall explaining the Venturi effect to anyone.. maybe someone hijacked my username? [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img] I'm only active here and on Edmund's.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter

 

Sorry bud but i confused you with dspisak in my feeble minded recollection. That thread was from 2 months ago or more. I've seen your posts on edmunds as well..this is a much better place for G drivers to chat...i keep geting into it with kdshaipro about 330 vs G35..gets old.

Any mod's in the works for you

 

kdshapiro is an interesting character. [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img] Both cars are worthy. I almost got a 330i instead.

Mods? Not right now. Maybe move up to 235/50R17 rubber but keep the stock rims when the current tires go bald, and most definately move to one of the low-dust aftermarket brake pads when the current ones are nearly gone. I'm trying out SCCA Solo2 autocross, and running in the DS stock class. Suspension and intake mods bump you out of stock class, and since I'm not good enough for stock yet, I'm definately not good enough for street prepared or modified classes. Until I can push the car to it's limits (and not beyond it's limits, as I seem to be good at) in stock form, there's no need.

Once I do get to that point, it has become clear that tires are the #1 thing to change.. so I'll probably get some aftermarket lightweight rims (legal in Solo2 stock class, as long as they're stock size - 17x7) and put some Hoosier or Kuhmo DOT racing rubber on them for competition days. That's supposed to shave several full seconds off course times. The difference between racing rubber and high performance summer tires is pretty drastic, I hear. And I don't even have that right now.. I'm running on the Bridgestone Turanza touring tires.

2003.5 G35 Sedan Desert Platinum/Graphite Premium/Sport/Aero/Nav/Winter