brake dust driving me crazy!! Kleen Wheels?????

[rubyred]

Hey there, all y'all.....

'92 325i E36 Brake dust on the wheels drives me up a tree.. :mad: Yes, I'm a "clean" fanatic! On Autogeek.com I clicked on the "Kleen Wheels" link....
Has anyone ever used these things? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!! :)
Is there any other way to keep brake dust from accumulating? how frequently do you other "clean freaks" get this stuff off? and How? I'm a bit new to bimmerforums but am so Happy to find others like me!

rubyred

[Loud_TIGER]

the general consensus is to not use Kleen Wheels.. you will overheat and warp your brakes

[G. P. Burdell]

Here's my standard reply to anyone considering brake dust shields. Note the date at the top of the document.

http://www.unofficialbmw.com/images/dustshields.jpg

[rubyred]

Thanks so much!!!! I really appreciate your quick and "referenced" BMW response! Got my answer! Guess I'll just have to learn to live with the dust. I'm grateful to you.
Rubyred

[rubyred]

Ben....Thanks very much for your quick response. Also heard from another guy with BMW reference. You can see the thread. I'll live with the dust... I'm soooo happy to have heard from you guys. Thanks!!!
Rubyred

[krc217]

I'm a newbie (my first post) I recently purchased 7/18 a 2002 325 Cica 19k miles Alpine White, Prem Pkg, Nav, 6 cd changer installed Viper Responder w/Auto Start. I inquired about the shields before I purchased them and for every pro there was a con. In less then a week the front 5 spoke wheels went fom silver to black so I thought I'd give them a try. When I picked them up at the speed shop they needed to see my receipt there were 6 other sets to be picked up. I was told if you don't abuse the brakes you shouln't have a problem. I just returned from Lake Placid 600 + miles round trip and they stayed clean with no sign of overheating. I'll be the guniea pig and keep you updated.An alternative is to keep them waxed which would make it eaiser to clean them with just hosing them off

[BimmerDawg]

Bah, no.

Kleen wheels suck and you can't see your brakes, which I actually like to show off.

Try not being so lazy and wash your car once/week.

[DoubleDub]

So what can you do about the brake dust? My E36 builds up noticable brake dust less than a day after cleaning the wheels....

[liquidtiger720]

Clay bar your wheels, AIO, the KSG (Klasse Sealant Glaze). Or Clay bar, AIO, then Poorboys wheel sealant. Dust comes off ALOT easier. also brings out the flakes in the paint if there are any.

[axxessdenied]

Get rotors and pads that don't produce a significant amount of brake dust.

[OCWHEELWURX.COM]

Get pads that don't produce a significant amount of brake dust.

binga. hawk hps pads provide great street/mild track performance and produce little to no dust. i got mine from pepboys of all places.

[SterlingSilber3]

binga. hawk hps pads provide great street/mild track performance and produce little to no dust. i got mine from pepboys of all places.
How long have you had the pads and just how well do they protect against brake dust????

[dakila]

binga. hawk hps pads provide great street/mild track performance and produce little to no dust. i got mine from pepboys of all places.
I just bought a 2005 330cic and did notice a lot more brake dust than normal. I've had the car for only a week and I've cleaned the wheels twice already. Yesterday, I took the wheels off the car and clayed and zaino'd the wheels. I plan on replacing the pads probaly a lot sooner than needed. I've used ceramic brake pads with success in my other vehicles. Does BMW have ceramic pads or do I need to go aftermarket? How about warranty issues if I go aftermarket?

[OCWHEELWURX.COM]

How long have you had the pads and just how well do they protect against brake dust????

had the pads now for about 4 months. as mentioned above, they give off VERY little dust and my wheels stay cleaner for much, much longer.

search under 'hawk hps pads'. i'm sure there are many testimonials you can catch up on.

[OCWHEELWURX.COM]

I just bought a 2005 330cic and did notice a lot more brake dust than normal. I've had the car for only a week and I've cleaned the wheels twice already. Yesterday, I took the wheels off the car and clayed and zaino'd the wheels. I plan on replacing the pads probaly a lot sooner than needed. I've used ceramic brake pads with success in my other vehicles. Does BMW have ceramic pads or do I need to go aftermarket? How about warranty issues if I go aftermarket?


search under 'hawk hps pads'. i'm sure there are many testimonials you can catch up on.

not sure what pad BMW can offer your car as a low dust alternative, but when it comes time to replace, give the pads i mention above a go. do your warranty research first though as i have no idea.

[Steve530]

You should look for ceramic pads. I have a set of Akebono ProACT that I like because they feel like OEM and produce much, much less dust. Axxis Ultimates are supposed to be good, too.

[magnetic1]

try Carbotech Bobcat. They have the same friction range as HPS, but they dust less and the dust isnt harmful to your wheel's finish.

[IDLOOK2]

I don’t have much to compare to, but I’ve been running the HPS's for 2 years (and several autox's) and have nothing but good things to say about them.
1. They last a long time. I didn't notice any wear the first year and now they look barely used. I'm defiantly hard on the brakes at times.
2. They dust very little. I can go about a couple weeks before I visually see signs of dust. The dust accumulates right away, but it is very thin and light colored so it’s hard to see.
3. They perform noticeably better than OEM pads. I haven't noticed any fade and I do feel that when they are warmed up, they will have a greater initial bite. These technically should perform just as well cold as warm, but I notice a difference.
4. If installed right, they will not squeak. I have heard several people complain that they make noise, but that is due to lack of lubrication at the right places during install.
5. Great customer service. I emailed to ask some basic questions and they gave great advice quickly and gave part numbers for what I was looking for.

So, whether you're looking for a well performing pad or not, I would strongly recommend these. I would not recommend them for the track just because they weren't designed for that. Then again, I would rather have these at the track than stock pads. I hope all this helps someone because that took some time to type.

[M3325]

Most German pads contain graphite and that is the source for all the quick dust build up. Graphite gives very good cold initial bite and might be TUV regulated.

[FastForwardwhls]

I've had shields on the fronts of my car for over a year now and I haven't had any issues.... I have an M so they get air ducts creating some air passages....

To tell you the truth, if I tracked the car I would take them off but since I use it for the daily grind I'm keeping them on.....

Good Luck either way!

-Eli