Brake dust prevention product comparisons

I am anal when it comes to the brake dust issue, short of changing pads , I have tried two different products, I know there has been many postings about this issue ( yes I figured out how to use the search function ) I tried Armorall Wheel Protectant , followed the directions and not impressed, wheel had only slightly less brake dust than if the wheel was not treated, it is easy to apply but IMO , it does not work, I purchase all my car care products from The Chemical Guys, I decided to try this product http://www.chemicalguys.com/Wheel_Wa..._p/wac_303.htm

Well So far it actually works, I have hardly any brake dust whatsoever, wheel actually feels slippery, easy to apply, left on for 15 minutes and wiped off, so far I am impressed by this product, I will give updates as the days go on.

Thanks for the info and data, but I would suggest the best test is to treat only half of the same wheel, rather than comparing wheels in different locations.

I tested Wheel Wax this way and found that the half treated with Wheel Wax actually collected more brake dust than the untreated half. Rather disappointing considering the price of Wheel Wax.

Thanks for the OP . . . my experience with Armoral Wheel Protectant was similar and I have quit using it. Please do post test results after several days . . . if possible some pics please and the test Penguin is suggesting.

Thanks again for this info.

I'm curious why not just use brake pads that emit less dust? I would think that would be easier than trying to find a dust repellant.

1. As I understand it, the metalic pads result in an electrostatic attraction between dust and wheel, not a 'surface stickiness'...hence coatings dont really help much. They may make it easier to clean, but not the attraction.

2. Changing pads is fine, and really the only 'solution', but when you are under the 'free' BMW maintenance, that can be a challenge....

Some people do not feel they want to stray from the OEM pads. The use of ceramic pads does not appeal to many folks. Probably lots of good reasons for that, increased rotor wear, harder pedal pressure, etc. The OEM german pads all seem to generate lots of brake dust, with the Mercedes pads the worst by far. I have seen "S" class front wheels that are absolutely black to the point it is hard to see the where the tire ends and the wheel rim begins.

Originally Posted by UncleJ

Some people do not feel they want to stray from the OEM pads. The use of ceramic pads does not appeal to many folks. . . .

Yes I am one of those folks, I try to stick with OEM parts unless there is a HUGE compelling reason not to. What I am looking for is something that will keep the dust off (or minimize it significantly) for about 7-10 days. When I wash the car I always wash the wheels using a good wheel cleaner . . . it is the in-between wash-days that I want the wheels to have that near-washed appearance.

My final verdict , I have driven approx 120 miles with the Chemical Guys product on the wheels , The back ones were virtually dust free, the front had dust but not nearly enough as before, I was not expecting a miracle just some improvement which I received, I was able to just " dust" off the front wheels with a dry towel and they were nice and clean again, when I used the Armorall product , it almost seemed to make the wheel slightly sticky and any attempts at wiping with a dry towel only led to smears, so overall I am happy with the results, again do not expect miracles just an improvement.

Originally Posted by UncleJ

Some people do not feel they want to stray from the OEM pads. The use of ceramic pads does not appeal to many folks. Probably lots of good reasons for that, increased rotor wear, harder pedal pressure, etc. The OEM german pads all seem to generate lots of brake dust, with the Mercedes pads the worst by far. I have seen "S" class front wheels that are absolutely black to the point it is hard to see the where the tire ends and the wheel rim begins.

Well I guess BMW doesn't know what they're doing because newer BMWs including my 2011 335 M-Sport have dustless pads. I can now go over a month before seeing significant dust on my wheels. BTW, I've been running aftermarket brake pads for years on all my BMWs and have had no ill effects. I've been enjoying clean wheels on my X5 for over a year and would never go back to the dusty stock pads.

Originally Posted by ductman

My final verdict , I have driven approx 120 miles with the Chemical Guys product on the wheels , The back ones were virtually dust free, the front had dust but not nearly enough as before, I was not expecting a miracle just some improvement which I received, I was able to just " dust" off the front wheels with a dry towel and they were nice and clean again, when I used the Armorall product , it almost seemed to make the wheel slightly sticky and any attempts at wiping with a dry towel only led to smears, so overall I am happy with the results, again do not expect miracles just an improvement.

Thanks.

Does this stuff come off when you wash the wheels with a good wheel cleaner? i.e. do you have to re-apply each time you wash the wheels?

How easy/difficult is it to apply this ChemicalGuys stuff? What about the barrel part of the rim (width of the rim)? Hate to use a wheel jack to apply this material.

Thanks again.

R

Originally Posted by RPsX5d

Thanks.

Does this stuff come off when you wash the wheels with a good wheel cleaner? i.e. do you have to re-apply each time you wash the wheels?

How easy/difficult is it to apply this ChemicalGuys stuff? What about the barrel part of the rim (width of the rim)? Hate to use a wheel jack to apply this material.

Thanks again.

R

You can just rinse the wheel off with a hose ( just be careful if the rotors are hot ) , no need for cleaners, I just dusted the wheels off with a dry soft towel and this eliminates the need to reapply again, I only applied it to the exterior sections, I did not worry about the inner part, basically I applied 1 coat to the rears and 2 coats to the front, waiting 15 minutes between each coat, it comes off rather easily, I am only planning to reapply this once a month unless I have to deal with any snow or salt issues.

Originally Posted by tony(topaz,SMG)

Well I guess BMW doesn't know what they're doing because newer BMWs including my 2011 335 M-Sport have dustless pads. I can now go over a month before seeing significant dust on my wheels. BTW, I've been running aftermarket brake pads for years on all my BMWs and have had no ill effects. I've been enjoying clean wheels on my X5 for over a year and would never go back to the dusty stock pads.

My experience has been similar. I think the OEM pads are just cheap and many of the aftermarket pads are superior.

Originally Posted by tony(topaz,SMG)

BTW, I've been running aftermarket brake pads for years on all my BMWs and have had no ill effects. I've been enjoying clean wheels on my X5 for over a year and would never go back to the dusty stock pads.

Thats good to know. Do you mind telling us what kind of aftermarket pads these are? Where you get them from. Maybe a part number? Are they ceramic?

Originally Posted by TurboBusa

Thats good to know. Do you mind telling us what kind of aftermarket pads these are? Where you get them from. Maybe a part number? Are they ceramic?

I have run both Centric Posi-Quiet and Akebono Euro Ceramic pads on the X5 and both are great. You can buy them from brakewarehouse.com, The Tire Rack, or Zeckhausen.com. Part numbers vary depending on engine size so just search for your particular car on those sites and compare pricing. Good luck!

Originally Posted by ductman

You can just rinse the wheel off with a hose ( just be careful if the rotors are hot ) , no need for cleaners, I just dusted the wheels off with a dry soft towel and this eliminates the need to reapply again, I only applied it to the exterior sections, I did not worry about the inner part, basically I applied 1 coat to the rears and 2 coats to the front, waiting 15 minutes between each coat, it comes off rather easily, I am only planning to reapply this once a month unless I have to deal with any snow or salt issues.

Thanks. I will give this a try.