I've had my new TDV8 for a couple of months and only done about 1500 miles so far, but I've never had a car where the alloys get so dirty (with black brake dust) so quickly. (I noticed it on the dealer's week-old demonstrator too).

I'm sure it must be 'normal' but just interested to know if this reduces as the discs bed in, or whether I have a life of very frequent wheel cleaning in front of me.

Just wax your wheels and the brake dust will be reduced and the wheels will be easier to keep clean 2006 Mercedes CLS
1991 Retro-style Mini
But really finding it hard to fight the urge for a S/C...

they all do that, almost a 3 ton motor with big discs and big pads = lot of dust

Wax them and maybe use something like rain'x on them, then just give them a rinse every few days to keep em chipper

Light spray after waxing once a week with 50-50 mix of bilberry and jet wash off done  Far to many gone...

I tend to use Autoglym Wheel Sealant @ £4.50 a can it's a bargain. I probably only use it once a month so a can has lasted me over a year so far!

As above, basically if your wheels are waxed or sealed then the brake dust wont want to stick to them. The AG sealant just sprays on, which is my preference rather than applying a wax. But it's all down to preference!

You take the wheels off once a month to spray on ptfe ? Far to many gone...

tboner001 wrote:

You take the wheels off once a month to spray on ptfe ?

Nothing wrong with taking wheels off every few months to clean the backs

TBH i find it easier to give them a quick clean, wax them once a year and then if you keep the car for say 4 years pay for a refurb or get another set of rims with good tyres and save a load of cash like some others do...

dan_uk_1984 wrote:

tboner001 wrote:

You take the wheels off once a month to spray on ptfe ?

I wash them whilst they are on the car. And I dont clean the inside unlike some!

But you spray them on the car with Autoglym ? pal of mine did that last year trashed his pads and discs  Far to many gone...

tboner001 wrote:

dan_uk_1984 wrote:

tboner001 wrote:

You take the wheels off once a month to spray on ptfe ?

I wash them whilst they are on the car. And I dont clean the inside unlike some!

But you spray them on the car with Autoglym ? pal of mine did that last year trashed his pads and discs

Your Pal Didn't read the Directions.

Do not spray through wheels onto brake discs or calipers.

If unsure then spray product direct to cloth and apply to wheels to avoid spraying brake components.

As above, I try not to spray through the spokes - that being said, I'm sure I have sprayed some on the discs in the past with no ill effect. It will just burn off as the discs heat up, unless your mate sprayed so much on them that it soaked the pad in them?

I just do a short burst per spoke and then rub it in with the cloth - it's not difficult.

 

I noticed this today when cleaning the car. The front wheels in particular seem to have a build up of larger than dust black brake pad on them. The only other time I have seen this sort of thing was when I tried Green stuff pads in Elise.
Are LR using softer pads?
This did not happen on the last 322 so it is nothing to do with the cars weight. letters not necessarily in the right order

They make them out of cheese - that way they can change them every time they change the oil. $$$ 

Dixy wrote:

The only other time I have seen this sort of thing was when I tried Green stuff pads in Elise.

I had that too!! EBC Green stuff were the worst pads I ever used, bar none! The build-up on my Elise's wheels was in the form of lumps rather than dust. Very difficult to shift too. A new set of pads lasted the journey from Wiltshire to Le Mans and then just one day on the Bugatti circuit. Had to change pads before the second day on track. Went back to Pagids and no probs there.

Always thought I was the only one who didn't like EBC Greens. Nice to know I wasn't

Back on-topic: I have never known wheels to suffer from 'permanent' early damage (new car) from brake dust like I have with LR wheels. This has included 18" on a 56 reg D3 S, 18" on an 08 reg D3 XS and the current FFRR 20" sparkle finish. Even Wonder Wheels struggled to clear the speckling on the D3 wheels, but not tried it on the FFRR yet.

Did 75K miles in 2 years in an Audi Q7 and dust always shifted easily with normal cleaning. Wheels looked like new after all those miles in 2 years