Wheel gunk / smudge

[Bron Swanson]

I have noticed that my front wheels always have a layer of gunk / smudge on them. Even a fresh car wash doesn't take the stuff off. (The photo below shows the difference a bit, though it is cloudy today so I can't get a true "shine-test" comparison.)

If I wipe my finger against a back wheel, a little bit of smudge comes off. If I wipe my finger against a front wheel, my finger looks like I was just handling coal dust or something.

A bit of Googling suggests this may be non-harmful brake dust buildup. Does anyone else get this? If so, any suggestions on the best way to clean it without possibly harming the wheels?

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[tburner]

I have noticed that my front wheels always have a layer of gunk / smudge on them. Even a fresh car wash doesn't take the stuff off. (The photo below shows the difference a bit, though it is cloudy today so I can't get a true "shine-test" comparison.)

If I wipe my finger against a back wheel, a little bit of smudge comes off. If I wipe my finger against a front wheel, my finger looks like I was just handling coal dust or something.

A bit of Googling suggests this may be non-harmful brake dust buildup. Does anyone else get this? If so, any suggestions on the best way to clean it without possibly harming the wheels?

You're posting this in the Marketplace where people list things to sell. You'd be better served posting it in the Technical section under Tires, Wheels and Brakes: https://www.broncosportforum.com/forum/forums/tires-wheels-brakes.21/

But to answer your question, what you're describing sounds like brake dust buildup. It accumulates much faster on front wheels because the front brakes do most of the work. This is true of all vehicles, but the rate at which dust accumulates depends largely on the type of brake pads in use.

To clean them, just pick up a bottle of wheel cleaner and a wheel brush. There are loads of options out there and everyone has an opinion on which is best, so just grab what's available to you and decide for yourself what you like. The BS wheels don't seem to accumulate dust like crazy, so most cleaners will probably work just fine. Just make sure your wheels and brakes are cool before you try cleaning them.

There's a lot of info out there on cleaning wheels if you want to go down the rabbit hole, just give it a Google.

 

[Bron Swanson]

You're posting this in the Marketplace where people list things to sell. You'd be better served posting it in the Technical section under Tires, Wheels and Brakes: https://www.broncosportforum.com/forum/forums/tires-wheels-brakes.21/

But to answer your question, what you're describing sounds like brake dust buildup. It accumulates much faster on front wheels because the front brakes do most of the work. This is true of all vehicles, but the rate at which dust accumulates depends largely on the type of brake pads in use.

To clean them, just pick up a bottle of wheel cleaner and a wheel brush. There are loads of options out there and everyone has an opinion on which is best, so just grab what's available to you and decide for yourself what you like. The BS wheels don't seem to accumulate dust like crazy, so most cleaners will probably work just fine. Just make sure your wheels and brakes are cool before you try cleaning them.

There's a lot of info out there on cleaning wheels if you want to go down the rabbit hole, just give it a Google.

You're posting this in the Marketplace where people list things to sell. You'd be better served posting it in the Technical section under Tires, Wheels and Brakes: https://www.broncosportforum.com/forum/forums/tires-wheels-brakes.21/

But to answer your question, what you're describing sounds like brake dust buildup. It accumulates much faster on front wheels because the front brakes do most of the work. This is true of all vehicles, but the rate at which dust accumulates depends largely on the type of brake pads in use.

To clean them, just pick up a bottle of wheel cleaner and a wheel brush. There are loads of options out there and everyone has an opinion on which is best, so just grab what's available to you and decide for yourself what you like. The BS wheels don't seem to accumulate dust like crazy, so most cleaners will probably work just fine. Just make sure your wheels and brakes are cool before you try cleaning them.

There's a lot of info out there on cleaning wheels if you want to go down the rabbit hole, just give it a Google.

Thanks for the quick reply! I posted the thread there first (Tires, etc), but then I got a notification that someone moved it .

Much appreciated on the confirmation that the buildup is normal!

 

[tburner]

Thanks for the quick reply! I posted the thread there first (Tires, etc), but then I got a notification that someone moved it .

Much appreciated on the confirmation that the buildup is normal!

Mods doing the Lord's work. Turns out my recommendation wasn't even the right spot. They moved it to cosmetic upkeep, which is obviously more appropriate than the technical section that I suggested. But I don't think much about cosmetic upkeep. I've never washed my BS.....

 

[69cuda340s]

Yeah looks like brake dust

 

[Meanderthal]

I have noticed that my front wheels always have a layer of gunk / smudge on them. Even a fresh car wash doesn't take the stuff off. (The photo below shows the difference a bit, though it is cloudy today so I can't get a true "shine-test" comparison.)

If I wipe my finger against a back wheel, a little bit of smudge comes off. If I wipe my finger against a front wheel, my finger looks like I was just handling coal dust or something.

A bit of Googling suggests this may be non-harmful brake dust buildup. Does anyone else get this? If so, any suggestions on the best way to clean it without possibly harming the wheels?

Is this the first car you have ever owned? Every car will have brake dust to some level.

 

[Bron Swanson]

Is this the first car you have ever owned? Every car will have brake dust to some level.

This is my 6th or 7th vehicle, but I have never had one where the wheel shine /cleanliness was so different that it actually grabbed my attention. Gunk wise, my back wheels look brand new, while my front wheels look like they are a year or two old.

I can get in the habit of cleaning the fronts often, but especially with different threads and articles about brake pad issues, I wanted to make sure the stark contract wasn't a sign of something unusual going on.

Much appreciated!

 

[Meanderthal]

This is my 6th or 7th vehicle, but I have never had one where the wheel shine /cleanliness was so different that it actually grabbed my attention. Gunk wise, my back wheels look brand new, while my front wheels look like they are a year or two old.

I can get in the habit of cleaning the fronts often, but especially with different threads and articles about brake pad issues, I wanted to make sure the stark contract wasn't a sign of something unusual going on.

Much appreciated!

Front brakes provide about 2/3 of the stopping power for the vehicle and so are always bigger but also front wheels will get more brake dust. European cars are notorious for having heavy dusting from the brake pads. Take a look around at other vehicles on the road that aren’t regularly cleaned and you’ll see the front wheels are always dirtier than the back.

Now, if it bothers you enough, you can replace the pads with a ceramic pad that will dust a lot less.

 

[tburner]

European cars are notorious for having heavy dusting from the brake pads.

My VW Golf R produced an unholy amount of brake dust with the OEM pads.

 

[Petroph]

This reminds me to wash my f150 and shine up the tires. My rims are different colors because of this break dust.

 

[Meanderthal]

My VW Golf R produced an unholy amount of brake dust with the OEM pads.

Mine too, after changing pads/rotors it is better but still there.

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