Brake dust/rust on painted wheel.

[petrolhead611]

I have successfully used really cheap oven cleaner, buying here from the equivalent of your dollar stores.

[javadog]

Oven cleaner will destroy the anodizing on any aluminum wheel. It can also damage bare aluminum, it's effect depends on what other metals are in the aluminum alloy. I wouldn't get oven cleaner anywhere near a wheel on a car.

[drcoastline]

Wheels are aluminum but are painted silver from the factory. It may be to late but trying not to compromise the clear coat or paint.

[javadog]

Oven cleaner is highly caustic and can damage painted surfaces.

[petrolhead611]

That's why I suggested the cheap brands as they lack much strength

[bkreigsr]

Plain old lacquer thinner has always worked for me. - multiple applications with a paper towel, patience, and finger nail.
Bill K

[drcoastline]

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

Plain old lacquer thinner has always worked for me. - multiple applications with a paper towel, patience, and finger nail.
Bill K

That's interesting. I'll try it.

[javadog]

Be careful, lacquer thinner can soften the clearcoat over the paint if you keep it on the surface too long. If you use a rag to scrub it, if you feel the drag on the rag increasing, that's your clue that the lacquer thinner is softening the top layer of the clearcoat. I would not use a paper towel on a painted surface, believe it or not it can lightly scratch the paint.

[drcoastline]

Originally Posted by javadog

Be careful, lacquer thinner can soften the clearcoat over the paint if you keep it on the surface too long. If you use a rag to scrub it, if you feel the drag on the rag increasing, that's your clue that the lacquer thinner is softening the top layer of the clearcoat. I would not use a paper towel on a painted surface, believe it or not it can lightly scratch the paint.

Don't you think the clear and or paint is a 2 pack paint? You think lacquer will soften that?

[javadog]

I'm sure the paint has some hardener in it, which helps, but it's not impervious. It can soften it, if it's on there long enough.

Just proceed with a little care and if you feel like the drag on the rag is increasing, you know it's eating into the paint.

[Cooper911SC]

I agree with Java on this. Go EASY!

Lacquer thinner with a blue Scott Shop Towel is one of my “go too’s“ for cleaning inner wheel barrels... but the clear will get soft if you work an area too long!

It’s a common mis conception that (Porsche) wheels and others are “powder coated” and impervious to chemicals.

With the Porsche stuff (and other OEM wheels) there is a thick off white base primer/coating and then the outer face of the wheel is painted silver and clear coated. The inner barrel gets some silver “overspray”.

Using manual brushing/scraping with a wheel cleaner like P21-S or the Griot’s Garage wheel cleaners as suggested will work to safely remove the build up. Yes it’s time consuming, but it will work.

You can use the thinner after the crusty stuff is removed. Thinner works best on road tar...not as well on the embedded brake dust.

Oven cleaner is extreme and honestly a good way to ruin your wheels.

[A930Rocket]

With my BBS race wheels, I used lacquer thinner and brake cleaner. Of course, those wheels had no clear coat on the barrels but they looked great after a weekend of driving.

[javadog]

For the record, I will point out that brake cleaner is extremely aggressive towards paint. I actually use it more often to remove paint than to do anything related to cleaning the brakes.