Jaretr1
08-22-2012, 06:29 PM
If we are on this forum, its because we have an interest in how our cars look. I have noticed that there are a lot of people commenting on how to clean wheels. What about how to prevent wheels from getting dirty to begin with?
So here is a little information that I learned in the auto repair business. Brake Pads are not all created equally. And yes, in many cases, you get what you pay for.
Manufacturers choose very specific brake pad compositions for their cars. Depending on what they are hoping to acheive in performance, wear and brake dust. While many "aftermarket" brake pads advertise low brake dust, that might not be the case.
In the case of my car, an Acura RSX Type-S, my factory brake pads produced very low brake dust, and overall I was satisfied with the braking performance of my car. When I replaced the pads, I did some research and found that Akibono makes those pads, and sells them under their own brand (ProACT, or at least they are extremely similar) at about half the cost of pads from the dealer (but still more expensive than pads from most autoparts stores). Ultra low brake dust was my number one desire, and knowing these pads perform well, I went with them. Naturally I could have gone with even more expensive pads offering higher braking grip at the cost of producing more dust. I could have also gone with less expensive pads that might have also produced more dust and not offered better performance.
For example, a former co worker had bought the "premium" ceramic pads from one of the auto parts chains for his Honda Civic. After a week of driving, his rims are black. He switched (to the Akibono ProACT) and his car now emits practically no brake dust.
When it comes time to change brake pads, do some research on what pads you use if the levels of brake dust are a concern. Overall, the quality of the pads that many of the "chain" autoparts stores sell are fair to poor. In many cases, using OEM pads, or finding out who makes them and buying them from their brand is the best option. Just like in car care products, you do get what you pay for.
As far as cleaning my wheels, I have avoided using any wheel cleaners. I use Meguiars Cleaner Wax once every 6 months or so (or Collinite 845) to protect them. Every car wash I simply use a microfiber covered wheel brush dipped into the wash bucket and wipe them down.
I hope this information is enlightening to someone. :)
Jaret
So here is a little information that I learned in the auto repair business. Brake Pads are not all created equally. And yes, in many cases, you get what you pay for.
Manufacturers choose very specific brake pad compositions for their cars. Depending on what they are hoping to acheive in performance, wear and brake dust. While many "aftermarket" brake pads advertise low brake dust, that might not be the case.
In the case of my car, an Acura RSX Type-S, my factory brake pads produced very low brake dust, and overall I was satisfied with the braking performance of my car. When I replaced the pads, I did some research and found that Akibono makes those pads, and sells them under their own brand (ProACT, or at least they are extremely similar) at about half the cost of pads from the dealer (but still more expensive than pads from most autoparts stores). Ultra low brake dust was my number one desire, and knowing these pads perform well, I went with them. Naturally I could have gone with even more expensive pads offering higher braking grip at the cost of producing more dust. I could have also gone with less expensive pads that might have also produced more dust and not offered better performance.
For example, a former co worker had bought the "premium" ceramic pads from one of the auto parts chains for his Honda Civic. After a week of driving, his rims are black. He switched (to the Akibono ProACT) and his car now emits practically no brake dust.
When it comes time to change brake pads, do some research on what pads you use if the levels of brake dust are a concern. Overall, the quality of the pads that many of the "chain" autoparts stores sell are fair to poor. In many cases, using OEM pads, or finding out who makes them and buying them from their brand is the best option. Just like in car care products, you do get what you pay for.
As far as cleaning my wheels, I have avoided using any wheel cleaners. I use Meguiars Cleaner Wax once every 6 months or so (or Collinite 845) to protect them. Every car wash I simply use a microfiber covered wheel brush dipped into the wash bucket and wipe them down.
I hope this information is enlightening to someone. :)
Jaret