[MisterGoober]

Getting a lot of brake dust from the front brakes, really hard to keep the wheels and calipers clean. Assuming this is normal, but wanted to do a sanity check?

[aguy]

It's normal.

[Triple Seven]

I laughed at the sea of sediment the first time I hosed down my wheels.

[ChrisK]

Originally Posted by MisterGoober

Getting a lot of brake dust from the front brakes, really hard to keep the wheels and calipers clean. Assuming this is normal, but wanted to do a sanity check?

It's a BMW. Totally normal.

Ceramic coat the wheels ASAP! Much easier to keep clean after.

[Brandt51]

Standard complaint with OEM brakes, multiple manufacturers have that issue. Aftermarket pads will prob be a lot less dusty depending on brand.

[waldrops]

Just replace your brakes with carbon ceramics, it's a cheap DIY fix

[MrOhnoez]

20 spoke wheels, brake calipers that don't allow a thick sheet of paper to go between them and the inner barrel of the wheel let alone a wheel brush.
It takes me a good hour to wash just the wheels to my satisfaction.
it's rough lol
I keep my car in neutral and open the trunk and pull the car so I can get the spots blocked by the caliper.
They look great for about 10 minutes!

[natmad]

Originally Posted by MrOhnoez

I keep my car in neutral and open the trunk and pull the car so I can get the spots blocked by the caliper.
They look great for about 10 minutes!

I grab one of the spokes halfway up the wheel and pull upwards and the car rolls pretty easily.

[S55bruh]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

It's a BMW. Totally normal.

Ceramic coat the wheels ASAP! Much easier to keep clean after.

This!

I had the wheels coated along with the car when I took it to the detailer. The wheels still get nasty and collect dust, but very easy to clean. Plus I swapped to 437’s, so they clean quickly too.

[VisualEcho]

The cheapest fix is replacing the stock pads with Akebono's, which dust a LOT less, and are much easier on rotors as well. Obviously you'll sacrifice some performance, but if you're not tracking your car you should be fine.

[DStinson]

Does anyone know if EBC is making pads for the M2C big brakes yet? Had a set of their Yellow Stuff pads on my Porsche and they were amazing. Low dust and incredible performance.

[uniqueMR]

Only way out is: ceramic brakes

[Vulpe]

Originally Posted by DStinson

Does anyone know if EBC is making pads for the M2C big brakes yet? Had a set of their Yellow Stuff pads on my Porsche and they were amazing. Low dust and incredible performance.

Do they not already? Checked the website and it looks like they do. I don't know what the pads actually look like so I can't make sure.

[MMMBRAP]

Originally Posted by MisterGoober

Getting a lot of brake dust from the front brakes, really hard to keep the wheels and calipers clean. Assuming this is normal, but wanted to do a sanity check?

I keep a well-stocked garage cabinet full of Sonax Wheel Cleaner and hand wash my car once every week or two.

But yeah it's unfortunately way too normal.

[Aust350z]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Ceramic coat the wheels ASAP! Much easier to keep clean after.

This and a decent wheel cleaner.

[dmboone25]

I got an iK Foam Sprayer (one of the little ones) and some Brake Buster (citrus based, non-acid) to go along with my wheel brushes and pressure washer. The 666Ms are very similar, spoke-wise, to the 788as, so I feel your pain.

The car washing part doesn't take long at all - the wheels are another story, but honestly I don't mind. I find it therapeutic.

[///AVM]

On related note . . . why do brake rotors form a layer of rust before the car can even be completely dried after washing?! As quickly as you pump brakes for the first time there is a layer of 'rust dust.' Infuriating! Is there a way to prevent this nearly instant rust formation?

///AVM

[Vulpe]

Originally Posted by ///AVM

Is there a way to prevent this nearly instant rust formation?

Hyde's Serum Rust Stopper is one product I know of, never tried it myself. I think there are some wheel cleaners out there with similar effects. I've never cared to try them out.

[MisterGoober]

Thanks for the responses. Looks like i'll try different pads when these wear down.

[nearwater4me]

I realized last night that the gray 2NH calipers along with the ‘black’ 788m wheels do an amazing job at hiding all the brake dust.
Swiped the caliper and wheel edge with my index finger only to find a ridiculous amount of coated brake dust layer.

[somberlaine]

Originally Posted by nearwater4me

I realized last night that the gray 2NH calipers along with the ‘black’ 788m wheels do an amazing job at hiding all the brake dust.
Swiped the caliper and wheel edge with my index finger only to find a ridiculous amount of coated brake dust layer.

True! but after cleaning them up for the first, you'll be able to tell the difference.

[///AVM]

Short of, perhaps, ceramic brakes – which I have never owned and cannot attest – it seems nothing can prevent brake dust. Heck, as per my prior post, rust on the brake rotor starts to form before the car is even dried after washing. The second you apply the brakes after washing, there is layer of ‘rust dust.’

What I can share is just how easy it is to remove the pad/rotor dust IF you pre-treat the wheels. Some report ceramic coating, which I have not tried. I utilize Swissvax cleaner fluid to decontaminate the wheels, then applied Autobahn wheel wax with non-stick PTFE.

I wish I could say it works so well that all you need to do is rinse the wheels with hose to remove the dust . . . no such luck. I can attest that decontamination/Autobahn application makes cleaning VERY simple via wetting with hose  gentle wipe with microfiber cloth  rinse. Clean as new.

Quick tip: although the dust comes off very easily with above protocol, the microfiber cloth with be all but useless after wiping wheels. Do not use quality/microfiber cloths. You can purchase packages of 50-100 small microfiber cloths from most local auto stores (e.g., Autozone, O’Reilly, etc) and even Walmart for about $20. Not what I would use for paint detailing, but perfectly soft and applicable for wheels. Given the quantity you get for the price, very reasonable to use a single cloth per wheel, then toss.

///AVM