Your car’s brake system performance depends on how well you clean and invests in its general maintenance.
There are situations where there could be brake soot or dust and if you don’t remove it, problems may arise with your brakes, and ultimately, your driving.
This article aims to show you how to get rid of brake dust – especially, as there are questions on whether it can be done without removing the wheels.
What is Brake Dust?
Around your car wheels, there are possibly dark residues or soots – they are called brake dust.
These residues are formed as a result of carbon residue, iron particles, and friction around the wheels. The color intensity, however, depends on your brake pad material.
Types of Brake Cleaners
When you discover soot or dark residue around your tires, the next thing you need to do is get a brake dust remover (or brake cleaner). These are solvents capable of removing grease and brake fluid from your wheels and making it as good as new.
That being said, below is a list of brake cleaners forms available on the market.
Non-Inflammable Chlorinated Brake Cleaner
A non-inflammable chlorinated brake cleaner is one of the popular choices to remove all the brake dust around your wheels.
It is a strong and effective option because of the presence of chlorine, which is also a drying agent against crud or brake fluid.
It is non-inflammable, versatile, and doesn’t damage painted surfaces. However, it is quite expensive.
Flammable Non Chlorinated Brake Cleaner
Flammable or chlorinated brake cleaner is another incredible choice, as it comes with other components apart from chlorine (such as isopropyl alcohol), capable of removing dust.
It is an inexpensive choice but highly flammable. For a brake cleaner that contains acetone, it could cause damage to a painted surface.
3M High Power Sprayer
Alternatively, the 3M High Power Sprayer is a high-performance aerosol brake cleaner. It has excellent luminosity on metal surfaces and often comes in different formulations depending on the manufacturer.
The only demerit of this spray cleaner is that it is also highly flammable.
Can you apply brake cleaner with the wheels on?
Yes, you can.
However, cleaning your car’s brake system is more than just the exterior part. You need to disassemble the various brake parts or suspension components, such as the brakes pads, brake rotors, brake discs, brake linings, and the brake caliper units or assembly.
How To Use Brake Cleaner Without Removing Tires?
Let’s say you go for any of the 3 brake cleaners, how can you spray brake cleaner without removing your wheels? Find out in this step-by-step guide below .
Set Your Car on a Flat Surface
The first thing you need to do before using a brake cleaner to clean the exterior part of your brakes is to set your car stable and ready for operation.
You should make sure your car is parked on a stable surface and a well-ventilated area so you can perfectly clean brakes.
Prepare Your Brake Cleaner
The next thing to do is to buy the best wheel cleaner and prepare it for the job.
You should make sure the spray nozzle works before cleaning disc rotors and other brake parts.
Use the Spray Brake Cleaner to Remove Dust
Now that you know the chlorinated or nonchlorinated brake cleaners work, the next step for you is to spray generously around the brake discs or drums, calipers, and pads.
Although you may not be able to clean disc brakes, brake rotors, and brake shoes properly since the wheels are not off.
Keep Wheels Wiped and Soak Excess Cleaner
For you to have completely clean disc brakes or pads, you need to wipe down the wheels with a small detail brush. You can also remove excess cleaner with a lint-free cloth.
Leave the brake parts for a few minutes to air dry before hitting the road again.
Will a brake cleaner damage the tire?
Yes, it will eventually indirectly damage rubber tires, especially if it is a nonchlorinated brake cleaner.
With clean brake rotors and other parts that contribute to the braking mechanism, you can drive easily on the road.
However, most brake cleaners and others like Sonax wheel cleaner, carb cleaner have wax surface protectants, making it possible for them to act as a dust remover and agitate crud or residues deposited on the wheels without damaging them.
How do you stop squeaky brakes without removing tires?
If you have a brake squeal, that means there is a problem with the brake pads because they often come with a built-in squeaking device.
However, what would make your brake quiet is if you get new brake pads and possibly, change the brake rotors – you can do this without removing the tires.
Is brake cleaner bad for rubber?
Yes, it is.
As aforementioned, when you use brake cleaner to clean brake rotors and every other component, you need to clean all residues immediately.
If you don’t, the brake cleaner, especially if it is nonchlorinated, contains chemical compounds that could react with rubber and plastic materials, causing degradation.
Alternatively, you can use a degreasing detergent to get the job done. However, you can only use it in dissolving grease available in small amounts.
Why Cleaning brakes mean more than just cleaning the exterior of an assembly?
If you only clean the exterior part of the brake assembly and leave brake dust on other parts, you may experience issues with your braking mechanism, which is quite dangerous – it could cause a serious accident.
What you should do is disassemble the wheels to expose brake components and use brake cleaner to get rid of the residues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Brake Calipers?
A brake caliper is one of the features of a disc brake system designed to slow the wheels of a vehicle when driving. It does this by creating decent friction with the brake rotors.
How to Know If a Caliper is Bad?
Your brake caliper could develop issues from constant use but you may not quickly notice until you conduct a thorough inspection.
Nevertheless, there are some signs you would notice that definitely tell you that your caliper is bad and needs a replacement. They include:
- strange noises from your car when you step on the brakes
- constant fluid leak due to the loss of hydraulic pressure
- stuck open or closed caliper comes with uneven brake pads.
Can Brake Cleaner Remove Rust?
It depends.
A brake cleaner may not prevent rust buildup but it can remove corrosion from the rotors.
Ideally, the disc rotors tend to corrode as liquid touches them over time.
Conclusion
On the question of whether you can spray brake cleaner without removing tires, the answer is YES.
However, it won’t do you much good to use brake cleaner on the exterior when the interior is still covered in dark residues – this could affect the entire braking mechanism of your vehicle.
You can either go for the listed options above or check out other brake cleaners containing ingredients like isopropyl alcohol to use.
Whatever you decide to go for, ensure to apply properly and use a small brush to reach other significant areas of your brakes.
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