Brake Dust Wheel Protectors

[Mann242]

Does anybody have any experience with those brake dust protectors for the wheels, the ones that help to keep the wheels cleaner longer? How effective are they and do they mess with the balance of tire/wheel or are there any other safety/performance issues? Thanks

[jonw440]

I have never used "Kleen Wheels" but I have heard people love them.

[Torque]

I had them on the front for a long, long time.

They are very thin and light, and do not mess up the balance at all. I've driven at all types of speeds with them on and never noticed anything.

As for safety issues -- there isn't any. They pretty much stick inside the rim and bolt down to the hub ... they can't like fall out or anything.

As for performance/heat ... they have slotted "intakes" that slice into the airflow to supply the cool air for the breakes. I'm guessing that it wouldn't be so great if you tracked your car, but for normal/spirited driving street use they don't really affect anything.

And yes, they will keep so much brake dust off that you simply wont believe it.

I hope that helps.

[Jamison]

i just took mine off. under "normal" driving you cant notice them but under hard breaking they dont allow the breaks to cool as well. they do a decent job of keeping the wheels clean however. just my 2cents.

[gotKRAUT]

never never never never never use them, they are terrible, they trap heat in and cause your rotors to over heat and warp...never never never use them ever....EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


just my experiance

[RexKing86]

Originally Posted by Jamison

i just took mine off. under "normal" driving you cant notice them but under hard breaking they dont allow the breaks to cool as well. they do a decent job of keeping the wheels clean however. just my 2cents.

+1, Keeping all the break dust in there also causes the callipers to get clogged with extreme amounts of dust, much more than with out them.

Plus, they make you nice rims look like steel rims with hubcaps!

[acoustic]

I installed a set of "Axxis Deluxe Plus" pads from Zeckhausen Racing and absolutely love them. They dust considerably less than the low dust Mintex Red Box from Bav Auto.. It takes perhaps 8 or 9 mash the pedal hard stops from 70mph to get them to start fading, they are quiet and virtually dustless not just dust less. Dave sold me the pads for my E36 Cabrio for $81.00 shipped for front and rear! It took about an hour to install them and that included cleaning the inside of my wheels when I had them off. Kleen wheels will kill rotors in about 8k trust me I know... Dave is great to deal with and ships fast. The Axxis Deluxe Plus pads are by far the best street pads I've used on a BMW!!

http://www.zeckhausen.com/axxis_pads.htm

-Acoustic

[Mann242]

Thank you all for the information.

[1LOBOSS]

They look like well, crap

[Torque]

Originally Posted by 1LOBOSS

They look like well, crap

Depends on the wheels. They came on my 535 you see in the sig, and you can't tell they're there unless you're a foot away from the wheel ... which I don't really care about.

[1LOBOSS]

^^^Agreed. I guess I am referring to an open style rim

[marysmith]

may I know how this thing looks like?

[BMWJNKY]

Originally Posted by marysmith

may I know how this thing looks like?

We had a customer at the last shop I worked at that had these on their 740i. They did zero hard driving and kept warping factory rotors, finally they listened to us and had us take off the Kleen Wheels and never had a warping issue again. If you get some good ceramic pads and wash your car regularly brake dust won't be an issue. Also like others have said, if you have an open spoke design wheel they look a little ghetto, esp on a BMW.

[AlpineSixAndSeven]

dont get them. freind had them on his jeep and went though 3 sets of rotors b4 he lisened to me

[Torque]

People say that putting wax or (this will sound strange) non-stick cooking spray prevents it from sticking as much. Or you can get different brake pads that don't dust as much.