Simple Steps to Manage Brake Dust on Your Dodge Charger or Challenger Wheels

There’s a great sense of pride when you own a Dodge. The powerful engineering and iconic design represent much of the best of American automotive prowess. As you drive it around, it gets dirty, so you go to wash it. As you get to cleaning the wheels of your Dodge, have you ever noticed a kind of gray-colored dust (sometimes gray-black) covering the wheel rim? It washes off but it keeps coming back and you may wonder how that kind of powder is even getting there.

What you’re seeing there is brake dust, and it gets its color because it’s partially metallic. As the brake pad does its job and presses up against the brake rotor, this friction is what creates the brake dust. That means that every time you drive, you will be generating it and that’s why you get a seemingly endless build up on your wheel rims.

There’s certainly no need for alarm when you see brake dust, but if you ignore it over a long time it can have a corrosive effect, eating into the clear coat and even down to the aluminum of your alloy wheels. The best idea is to clean it off.

I’ve tried brushing away the dust but it doesn’t seem to come off

Brake dust is stubborn stuff, and you may have to employ stronger measures. The process itself isn’t complicated, but you have to make sure that you have the right gear before you get started. Once you’re ready, there’s a simple procedure to follow.

First – prepare your equipment:

• Bucket and sponge
• Wheel cleaner
• A hose
• Soft-bristle brush – look for one made especially for wheel cleaning if possible
• Vehicle wax (liquid)

Next – follow the procedure

Step 1: Make sure your Dodge is switched off and has had an opportunity to cool right down. You don’t want to start this process on warm or hot wheels. If it still has hubcaps then you’ll need to remove those. Use the hose to rinse off the wheels before you start, otherwise embedded grit, gravel or other debris could cause scratches as you start to scrub the dust off.

Step 2: Apply a coat of wheel cleaner all over the rim of the wheel. Give it about a minute of soaking time, but make sure you’ve got it everywhere on the wheel before you start that count. The tighter the spot, the more likely dust will be hiding there.

Step 3: Use the wheel brush (soft bristles only) to scrub the wheel down, also being sure to get wherever you have just applied the wheel cleaner.

Step 4: After scrubbing every nook and cranny, rinse off the wheel entirely. The wheel cleaner should never be left on any longer than it should, so make sure you get all of it.

Step 5: Dry the wheel off straight away (to avoid water marks) and with a clean microfiber cloth or chamois. Do not use a damp or soiled one. Once dry, apply the wax once, and then try to keep up the waxing once every 2-3 months. Check the specific wax product you for how long its effects last. 

The sad truth is that there is no way to stop it completely, but there are a few solutions that can help you minimize the impact of brake dust.

Option 1: Brake dust repellent

Brake dust repellents/cleaners, like Meguiars work by making the surface of your wheels incredibly smooth. This makes it harder for as much dust to accumulate as much of it will simply slide off. That’s the same way ceramic coatings work on your car’s paint. This method adds a step to your maintenance process, but should help reduce the buildup significantly. 

Option 2: Brake dust shields

This one may set you back around $100 to cover all four wheels, but is a handy and lasting solution to help prevent serious buildup. Installation requires removing the wheels, so you might want your specialist Dodge mechanic to help you work on this one.

Option 3: Get new brake pads

Factory-issued brake pads are an acceptable option for manufacturers, but if you are concerned about brake dust there are better answers out there. If you get into the world of aftermarket parts, you can find brake pads made from Kevlar, carbon fiber, ceramic and other synthetic materials that not only improve the brakes’ efficacy, but won’t produce dust.

Reduction of brake dust is possible on your factory-issue pads, but unless you’re willing to switch them out for aftermarket brakes, then the dust willcontinue. Check in with your mechanic or dealership if you want to know more about your brake pad type and how you can better manage brake dust. Don’t forget that aftermarket parts may void the warranty, so check on the terms and conditions before making any significant changes.