Meguiar's Hot Rims Brake Dust Barrier Review and Testing

[gatoman39]

Yeah I agree. I think the armor all is doing a better job at repelling the brake dust and not letting it land on the wheels. In addition, I've read that Meg's doesn't make a claim that their Brake Dust Barrier will repel brake dust. It'll just do a better job at cleaning the wheels.

In the past what I have done is to lightly brush a MF towel against any dark spots on the Armorall, and it comes right off without any product or force. The longest I have gone is 3 months without washing the rims (also summer in LA means no rain). The barrels develop these patches of dust, but I just leave it alone and focus on the face until I need to wash it for real.
I think the Megs is creating an illusion because the dust is adhering to the wheel in a uniform manner.

 

[gatoman39]

Have you driven in the wet since applying both products? I originally thought the Armor All coated wheels had tar on them...

No, it hasn't rained. This sort of brake dust splattering is very endemic to this product and my car. I usually just wipe it off with a MF towel and it comes off easily. If I used nothing the wheels would look like this after 50 miles:

 

[ryanmcg1]

either product u decide to dedicate use to they both definitly have some brake dust repelling compared to your pic of the wheel with no protection on it which makes either one a winner in the long run thanks for the info I always think about grabbing the armor all one when I'm in the store but always put it back I will pick it up next time when the megs hit the store I might have to try it too.

 

[gatoman39]

UPDATE:
OK, so after 600miles:
(Driver side is using Armor All Wheel Protectant and Passenger Side is using Megs Brake Dust Barrier)

Armorall front:

Megs Front:

Armorall rear:

Megs rear:

 

[Marc08EX]

Looks like Armor All works in repelling the brake dust really well.

The Meguiar's Brake dust barrier doesn't repel the brake dust at all. My wheels aren't dirty enough yet. I'm waiting for another week before doing pics or videos on how it responds to a stream of water.

 

[Vegas Transplant]

Subcribed, as I have a Cayenne customer.

 

[ryanmcg1]

I hate to say it but it looks like Armor All has a 1 up over Meg's. Good for them!

 

[gatoman39]

Looks like Armor All works in repelling the brake dust really well.

The Meguiar's Brake dust barrier doesn't repel the brake dust at all. My wheels aren't dirty enough yet. I'm waiting for another week before doing pics or videos on how it responds to a stream of water.

It's really odd. The AA repels the dust, but allows for pockets of dust to collect. The Megs repels dust but allows for the dust to settle in a very uniform pattern, giving the illusion that the wheel isn't dirty.

 

[mg6045]

holy thread jack! brutal. where is the original review ?

 

[Marc08EX]

My car doesn't accumulate brake dust as much so I'm waiting for the wheels to be very dirty before doing the review. So far I've driven 1,200 miles or so but there's only light brake dust. The car has been filthy for a while now. I'll be washing the wheels this weekend for sure and update you guys.

 

[Marc08EX]

Ok guys. Time for an update! I've been trying to get as much brake dust accumulated in the wheels and I hope this is enough for you guys. This is the only time I wished my car produced more brake dust. I couldn't go any further because my car is filthy and I can't stand it anymore. I had to wash it.

Date: 3/16/2012
Mileage: 41,185 miles
Miles driven since application: 1,640 miles
Soap: Meguiar's Deep Crystal Car Wash
Wash Media: Body Sponge

Let's start with the passenger side wheel first. This wheel had both the Meguiar's Brake Dust Barrier on one side and Meguiar's Cleaner Wax on another side.

Here's how the wheel looked prior to washing:

Just to refresh your memory of which side is which, here's a picture showing just that: (Or you can refer to my original post for proof)

Here's a picture of the wheels after the initial rinse:

Here are some pictures showing the wheel face's reaction to the soap when I washed it. The picture below shows the side where the Brake Dust Barrier is applied:

As you can see, the soap seems like it didn't want to stick to the surface. This could be because of the Brake Dust Barrier coating. On the other hand, the picture below shows the side where the cleaner wax is applied:

As you can see, there's nothing special about it. The soap seems to cling onto the surface.

Here's a picture of the wheels after rinsing the soap residue off resulting in a clean wheel:

This picture clearly shows that the Brake Dust Barrier side is beading like there's no tomorrow while the side with cleaner wax isn't.

Here are some videos I took as well to show you guys how the water reacts to each side.

Below is the video prior to soaping the wheel down:

[video=youtube_share;Dk1Q9-JHkpQ"]10 Passenger Side Before Washing.AVI - YouTube[/video]

Below is the video after soaping the wheel down:

[video=youtube_share;Il7iwGYkiAA"]11 Passenger Side After Washing.AVI - YouTube[/video]

 

[Marc08EX]

Now let's move on with the driver side wheel. This wheel had only the Meguiar's Brake Dust Barrier on one side and it was uncoated on another side as a control.

Here's how the wheel looked prior to washing:

Just to refresh your memory of which side is which, here's a picture showing just that: (Or you can refer to my original post for proof)

Here's a picture of the wheels after the initial rinse:

Here's a picture of the wheels after soaping it:

Here's a picture of the wheels after rinsing the soap residue off resulting in a clean wheel: (sorry for the bad lighting. It was getting dark)

Again, this picture clearly shows that the Brake Dust Barrier side is beading like there's no tomorrow while the uncoated side isn't.

Here are some videos I took as well to show you guys how the water reacts to each side.

Below is the video prior to soaping the wheel down:

[video=youtube_share;4rSOTuqn5es"]12 Driver Side Before Washing.AVI - YouTube[/video]

Below is the video after soaping the wheel down:

[video=youtube_share;r6jTlX6U1EE"]13 Driver Side After Washing.AVI - YouTube[/video]

*** Please notice the tape line on the spoke located in the 7-8 o'clock. You can clearly see the side with Brake Dust Barrier repelling the water while the water attaches to the uncoated side.

 

[Marc08EX]

Observations:

• It seems like the Brake Dust Barrier provides a coating of some sort. It also provides relentless water beading.
• The side where the Brake Dust Barrier is applied feels slicker than the side with cleaner wax or the uncoated side.
• This product doesn't repel brake dust at all. The brake dust clings to the coated, waxed and uncoated surfaces almost equally.
• This product doesn't make it easier to rinse off the brake dust with water. However, my water pressure is low. Using a pressure washer can alter my results.
• This product may make it easier to wash off the brake dust with soap or wheel cleaners especially when heavy accumulation is present. I just wasn't able to produce a lot of brake dust in my case. However, if you regularly wash and maintain your wheels, it really won't make a difference.
• The cleaner wax didn't look like it survived the extreme heat produced by the vehicle's brakes. The side with cleaner wax reacts the same way with the uncoated side.

Conclusion:
This product definitely works! It provides you with a coating that lasts a long time and will help clean up your wheels a lot easier. It lasts a long time - definitely more than your traditional wax applied on the wheels. I will definitely use this product from now on so that my wheels are fully protected. You need to try this product out. It's worth the money and you won't be disappointed.


What do you guys think of my review? Hope you guys liked it and I hope it helps. If you guys have any comments or criticisms, please feel free to let me know. Thanks for your time!

 

[gatoman39]

I think your review is freaking awesome. I'm almost ashamed to put my picture up after that. I think you'll be able to see a bigger difference on my car since it's a brake dust monster, will post shortly, Nice work!!!

 

[Robert8194]

Great review. Thanks.

 

[FUNX650]

Conclusion:
This product definitely works! It provides you with a coating that lasts a long time and will help clean up your wheels a lot easier. It lasts a long time - definitely more than your traditional wax applied on the wheels. I will definitely use this product from now on so that my wheels are fully protected. You need to try this product out. It's worth the money and you won't be disappointed.


What do you guys think of my review? Hope you guys liked it and I hope it helps. If you guys have any comments or criticisms, please feel free to let me know. Thanks for your time!

Great Review Marc! :dblthumb2:
Thanks for taking the time and effort to do so.

BTW: I highly regard your opinion on products...This one sure looks like a winner!



Bob

 

[Marc08EX]

I think your review is freaking awesome. I'm almost ashamed to put my picture up after that. I think you'll be able to see a bigger difference on my car since it's a brake dust monster, will post shortly, Nice work!!!

Thanks Gatoman! I think you did a great review as well. I really like how the AA repels brake dust so you have less to clean. Plus, it makes your wheels look a lot cleaner since it's silver rather than black.

Great review. Thanks.

Thank you Robert.

Great Review Marc! :dblthumb2:
Thanks for taking the time and effort to do so.

BTW: I highly regard your opinion on products...This one sure looks like a winner!



Bob

Thank you for the kind words, Bob! I really appreciate it.

Thanks also! I try to provide unbiased and truthful reviews. But I'm no Corey hehehe! This definitely is a winner and I will keep on using this product. It simply works.

 

[gatoman39]

ok, so this is after about 1000 miles:

Armor all front:

Megs front:

AA rear:

Megs rear:

Megs front:

 

[gatoman39]

On the surface, it seems like AA kills Megs BDB, but there's another chapter to this story. Washing. I was interested to see what if any affect washing the wheels with only water would do.

The AA has no affect, it's so repellant, that spraying the wheel with water makes the wheel look exactly the same, no better or worse.

The Megs is a whole different story, I just spray the wheels down with a regular garden nozzle, no chemicals.:

Megs front:

Megs rear:

OK, they're not spotless, but for having to do nothing they are pretty darn good. You would have to rewash the armor all side and then reapply the products again. I'm just gonna leave the Megs side alone and see how it goes.

Response to Marc08EX pbservations:

It seems like the Brake Dust Barrier provides a coating of some sort. It also provides relentless water beading.

exactly

The side where the Brake Dust Barrier is applied feels slicker than the side with cleaner wax or the uncoated side.

batting 1000

This product doesn't repel brake dust at all. The brake dust clings to the coated, waxed and uncoated surfaces almost equally.

you some kind of mind reader?

This product doesn't make it easier to rinse off the brake dust with water. However, my water pressure is low. Using a pressure washer can alter my results.

I didn't use a pressure washer, but my water pressure is strong, and my brake dust fierce. I can imagine spraying some cleaner and using a pressure washer would be all that would be needed instead of the 4 brushes and elbow grease that I normally need.to use.

Conclusion:
If I can do 10% of the work and obtain 90% of the results I want, that's a trade I'm willing to make. I loathe washing rims and the brake dust on this car is criminal. I will definitely use Megs BDB again.

 

[S7ICKlVlAN]

Awesome review and great pics. Thank you. I'm buying some Megs tomorrow!