Marc08EX
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- May 10, 2008
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Meguiar's Hot Rims Brake Dust Barrier Review and Testing
We were recently blessed with great new 2012 products and I'm sure everyone is excited to try them out. I decided to review and test one of them - behold the Meguiar's Brake Dust Barrier. This product has intrigued me a lot and I'm curious as to whether this product works or not. Here's what the product looks like:
Product Claims:
Product Description:
We all love clean wheels, but wouldn't it be nice to have them without the work? Meguiar's Hot Rims Brake Dust Barrier uses advanced technology to provide a barrier between dirt and your rims.
Just spray a light coating to clean, dry wheels. you'll notice dirt & grime do not bond - so it'll take less time & work to clean your wheels. Plus, it lasts for weeks - so no need to re-apply every time you clean your wheels.
Directions:
Tip: If excess product runs onto tire, wipe off immediately. Product can be removed with rubbing alcohol, if needed.
So onto the process. I started off with clean wheels as shown below:
I was only going to test this product on the front wheels, where the brake dust accumulation is mostly seen. In order to make sure that the product bonds as perfect as possible, I clayed the wheels first to ensure all bonded contaminants are removed.
The shot below shows the clay after 1 wheel. It wasn't so bad.
I think that Last Touch as some polymers or shining agents on it. To make sure that the surface is completely clean, I sprayed IPA to the wheel after claying and then wiped it off afterwards.
I first worked on the passenger side front wheel. What I did was to tape and cover the right half of the wheel. I used the manufacturer's symbol in the center cap as my point of reference. I applied the brake dust barrier on the left half of the wheel while the right half of the wheel is covered with tape and a newspaper sheet. I did this to ensure that the brake dust barrier wouldn't contaminate the right half of the wheel. Here are some pictures showing the process:
Only the left half of the wheel exposed:
Spraying the product on the wheel:
The instructions said to apply a thin coat to the wheels. I failed to do that because I was trying to ensure I have complete coverage. As a result of doing so, I had some spray running down on some parts of the wheel. Oh well. I hope I didn't compromise the effectiveness of the product.
On the right half of the passenger side front wheel, I compared the brake dust barrier to my preferred method of wheel protection: Meguiar's Cleaner Wax. I applied cleaner wax on the right half of the wheel and buffed it off as shown below:
Here is the passenger side front wheel all done:
I'm going to be checking how this product stacks up against cleaner wax. Will it provide some protection to the wheel? Will it also last longer than the cleaner wax?
Now let's move on to the driver's side front wheel. I did the same process as the passnger side except that I didn't use anything on the right side. This wheel only has a coat of brake dust barrier on the left side while the right side is completely stripped down. Here are some pictures showing the process:
Only the left half of the wheel exposed:
Spraying the product on the wheel:
Here is the driver side front wheel all done:
For this side, the plan is to check how effective this product really is. Will it make cleaning wheels a lot easier? Will it really provide a barrier against brake dust?
I will provide timely updates and show you guys any difference in brake dust accumulation and whether or not it makes it easier to clean. By that I mean by hosing it down with water. Cleaning it with soapy water solution will make the wheels clean regardless if it's maintained properly.
I might not provide weekly updates because I drive 90-95% freeway and seldom brake. In any case, I will provide updates when I can show some difference.
Date of application: 2/19/2012
Mileage: 39,545 miles
We were recently blessed with great new 2012 products and I'm sure everyone is excited to try them out. I decided to review and test one of them - behold the Meguiar's Brake Dust Barrier. This product has intrigued me a lot and I'm curious as to whether this product works or not. Here's what the product looks like:
Product Claims:
- Makes your wheels easier to clean!
- Outlasts other wheel protector products
- Safe for all wheels - even chrome
Product Description:
We all love clean wheels, but wouldn't it be nice to have them without the work? Meguiar's Hot Rims Brake Dust Barrier uses advanced technology to provide a barrier between dirt and your rims.
Just spray a light coating to clean, dry wheels. you'll notice dirt & grime do not bond - so it'll take less time & work to clean your wheels. Plus, it lasts for weeks - so no need to re-apply every time you clean your wheels.
Directions:
- Hold can 6 inches away and spray onto wheel until applied areas are lightly coated. Do not over-saturate.
- Allow to dry for 3-5 minutes. Avoid wiping the surface while product is drying.
Tip: If excess product runs onto tire, wipe off immediately. Product can be removed with rubbing alcohol, if needed.
So onto the process. I started off with clean wheels as shown below:
I was only going to test this product on the front wheels, where the brake dust accumulation is mostly seen. In order to make sure that the product bonds as perfect as possible, I clayed the wheels first to ensure all bonded contaminants are removed.
The shot below shows the clay after 1 wheel. It wasn't so bad.
I think that Last Touch as some polymers or shining agents on it. To make sure that the surface is completely clean, I sprayed IPA to the wheel after claying and then wiped it off afterwards.
I first worked on the passenger side front wheel. What I did was to tape and cover the right half of the wheel. I used the manufacturer's symbol in the center cap as my point of reference. I applied the brake dust barrier on the left half of the wheel while the right half of the wheel is covered with tape and a newspaper sheet. I did this to ensure that the brake dust barrier wouldn't contaminate the right half of the wheel. Here are some pictures showing the process:
Only the left half of the wheel exposed:
Spraying the product on the wheel:
The instructions said to apply a thin coat to the wheels. I failed to do that because I was trying to ensure I have complete coverage. As a result of doing so, I had some spray running down on some parts of the wheel. Oh well. I hope I didn't compromise the effectiveness of the product.
On the right half of the passenger side front wheel, I compared the brake dust barrier to my preferred method of wheel protection: Meguiar's Cleaner Wax. I applied cleaner wax on the right half of the wheel and buffed it off as shown below:
Here is the passenger side front wheel all done:
I'm going to be checking how this product stacks up against cleaner wax. Will it provide some protection to the wheel? Will it also last longer than the cleaner wax?
Now let's move on to the driver's side front wheel. I did the same process as the passnger side except that I didn't use anything on the right side. This wheel only has a coat of brake dust barrier on the left side while the right side is completely stripped down. Here are some pictures showing the process:
Only the left half of the wheel exposed:
Spraying the product on the wheel:
Here is the driver side front wheel all done:
For this side, the plan is to check how effective this product really is. Will it make cleaning wheels a lot easier? Will it really provide a barrier against brake dust?
I will provide timely updates and show you guys any difference in brake dust accumulation and whether or not it makes it easier to clean. By that I mean by hosing it down with water. Cleaning it with soapy water solution will make the wheels clean regardless if it's maintained properly.
I might not provide weekly updates because I drive 90-95% freeway and seldom brake. In any case, I will provide updates when I can show some difference.
Date of application: 2/19/2012
Mileage: 39,545 miles
