Our fearless leader, Pic of Trackbird's car Options

[trackbird]

That's why I painted them "brake dust color" (I don't know why they don't just name it that).

And that's exactly why I want to do the same. Getting tired of having to religiously clean my wheels every weekend, and still have visible brake dust on them two days later. I haven't cleaned my wheels in a whopping three weeks now, and the fronts in particular are pretty much the color you painted yours, with the inner portion just being a slightly lighter shade.

I'll probably lay some newspaper down when I paint mine though, if only because I don't have a lawn that will grow back, but just a paved driveway that hopefully will never do any sort of growing.

Go to Advance auto (where I got mine) and look for Duplicolor "Graphite" wheel paint. I hosed the rims off with brake clean, wiped with a rag. Let them dry and gave them 2 coats. It's doing well so far.

Ask Mericet about my original wheels. I tried to clean them with a wire brush. There is about 1/16 to 1/8th inch thick coating of brake dust and rotor material around the edges. I didn't clean them for 2 complete sets of brake pads (carbotechs).

A little secret. Leave the valve stems in them, it keeps paint out of the hole so the stems still seal properly, then just have the tire shop replace them when you remount the tires. That worked well for me anyway.

[Mericet]

Ask Mericet about my original wheels. I tried to clean them with a wire brush. There is about 1/16 to 1/8th inch thick coating of brake dust and rotor material around the edges. I didn't clean them for 2 complete sets of brake pads (carbotechs).

Damn, I always thought the old rims were painted! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[jraskell]

I ruined my gold diamond spokes on my old 88 GTA like that. Hadn't cleaned them for over a month (diamond spokes in particular are a pain in the ass to clean). Went to an AutoX that was about two hours away from my house. Collapsed the old rubber brake lines on the front and had brake sticking problems, and drove it home like that. At several points I could just smell the whole front wheel assemblies baking they were so hot. Had to replace not just the brake lines, but the rotors, calipers, pads, and wheel bearings, and the old brake dust was essentially permanently baked onto the wheels. I got the lips back to their un-painted, polished shine with some scotch brite and emery cloth, but the diamond spokes were no longer gold powder coat, but brake dust powder coat.

[trackbird]

This is what came off my car. This was a rear wheel, the center cap came off of a front wheel (I don't have a pic of the fronts). This is the reason for the paint.

(IMG:http://home.columbus.rr.com/trackbirdz28/DSCN1736.JPG)