Cleaning Rim Sidewalls
- Thread starter need11@46
- Start date
Thanks, Boudreaux. Since I'm not a driking man, I'll pass on the alcohol.
As an aside, my rims are DT R1.1's. I noticed the sidewalls have very fine ridges machined parallel to the circumference, I assume to aid in braking. Will the scotchbrite pads wear these down? Regards,
-Wm.
I use S.O.S pads. Leaves me rims with such a shine I can actually see myself!
A medium grit sandpaper will also help freshen up those brake pads too.
To all:
I've tried the Scotchbrite, alcohol and acetone. None of these worked. I have not tried the SOS pad - my experience with KP duty recalls that these pads have a LOT of cleaning solution in them and when mixed with water, are quite messy. I'll cut one up and see what happens.
As I mentioned in reply to Boudreaux, the rims are DT R1.1's, and have very fine grooves machined into the sidewall. The pads are current, Campagnolo brand. It is very difficult to clean the pad residue out from the grooves. I've also tried Windex and 409. It would take an afternoon with any of the above to clean one wheel.
So..., there must be something out there which will remove the pad residue without much effort. I'm hoping someone has the tip of the year for us. Thanks to all for your suggestions.
-Wm.
I've tried the Scotchbrite, alcohol and acetone. None of these worked. I have not tried the SOS pad - my experience with KP duty recalls that these pads have a LOT of cleaning solution in them and when mixed with water, are quite messy. I'll cut one up and see what happens.
As I mentioned in reply to Boudreaux, the rims are DT R1.1's, and have very fine grooves machined into the sidewall. The pads are current, Campagnolo brand. It is very difficult to clean the pad residue out from the grooves. I've also tried Windex and 409. It would take an afternoon with any of the above to clean one wheel.
So..., there must be something out there which will remove the pad residue without much effort. I'm hoping someone has the tip of the year for us. Thanks to all for your suggestions.
-Wm.
you should give the sos pad a try, the kind loaded with the blue stuff. It can be kinda messy and is usually easier to clean the rims with the tires off. Get the pad wet and rub the rims for a little bit... then wipe away the gunk with a dry rag. Before i used these it would take me about an hour or two to clean a rim, now i can do it in about 15-20 min. I don't know about the grooves as all my rims have been smooth.
Also it's not worth the effort to get them perfectly sparkly clean, as in one or two rides they'll be dirty again.
good luck,
Kyle
Also it's not worth the effort to get them perfectly sparkly clean, as in one or two rides they'll be dirty again.
good luck,
Kyle
fushman (and all):
Acetone will take off the heavy residue, but will not thoroughly clean the rim sidewall. I did try the SOS pad as Dr. Morbius and corn_chipz suggested, and this does work, albeit with a LOT of work. I was hoping the scotchbrite pad and alcohol as Boudreaux suggested would do the job, since it's much cleaner than the SOS, but to no avail.
I've contacted DT Swiss technical support, and they had no answer except that Shimano pads seem to leave the rim cleaner. Perhaps a change in pads is necessary, but to what brand? Pads are current Campagnolo, and they do provide smooth modulation and consistent braking performance. I'd hate to change.
I plan a visit to an auto parts store to try some of the wheel cleaning solutions (P21?). These may contain the chemicals necessary to dissolve the pad residue. It's worth a try, anyway. I may be left with an SOS pad after all of this discussion!
I'm curious; are all of you experiencing the same result with your brakes/wheels? Maybe I'm making a big deal of a common phenomenon without an easy solution. Your suggestions are deeply appreciated. Thank you,
-Wm.
I agree. I'm afraid that some of the chemicals (I've tried or plan to try) will take the finish off of the top of the rim. The DT R 1.1's have a painted (w/clear coat) finish.
I'm beginning to believe the problem is with the pad material in combination with the sidewall surface. If others are not having any trouble cleaning their wheel sidewalls, this may be the case. I really like the DT rim and Campy pads; in combination they provide a great feel and good stopping power. The fine grooves of the rim sidewall are really tough to clean out. As I mentioned, I may be left with the SOS pad. The rims do get dirty very quickly, so it'll become a monthly chore, to be sure.
-Wm.
Perhaps youre just too damn anal retentive. Is this affecting the performance of the brakes? Typically they are designed to work fine once the rim sidewall isnt perfect. Acetone will dissolve the material, anything it doesnt dissolve is purely cosmetic. Perhaps if it is as bad as you say, you could post a few pics, and more help may be forthcoming.
angrydave: I'd be the first to admit I am very particular about the cleanliness of my bikes, so I take no offense. As I mentioned in an earlier post, acetone will take off the heavy deposits, but will not clean the rim sidewall thoroughly. If the rims are not cleaned regularly, the build up does begin to affect braking performance. Therefore, my inquiry.
I've taken two pictures - one of a clean rim sidewall, the other of the build up (two different bikes, same rim and brake pad). I hope you can see the difference (I've not posted attachments before so I hope they come through - I will attach the second one in a subsequent post).
I'm curious to know if others using Campy pads are having the same problem with their rims. Maybe it's just the combination of the Campy pad and the DT R1.1 rim sidewall. The fine grooves do make it very difficult to clean.
Any further thoughts are appreciated. Many thanks to all for your kind regard.
-Wm.
I like koolstop pads (www.koolstop.com). They stop my bike better than the stock ultegra pads that came on my ultegra brakes. Could be my imagination but they seem to leave less residue on the rims.
I have Ksyriums that gum up like that, oddly my Eurus dont. In any case, its probably the grooves as you said. I seriously doubt the amount of crud left behind after a good cleaning affects the performance enough to justify the level of effort you describe. I can't feel much of a difference after I clean my wheels completely, except to note that they are more prone to squeal until the pads bed into the rim again. But to each their own.
On a side not, how do you like the rims? I was knocking around using them to build my next set, just for difference over tha mavics.
My Ksyriums show the same build up, but are a bit easier to clean because the sidewalls are smooth. Now that you've brought this up, the build-up must be caused by the Campy brake pads. You're correct that any residual material has a negligible affect on braking performance. Dave (?), what brand of pad are you using?
I happen to be very particular about keeping my bikes clean, so this issue is more of a personal one. Most would likely mock my concerns, but I was hoping someone out there would have an answer. I will continue to pursue the matter, and if I find a quick and easy cure, I'll let everyone know.
As for the DT R1.1 rims, I'm very, very happy with them. I now have 4 sets of wheels using this rim. They are a bit lighter than a Mavic Open-Pro (or most others that I've compared - Velocity, Zipp, etc.) and provide a smooth, predictable feel. The best way I can think of to describe their performance is that the modulation is linear, and is smooth as butter. There isn't any grabbing, and the more you squeeze on the lever, the more stopping power you get. No gaps or jumps; just linear power, and buttery smooth (w/Campy pads...). I hope this makes sense. The build quality is very good, just as you would expect from DT. My wheel sets are built around DT Swiss 240s', Zipp 95/220's, Campy Record and American Classic Road hubs. The Zipp hubs are really nice as well.
Thanks for checking back on this matter. I appreciate your consideration.
-Wm.
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