A few years ago a friend of mine brought his newly purchased and “gently used” 325i to my house. She was almost as excited for him as he was for himself, as this was the car she had always wanted. A recent promotion and raise at work meant he could ditch his LeSabre for something a little fancier and a little more expensive. As he pulled into my driveway, I gave the car a good “run over” before my eyes fell on his left front tire. While the rest of his car looked brand new in the showroom, its front wheels were absolutely filthy. So what was the culprit that messed up my friend’s wheels? Read on to find out all the sordid details!

Brake dust. Yes, something as simple as brake dust from the 325i messed up my friend John’s wheels. I handed him a sponge and a towel with some warm water and he immediately started touching up the alloy wheels and tires. Unfortunately, this was only a temporary fix as a few days later his wheels broke again. At that time, however, I had already ordered a set of brake dust covers to fix the problem. I honestly never knew such a product existed until he told me about it.

When John’s brake dust shields arrived I helped him install them and was impressed with how easy they were on his car. Brake dust shields are installed directly on the wheel, as a kind of internal hub cap. Each shield is a one-piece unit that snaps into place without the need for any special tools. John’s shields were just the right size for his wheels. [order by wheel size to make sure] and your car no longer looks dirty. Best of all, your remaining warranty is not voided with this highly functional replacement part.

Another thing I learned about brake dust is that in addition to looking bad, brake dust can wear down alloy wheels. You cannot use harsh chemicals on your rims to remove dust nor should you use a high powered sprayer. Instead, brake shields [or brake dust covers as some people call them] eliminate the problem entirely leaving your wheels looking great at all times. Brake dust shields are also sold to allow the brakes to cool down.

Brake Dust Shields are available through select auto parts stores, including Auto Parts Warehouse’s always open online store.