How To Clean Brakes Without Removing The Wheel: The Easiest Way

It’s happened to all of us. You’re driving along and suddenly you hear a loud screeching noise. Chances are, your brakes need cleaning. But how do you clean brakes without removing the wheel?

Brakes are an essential part of any vehicle, and they need to be kept in good condition in order to ensure safety while driving. In this blog post, we will discuss the easiest way to clean your brakes without removing the wheel!

How To Clean Brakes Without Removing The Wheel

Cleaning the brakes is very important and has to be done from time to time. There is a way to clean the brakes without removing the wheel. This will stop your brakes from squeaking and will remove the rust from brake discs. Here is how to clean the brakes without removing the wheel:

1. Required items for the task

• Brake cleaner (see on amazon.com
• Bucket with warm water
• Sponge

2. Verify that your brakes need cleaning

Check brake pad is a warning light that comes on when your brake pads are worn down and need to be replaced, or need cleaning. To verify that your brakes need cleaning, you need to check and see if the brake pads are not completely worn. In my case, the brake pads were brand new, but I constantly got this message on my dashboard. So, I have decided to clean the brakes and see if it fixes the issue.

3. Clean the brakes with warm water

Brake pads and shoes press against the brake rotors and drums to create friction that stops the vehicle. Over time, this process wears down the brake pads and shoes, as well as the rotors and drums. As these parts wear down, they begin to create dust. This dust is made up of steel particles from the brake pads, as well as other materials like road debris, dirt, and grease. The dust accumulates on the wheels and can eventually make its way into the brake system, where it can cause problems.

So, grab a bucket with warm water and a sponge. Clean the wheels and the brakes the best you can. It is important to clean the big debris first. You can also add some dish soap, but you don’t have to. Clean all four wheels/brakes before continuing to the next step.

4. Let the brakes dry completely

It is important to let the wheels completely dry before applying the brake cleaner. This is mainly because if you apply the brake cleaner on a wet brake, it will wash out and won’t have the best effect. So, while one wheel is drying out, move on to the next one and clean it with some warm water.

5. Spray the brakes with a brake cleaner

Now that the brakes have been cleaned with water and are completely dry, it is time to use the brake cleaner. The brake cleaner is designed to remove grease, brake dust, brake fluids, oils, and other contaminants that can be found on the brakes. In general, most brake cleaners can be used on ABS, discs, drums, brake drums, shoes, calipers, clutch discs, and disc brake pads. But most importantly, the brake cleaner will not cause any damage to your rims.

The whole bottle of brake cleaner is enough for four wheels. So, spray each brake through the openings in the rims equally so you have enough cleaner for all four wheels. Make sure to get the brake cleaner from all angles.

6. Let the brakes dry

The brake cleaner dries out in a matter of minutes. So, once you spray all of the brakes with brake cleaner, make sure to leave it for at least five minutes to dry. Then, take your vehicle for a test drive. At this point, the brakes should stop squealing. Also, this procedure will take care of any rust and debris that can be found on the brakes.

How Do I Stop My Brakes From Squeaking Without Removing The Wheels?

If your brakes have been squeaking and driving you crazy, there is a way to fix this. Usually, this job requires removing the wheel and disassembling the brakes. However, today I am going to show you how to stop your brakes from squeaking without removing the wheels. Here is how:

1. Required tools

• Lubricating copper spray (anti-seize) from amazon.com
• Soapy water
• Sponge

2. Wash the brakes with soapy water

Start by washing all four wheels and brakes with some soapy water and a sponge. By doing so, you will remove any large dirt and debris that might have got stuck between the brake caliper and brake disc. Many times, a small rock will get stuck between the caliper and disc and each time you press the brakes, it is actually the rock that will cause the squeaking noise.

3. Let the wheels dry completely

Before moving out to the next step, you need to let the wheels and the brakes dry out completely. If its a sunny day, the brakes will dry in about thirty minutes.

4. Apply the anti-seize copper spray

A can of anti-seize copper spray is enough for four wheels. This spray acts as a lubricant and prevents parts from sticking when exposed to high thermal stress. As you know, when you press the brakes, all of that kinetic energy becomes heat. So, if your brakes are not high-quality or you have been using them for a while, the caliper and brake pads might stick to the brake disc just enough to cause a squaling noise.

Grab the anti-seize spray and work your way in. Make sure to spray the brakes in all angles possible. There is enough room in between the rim openings for the spray nozzle to pass.

5. Let the brakes dry and go for a test drive

The lubricating spray dries out pretty quick. I had to wait like five minutes for it to be completely dry before taking my vehicle for a test drive. If you have done this procedure correctly, you will be able to stop your brakes from squeaking without removing the wheels.

How Do You Remove Rust From Brake Discs Without Removing The Wheel?

Metal components such as brake discs tend to rust over time. Rust forms from oxidation and water. Apart from esthetics, excessive rust on brake discs can actually decrease the overall performance of the brake system. But, what if you are not comfortable with removing the wheel and you desperately want to remove rust from the brake discs? Here is how:

1. Required tools for the job

• Metal scrub
• Plastic scrub
• Dry sandpaper, 80 grit
• Wet sandpaper, 80 grit

2. Rinse the wheels with water

By rinsing the wheels and brake discs with water, you are removing the larger debris that can be found around the wheels and on the brakes. For this step, you can use warm water, cold water, or water with dish soap. Whatever you prefer. Just make sure that you get rid of the dust and debris.

3. Scrub the brake discs with metal and a plastic scrub

Since we are not removing the wheel, it can be pretty tricky to clean the brake discs. However, you will need to work things out and scrub the brake discs with a metal and plastic scrub in between the rim openings. You might also need to move the vehicle backward or forward to align the parts that you couldn’t clean in the first go. First, start with the metal scrub and then continue with the plastic scrub. Depending on how much rust there is on the brake discs, you might need to rinse it with water just to have a better understanding of where you are with the cleaning.

Once the brake disc surface is very smooth and there is no rust visible, move on to the next step.

4. Sand the brake discs

First, sand the brake discs with the wet sandpaper and then with the dry sandpaper. As I mentioned earlier, I use 80 grit sandpaper to clean rust from brake discs. If your rims have tight openings, you can wrap a screwdriver with sandpaper and try to remove the rust that way. Again, you can rinse the wheels in between the cleaning just to see where you are with the cleaning.

5. Let the brakes dry completely

Let the brake discs completely dry out and then perform an inspection. If you are not satisfied with the results, you can repeat the process over and over again until you get the wanted results.