Hey Folks:

I just purchased a set of KLEEN WHEELS (keeps disk brake dust from getting on wheels)
for my 99' S Class and went to a local tire shop to have them installed. Without pausing, the technician
took one look at them and said his shop would not put them on due to liability concerns. So I went
to another shop who also was hesitant but suggested I call the dealer to confirm.
Prior to that, the guy tells me that the these dust deflectors do not
allow sufficient air flow to the wheels which may cause the rotors to overheat and warp!
Uhh'!!! Not exactly excited about that!!

I've also heard that some folks haven't experienced any problems but I'm having problems
determining what the general concensus is on whether or not this is a bad idea. Parts and labor
for these cars are expensive enough, I surely don't want to create unecessary wear and tear.

 

If you called any dealer of any car manufactuer, they would tell you not to use Kleen Wheel. I've had them on my 99 C280 for 3 years plus. I havn't had any problems with them at all. I changed the original front pads at 43K, so excessive brake wear is not an issue. My wheels, rotors and brake disc didn't get any hotter then normal, as long as you have the vent holes pointed forward relative to the wheel. As far as keep the wheels clean, I cut down from 2 or 3 times a week cleaning my wheels without Kleen Wheels to 1 time a week. However if you do have a failure in your brakes and the dealer says it is caused by excessive heat etc, if you were under warranty, the repair probably wouldn't be covered? I only use them on the front wheels as the back's stay much cleaner then the front. One other point make sure the are fitted correctly to the inside of the wheels, that is flat against the wheel, my car had very little clearance between the kleen and rotor, I had to play with them so they wouldn't rub. I recently had new tires installed and the installer didn't mount them correctly and by the time I got home the right side Kleen Wheel had scraped against the rotor, and the Kleen Wheel was ruined. I took them off and I am waiting for a new pair to come.

 

If you drive the car "normally" you shouldn't have a problem using them. If the way you drive or the places you drive require more than normal usage of the brakes, I wouldn't use them because of the overheating concerns.

 

I used to have a detailing business, and several of my clients had these. Two of them never had problems, but they hardly drove at all. The third one drove all the time, and she cooked her rotors in no time at all. She had them removed because she didn't want to keep replacing rotors. If you don't drive much, or are not very agressive with acceleration and braking, you can probably get away with it, but as Lugnut said, if you are driving in non 'normal' conditions, I would avoid it.

In a related story, I used to use the ArmorAll wheel cleaner on the old S class, but I've found what I think is the best cleaner for MB wheels. Believe it or not, it's Westley's Bleech White (tire cleaner). It has a degreasing agent in it that cuts the brake dust unbelievably, and it doesn't have the harsh elements that destroy the wheel finish over time. I've been very happy using it, and would recommend it to anyone that washes their own MB. I'm a once/week guy myself, and it really makes a big difference.

Good luck...

 

besides, there is always 0.2mm gap between the pad and the rotor when not braking. the clearance was designed to prevent dust and debris.

 

I did detailing as a sideline, up to 4 years ago, when I had a back operation, and it left me partial handicapped. Anyway, I used and still do on my own ride Griot's Wheel Cleaner. I, probably like you, have tried them all and I find Griot's an excellent cleaner. I use quite a lot of their products, except their Best In Show Wax, it dries very hard and even with a buffer it is a pain to get off. Mcguier's wax is my choice.