What are Kleen Wheels? Kleen Wheels is the well-recognized trade name for a patented brake dust shield. A dust shield is an "inside hubcap" which fits into the inside of the wheel, preventing the unsightly black brake dust from flowing outward onto the surface of an alloy or steel wheel. Installation is simple and no special tools are needed.Kleen Wheels are not to be confused with another type of product (since discontinued): a dust cover which completely covered the rotor and caliper. It was a rubber cone-shaped product which did a good job of keeping in the dust...and also the heat! Kleen Wheels are "Turbo Vented" to enhance brake cooling, and are made of a high-strength aluminum alloy. Are dust shields standard OE equipment on new cars? Yes, dust shields are standard factory (OE) equipment on certain models. Kleen Wheels has been on the market for over fifteen years - in excess of three million pair are on the road. Do they affect the brakes? Customers often question whether Kleen Wheels have an effect upon the braking system. Consider that Mercedes-Benz are factory delivered in Germany with a steel wheel and a stainless steel hubcap as standard equipment. Does this wheel/hubcap design allow for any passage of air through the wheel? If an American customer were to buy the same vehicle in the United States, where we usually find the vehicles come standard with alloy wheels, and the customer installs a pair of Kleen Wheels (an inside hubcap) into the alloy wheels - would there be any more or less air circulating through the wheels than the vehicle was originally designed for with a steel wheel and an outside hubcap? The same amount, of course. Do Kleen Wheels affect the balance of the wheel? No. Kleen Wheels are extremely lightweight and by their engineering design become self-centering upon installation, thereby eliminating balance problems. For those wheels which have been high speed balanced on the vehicle, it is recommended to index the wheel studs on the wheel by a pencil mark or by tape before removing the wheel in order to ensure that the wheel is returned onto the hub in the same hub location. How do Kleen Wheels fit? Kleen Wheels are designed to fit easily into the inside of a wheel, just like an inside hubcap. It is a common misconception that Kleen Wheels fit onto the car. Do Kleen Wheels fit on the front wheels and rear wheels? Kleen Wheels fit both on the front and on the rear of the vehicle. Because the front wheels do 70% of the braking, the front wheels get dirtier far more quickly and more easily than do the rear wheels. For this reason, customers think that they only need a single pair of Kleen Wheels for the front. Most upscale current model vehicles have disc brakes front and rear. It is recommended that two pair be installed on a vehicle in order to protect the front and rear from brake dust build-up. Also, you won't need to move the Dust Shields when the wheels are rotated. What material is Kleen Wheels made out of? Kleen Wheels are manufactured of single-piece construction, aircraft-grade aluminum, coated with a lifetime matte black finish. Have Kleen Wheels been officially tested? The world's leading safety standards testing laboratory is in Germany, where the standards are set for safety throughout the world. The testing is provided by TUV, a German government agency created to test and evaluate OE equipment as well all aftermarket accessories. Kleen Wheels have been certified and approved by TUV. Keep in mind that we are talking about Germany - where the vehicles are driven on the Autobahn and in the Alps! Is there a guarantee? Kleen Wheels are guaranteed for the lifetime of the product in the hands of the original purchaser in the original vehicle for which they were purchased. This written guarantee is enclosed with every pair of Kleen Wheels. |