Cleaning Wheels?

I don't use harsh wheel cleaners. I just use the car soap that's available to me and my wheels come out clean everytime.
 
Accumulator said:
abbeysdad- Be careful with the Simple Green, wouldn't want you to be like that VW owner who messed up his wheels with the stuff.

Maybe the tough areas need polished :think: Once I smoothed the finish on those areas (and layered on the KSG) they got a lot easier to clean. Also, not letting the [stuff] build up that much between cleanings can help, though our wheels sometimes get mighty dirty between washes.
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I didn't see a VW issue and am having trouble believing that an APC like simple green could really cause a problem. Products like Wesley's Bleach White and EagleOne A2Z seem WAY more caustic to me.

In my case, winter is the tough time when I'll hit the pay 'n spray weekly, but just can't really do detailing diligence. The inner wheel areas behind the spokes that are tough to get at suffer most. Which means they also don't get (LSP) protection either.

I guess I should pull the wheels and do it right, but that seems a little extreme to me.
 
Does anyone have any experience with the Wheel Wax brand wheel wax? Redundant, redundant? Haha.



I ordered some from AG, and I have yet to use it. Comments?
 
abbeysdad- Well, heh heh, by now you know that I *can* be a little extreme to say the least :o



The minivan's winter wheels are the only ones where I can't reach the back sides at every wash; the other vehicles are cleaned front/back every time. But again, I'm not LSPing the back sides on two of my vehicles, at least not right now; I did still polish them a bit so they'd be smooth and shed dirt more readily though (had one coat of 845 on them but that didn't last all *that* long).



The Simple Green/VW issue was a few years ago and I don't remember the details except that *IIRC* it was about very light, gradual clouding of the finish on factory wheels. I'm not really anti-Simple Green (I have a jug in the shop), but I don't use aggressive stuff on my wheels unless I really need to, and that just doesn't happen except when I buy a used vehicle and need to do that first reconditioning. I've done minor, but irreparable, damage to wheels in great condition with TOL's stronger wheel cleaner (forget the name right now), and that stuff isn't all *that* potent...so I tend to err on the side of caution.
 
As long as the rim cleaner is non-acid based than you can use it every time. You shouldn't need to if you seal them as stated before. If you do seal them, then definitely don't use any kind of rime cleaner.
 
abbeysdad- Yeah, a drill-mounted brush like that might be just the ticket :xyxthumbs



I plan to try one of those on the M3's BBS wheels if, uh...I mean *when* I get it back on the road.
 
Wheel Wax - OK, not worth the $$ though and please apply very thin or you will have Popeye arms by the 4th wheel.
 
Thanks, JuneBug.



It really wasn't that expensive, so I thought I would give it a shot. Any products you'd recommend that's better or more bang for the buck?



JuneBug said:
Wheel Wax - OK, not worth the $$ though and please apply very thin or you will have Popeye arms by the 4th wheel.
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Here's the drill brush I was looking at - looks like a good deal (I have NO affiliation):

Drill Brush

Now I think the above would be great especially if it can get to the back of the wheel beyond the spokes.

[Also] I just happen to have a Shark portable steam cleaner so tonight I decided to haul it outta the basement to see how it would do. (I saw another thread in here about steam cleaners but never though of using the one we have on the cars)...

Well, it did a good job on the face of the wheel and in the crevice around the lugs. It did not do a good job on the wheel behing the spokes - that looks to need some cleaner to remove the grime. I think the steam cleaner may come in handy in some other tough areas.
 
After I got my wife's car wheels completely cleaned (mine still won't come off my car:cry: ), all I do now is light spray them with 3:1 mix of Eimann Fabrik Hi-Intensity Cleaner, let them soak a little, then I'll fill a bucket with water and cheap shampoo (K.I.T or the like) from local store (save the good stuff for the paint). I'll go over the outside with a sponge, and the inside of the wheel with the EZ detail brush. After drying them, I apply a quick coat of Eimann Fabrik Clear Pearl II (again saving the good stuff for the paint :chuckle: ). This last step really helps in keeping the wheels clean.
 
abbeysdad said:
Here's the drill brush I was looking at - looks like a good deal (I have NO affiliation):

Drill Brush
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ahh man...that thing looks like the ticket. the notch is a pain in the butt to clean. i thought about a Mothers PWRB but it looked too big to get in there. the drill brush looks like it will fit



m36.jpg
 
spielnicht- Nice to hear somebody else appreciates EF HI. I don't use it on wheels, but it's my #1 undercarriage/wheelwell APC for the drivers :xyxthumbs
 
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