Concentrated Wheel Cleaners- What`s your preference?

Fskof;[URL="tel:2186013" said:
2186013[/URL]]I use the Auto Fanatic Professional Wheel Cleaning Foam that I use with a dedicated Foam Cannon. I really like that it has a corrosion inhibitor additive to prevent corrosion on the brake rotors. It also won`t stain blacktop or concrete.

I have a bottle of it I haven’t used yet. Definitely not the most cost-efficient.

Edit: I may stand corrected based on dilution ratios.
 
I use the Auto Fanatic Professional Wheel Cleaning Foam

Duragloss has a gallon size wheel cleaner.

And the hits keep coming

It looks like Duragloss has 3 wheel cleaners. They also have MSDS on their site:

851 Aluminum Wheel Cleaner: phosphoric acid, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol, and ammonium hydrogen difluoride, which I think is basically ABF, which = HF
822 All Wheel Cleaner: MSDS doesn`t work, but I found it elsewhere--oxalic acid and 2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol
801 Chrome Wheel Cleaner: phosphoric acid, butyl glycoether, and ammonium hydrogen difluoride (very similar to 851; ratios are slightly different)

The 822 sounds like something I`d use if I ever use up my Valugard stuff.
 
Hi Autopians!

New poster here, but veeery long time lurker. Not sure why I haven`t contributed any sooner, but here I am. Normally I post on the sister forum. I know there are some absolute detailing legends on this forum from whom I`ve learned a TON.

Anyways, I`d like to discuss some wheel (and tire) cleaners!

I normally use Meguiar`s D143 Non-Acid wheel and tire cleaner, diluted 1:2 , but I`ve been discovering that for really caked on wheels it just takes too much scrubbing. So I`m looking for something that can fill a similar role. Concentrated cleaners are ideal as I use a lot of product so buying a non-diluteable iron-decon type product at 60-80+ a gallon is just out of the question for wheel use. The non-acid products are preferable as they can be used on tires as well, but I also am thinking about trying an acid based product.

Replacements I`ve been eyeing:

P&S Chemtrol Knock Off Concentrated Wheel Cleaner, about $26/gal
This product comes in at a pH of 11 in concentrated form. This appears to use same type of chemicals present in D143 and also Brake Buster. This product is interesting because it uses a lower pH than D143 (stated as 12.5-13.5) but it has dilution ratios of 1:8 to 1:20. This makes me wonder the effectiveness of the product, especially since Brake Buster seems to be a similar formulation but at much lower dilutions.

Superior Products Dark Fury, ~$22/gal
The product formerly known as RAGE. This one comes in with a pH of a whopping 14 in concentrated form. Claimed dilutions are between 1:4 and 1:10. Superior also claims this product makes for a very effective traffic film remover, but I generally leave wheel cleaners to wheel cleaner duty and have separate products for that. I`m guessing the higher solution pH would make it more effective at tire cleaning and removing blooming.

Adam`s Wheel and Tire Cleaner, ~$32/gal
This one is a bit more expensive, but I tried once before from a mystery bucket and got good results. However, that was undiluted. I`ve seen people claim (in the wild west of F.B.) that this product works just as good if not better than D143 at the same dilutions. It`s SDS shows a pH of 13.5 in concentrate form, so it clearly seems to have the ability to take a dilution. I`m curious how effective it really could be under dilutions of 1:2 to 1:4.

On the acid side of things:

3D Super Wheel Cleaner, ~$65/gal
This product has a high buy in but dilutions of 1:8 to 1:13. Initially I thought this was going to be a similar type of product as the previous products, a high alkaline cleaner. But looking up the SDS, it is in fact a unique acid-based cleaner. In concentrate form it has a pH of 5, which doesn`t really seem that acidic at all. Vinegar and lemon juice have a pH around 2, for instance. But I looked more into the composition of it, and it is about 35% Urea and 45% hydrochloric acid. A little googling told me this is a compound called Urea Hydrochloride, and is commonly used as a tile, grout, shower and toilet cleaner. It supposedly has tremendous abilities of dissolving metallic salts and particles while being relatively safe to use with no odor or inhalation dangers. Traditional wheel acids are dangerous to handle without full PPE, so this became interesting to me. However, I don`t believe it would be an effective tire cleaner and I would need a separate product. I would possibly continue using D143 or one of the above mentioned products along side it.

Meguiar`s D140 Wheel Brightener, ~$20/gal
The OG that I have still never used. D143 already makes my lungs feel like death, even when used in a foamer, so it makes me a little apprehensive of this product. However it`s effectiveness is well known. Meguiar`s recommends a dilution of 1:4 for this one and the pH is 4.5 in concentrate.

Superior Products Wire Wheel Cleaner, ~$16/gal
There are lots of warnings on this product page to not touch it, so again makes me a little apprehensive to go with a full blown wheel acid such as this. The pH is stated as being between 0 and 1 so very acidic, very volatile compound. Stated dilutions are 1:3 for this one. I`m sure it cleans like an absolute son-of-a-gun but I also don`t want to be caught unprepared for the type of damage the acidity of this one can do to both myself and to wheels. But it`s certainly cost-effective.



So looking at the above, the P&S seems to be the most economical, but will it really be the most effective? Has anyone tried any of these products and have a comparison of how they perform compared to D143?

I`m curious about trying some wheel acids to cut through the horrible brake dust on some cars. Just this weekend I spent at least an hour on just the wheels of a high mileage Accord I was detailing. That car is what made me come around to this discussion and the consideration of some more effective but equally (or at least somewhat reasonable) cost effective products.

Thanks for reading! And glad to be here!

-Colin :D
If your looking for a concentrated iron remover i have fireballs iron burn extra. I diluted it 3:1 for some very neglected wheels and it worked fine. Horrible smell. Its very strong.
 
I`ve been meaning to try 3D`s Super Wheel Cleaner. I saw a video on the sister site where Tunch Goren (CEO of 3D I believe) emphasized safety in the formulation of his products. I think there`s a knee-jerk that all acid wheel cleaners aren`t safe but it`s my understanding you can formulate one that`s less toxic and corrosive just like you can make a non-acid wheel cleaner that`s not full of caustic (which is almost just as bad).

But yeah if your rims are coated/LSP`d I could see how you could get by with just a strong shampoo mix or some APC in a pinch. I`m doing fine with just a bucket of shampoo on a daily that has a wheel coating (application was a real hassle tho).

I saw that same video and have switched my alkaline cleaners all over to the nano drum I have the super degreaser and the orange. They do not have that caustic coughing issue if your using them a lot. The super degreaser is as strong as Megs super degreaser or super clean and foams the same when scrubbing. The orange nano drum I use as apc and is very good. The nano drum is very neat it is so concentrated that if you spill any it would star to crystalize after a day and they are cheap too!
 
I saw that same video and have switched my alkaline cleaners all over to the nano drum I have the super degreaser and the orange. They do not have that caustic coughing issue if your using them a lot. The super degreaser is as strong as Megs super degreaser or super clean and foams the same when scrubbing. The orange nano drum I use as apc and is very good. The nano drum is very neat it is so concentrated that if you spill any it would star to crystalize after a day and they are cheap too!

Thanks for the info. I posted in another thread that I`ve been using 3D super soap and if it wasn`t for the bad scent I`d keep using it.
 
If cleaning extremely neglected wheels I reach for D140. And a n95 mask. It makes such ridiculously quick work of even the nastiest wheels.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
I am (very) late to this discussion, but has anyone tried Sonax`s Wheel Cleaner Full Effect or their stronger Wheel Cleaner Plus or their new offering The Beast Wheel Cleaner?
While these are not dilute-able concentrates as the Original Poster asked about, nor are they "inexpensive" (AKA, cost-effective ) compared to the other dilute-able concentrates mentioned in posts above, I am just wondering about their effectiveness on cleaning stubborn brake dust or rotor iron contamination. One of the BIG advantages is that they are "safe" to use on alloy wheels according to the product descriptions written up by resellers/distributors, and I just curious if that justifies their higher product cost for some of my fellow Autopians for use on their vehicle`s wheels.

Through the years that I have done vehicle washing/cleaning, yes, I`ve made the unfortunate detailing mistake of "etching" rims with the "wrong" wheel cleaner. So having a safe, yet effective, wheel cleaner is a desired and needed product concern to me.
 
I am (very) late to this discussion, but has anyone tried Sonax`s Wheel Cleaner Full Effect or their stronger Wheel Cleaner Plus or their new offering The Beast Wheel Cleaner?

You had to bring this up? First of all, it sounds like Mike Phillips named that last one. Second, it`s hard to parse the difference based on the descriptions on the Sonax website, and I noticed the spray bottles are all different sizes for the 3...the Full Effect is 500ml, the Plus is 750ml, and the Beast is 1l. So the price difference, which seems apparent at first glance, isn`t. The FE and the Plus are 3.2 cents per ml, while the Beast is 2.5 cents per ml. In the 5l, the Plus is 30% more expensive, but the Beast is not avail in 5l. So unclear to me from all that what the differences really are between these products--but if you`re buying spray bottles you seem to be getting a better bang for the buck with the Plus or Beast.
 
More Information on Acid Wheel Cleaners:
Here`s an older thread link about wheels cleaners. You`ll have to go to posts #17 and #18 to get to the chemical part of this discussion.
https://www.autopia.org/forums/car-detailing/79314-acid-acid-based-wheel-cleaner.html?highlight=rims

While search for this information, I came across the mention of Wheel Wax as good way of cleaning and protecting rims of brake dust. There`s another product you`ll probably don`t hear much about (or use) anymore. Yes, I have used it in the past and it worked for me. I think, though, that rim coatings have supplanted/obsoleted Wheel Wax, much like paint coatings have done to car waxes. Just a guess.
 
I`m pretty loyal to Griots wheel cleaner, but not the Heavy Duty product, just the original green one. Despite not being, "heavy duty", I`ve found it delivers plenty of cleaning power for the wheels on my family fleet. Even at their worst just-drove-through-two-months-of-winter grime or the German-car-just-finished-a-driving-event-on-performance-pads condition, it cuts through the grime easily.

On our Japanese cars, I could probably get away with just soap and water, but on my BMW with the optional brake package, the thick, "sticky" brake dust just doesn`t come off completely. The only way to get them squeaky clean is a wheel cleaner.
 
...
While search for this information, I came across the mention of Wheel Wax as good way of cleaning and protecting rims of brake dust. There`s another product you`ll probably don`t hear much about (or use) anymore. Yes, I have used it in the past and it worked for me. I think, though, that rim coatings have supplanted/obsoleted Wheel Wax, much like paint coatings have done to car waxes. Just a guess.

I just recently Hydro-Blue`d my wheels after a quick iron treatment - I should dig out my little tub of wheel wax and treat the passenger side and do a side-to-side comparison...
 
I just recently Hydro-Blue`d my wheels after a quick iron treatment - I should dig out my little tub of wheel wax and treat the passenger side and do a side-to-side comparison...

I`d like to see that comparison. I tried using DP`s Hydro Wet Seal on my wheels and was pretty underwhelmed. It didn`t make them look any better, protection was very short lived, and I think it actually made my wheels harder to clean rather than easier.
 
For those that are interested, I`ve had a few chances to use the 3D Super Wheel Cleaner on some client`s rides and overall I`m really impressed with this product. It is unmistakably an acid in it`s function, but it is not nearly as hazardous to use as something like Meguiar`s Wheel Brightener. The formula this cleaner appears to use is called urea hydrochloride, a mixture of urea and hydrochloric (muriatic) acid. The pH level is relatively mild at 5 but acts as a much stronger acid. I`ve found that this formula is frequently used as a cement truck wash solution, to give an idea of its strength. It is sometimes called a "synthetic acid".

To use, I diluted it 1:11 per the directions for "extra strength". I first rinse the wheel and spray this stuff on. Then let it dwell for ~30 seconds and rinse off. At this point the majority of brake dust and grime are already gone. Afterwards I do my normal routine of spraying with Brake Buster or D143 through my IK foamer and agitate the wheels/tires with various brushes. The wheel cleaning portion of this is MUCH easier with the pre-treatment with 3D Super to the point that it basically requires zero effort, even on abused wheels.

On a whim I also decided to try it out on some chrome bits of a Tundra I was detailing. The chrome had some pretty nasty water spots, but a spray with this stuff, a few moments to dwell, and a rinse basically removed all of the spots with essentially zero effort. This stuff works great for chrome!

I also decided to use it to decon my own car that is coated with Cquartz TiO2. After a contact wash, I sprayed it on painted surfaces, let dwell for a short period then rinsed off. I feel it revived some coating properties and brought back some beading. I think this is reasonable to use as a coating decon as it`s pH level isn`t a coating killer.

I`m gonna continue experimenting with this product`s usefulness, but I must say it is a killer wheel pre-treat cleaner. And it doesn`t have much of an odor or reaction with other surfaces. It has 100% replaced iron remover for wheel cleaning duties for me.
 
Glad to hear about 3d Super Wheel Cleaner! I have it sitting here but haven`t broken into it yet. I did however break into the AutoFanatic Professional Wheel Cleaning Foam. I`m intending on doing a thread with a review when I get a chance. It was pretty effective, I have my dilution ratio written down in the garage, but did the highest the recommended in my IK foamer. Required some agitation, but nothing was leftover when done, like I`ve had with Brake Buster (great for economy and light maintenance washes). My favorite thing about it, though, was no fumes. I`d used Bilt Hamber Korrosol on some wheels the previous week and I could smell it for days.
 
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