dirty wheel wells

L

Legend107

New member
hello everyone,

what i would like advice on is a good way to clean the wheel well. the wheel well lining is plastic and right now its uGLY 'cause of how much dirt n junk is on there. im looking for something thats strong enough to take out all the old dirt/tar/junk/etc and then put some type of protection that will keep the wheel well black. its annoying when i detail the car and everything looks great but at certain angles or when the wheels r turned you see the dirty light brown wierd shades of the wheel well.



-what are some inexpensive products that will help clean

-what type of brushes/scrapers etc should i try

-what should i use to protect it and keep it black after its clean

-any other accessories i need in applying the treatment



thanks for your help:)

-jeremy
 
There are many threads on this but generally the best thing is to remove the wheels, use a good strong cleaner to wash the wheel well down and rinse. I find brake cleaner is good at removing the remaining material and or I use slightly used clay to make the surface smooth.



What ever dressing you choose, make sure none of it gets on the brakes, so place a cover over the hub to protect it.



This is also a good time to check the brake pads and the rest of the suspension for any damage. Clean the struts and springs and put everything back together.
 
I would hit Wall-Mart up and get some Orange Blast and what ever brush you think would work best. I dress my wheel wells with a cheap foam tire shine called Sun of a Gun.
 
I've had success with Purple Power or Castrol Super Clean, I've actually used soft bristled toilet brushes, worked out fine.



My ritual has been to shoot the wheel wells with a power washer first to get rid loose junk, then spray the degreaser, let it sit for a few minutes, scrub with the brush, power wash again.



If dirt remains just repeat again.



My favorite dressing for wheel wells is now Engine Kote. Be sure to spray it with a Megs High Volume sprayer head so it sprays evenly. You may have to use some disposable foam paint applicators in spots where the spray can't reach or to spead it out on the surface of the wheel well further. Be sure to hose away the Engine Kote that has dripped on the ground.

Leaves a nice, dust resistant sheen that lasts a while in bad weather :up
 
Once every 6-months or so, I do the wheel well job. I'll usually take the tires off so I can get back there very easily. I use some 1:4 Castrol Super Clean, or whatever degreaser I have around and a brush to get all the mud and grime out of there.



Once they are clean and dry I give it a good spray of Meguiar's Engine Kote on all of the plastic. Just hose it really well with the stuff and let it dry. It creates a very dust resistant surface and makes a big difference in how much crud sticks to the wheel wells after I have cleaned them. As others have warned, make sure to keep whatever dressing you use off of the moving parts back there.
 
Legend107,



You've gotten some excellent suggestions already. My suggestions will likely mirror most of what has already been said. I clean my wheel wells as part of my normal tire and wheel routine, so the wheel wells don't normally get very dirty.



1) Blast the wheel wells with a strong blast of water

2) Spray liberally with an APC (Organge Blast, Simple Green, etc.)

solution. I generally dilute this solution 1:1.

3) Let soak while I clean the tires/wheels

4) Scrub wells with a variety of brushes (ie. tire/wheel brush, the toilet bowl brush as mentioned by Bill D is excellent for getting into areas where you can't get your hands)

5) Rinse

6) After finishing the rest of the exterior, and dressing the tires, I use Poorboy's Bold 'n' Bright; spraying it on either an old tire swipe or rag. I have used Armor All, which while it looks nice, seems to attract dust more than the PB and the aerosol is messy and, at least for me, I have more control over the product with a spray.



My hat is off to those who take the time and expend the energy to take the tires/wheels off to detail more extensively their wheel wells. That's dedication, or....:D
 
Taking your wheels off also gives the perfect opportunity to clean the inside of the wheels whilst your waiting for the wells to dry. Give the callipers a good dose of brake cleaner.
 
I spray the wheelwells with a strong stream of water, use a cleaner if necessary and brush with a soft bristled brush, and then follow up with some Eagle One Wet Tire spray. The spray can be adjusted to be wide so you can cover a lot of area with a spray. It also keeps the wheelwells dark for a while and spreads out on its own so it gives an even look.



-FordTaurus
 
ey guys thanks a lot. ya it looks like im going to take off the wheels and cover the suspension & braking assemblys w/ plastic bags or something, spray down the wheels and wheel wells w/ water & cleaners. get scrubbin! and i think i'll go with the engine kote.



ill let you guys know how it goes... thanks again, later!



-jeremy
 
-what are some inexpensive products that will help clean

simple green or orange blast or greased lightin'



-what type of brushes/scrapers etc should i try

wheel brush and a cheap cotton towel



-what should i use to protect it and keep it black after its clean

Something cheap like armorall



-any other accessories i need in applying the treatment

Pressure wash the area at a coin op. before detailing it
 
Some pros (not me) shoot black paint in the wells...



I've not tried engine kote, but I will now.



Tip, let the wheel well completely dry before you coat it. Sometimes it is tuff to see the remaining dirt while wet.



Take your time, get it very clean. Makes the maintenance later much easier.



Jim
 
jimamary said:
Tip, let the wheel well completely dry before you coat it. Sometimes it is tuff to see the remaining dirt while wet.

Jim
Click to expand...



Good point, Jim...and when you guys are trying the Engine Kote out, spray it freely. I often apply 2 coats to make sure I covered everything, and then give it plenty of time to drip dry all by itself. If it pools up in any nooks and crannys in the wheel well, just dab a cloth in there to soak it up...you shouldn't wipe this stuff dry, it'll do that all on it's own.
 
Question: how about the truck bed liner you can buy in the spray cans now? Would that be a good thing to spray the liners with?
 
Cleaning your wheel wells should be a pretty straightforward process....provided you can access them easily. I wasn't too crazy about taking your wheels off every once in a while because I wanted to detail my wells every time I washed my car. The small wheel gap on my cars made this process very difficult. I solved this problem by using an algae scraper with an 18" handle that's normally used for acrylic aquariums (don't use the one for glass aquariums.....too abrasive!).



I've attached a picture below. You can get them at any Petco. If your wheel gap isn't very small, them I'm sure any good brush will do.
 

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2002 Maxima SE said:
Where can one purchase Engine Kote? Does it come in any other sizes smaller than 1 gallon?
Click to expand...



I've been through the struggle to find EK!



Meg's sells only 4 gallon cases.



CMA sells EK in the one gallon size for @ 20 bones. I haven't seen it in smaller sizes anywhere.
 
Intermezzo said:
.... I solved this problem by using an algae scraper with an 18" handle that's normally used for acrylic aquariums (don't use the one for glass aquariums.....too abrasive!).



I've attached a picture below. You can get them at any Petco. If your wheel gap isn't very small, them I'm sure any good brush will do.
Click to expand...
Hey good idea Tony, thanks. :xyxthumbs I've seen those scrubbers in the pet section before and I kind of stared at them with this strange, glassy-eyed look for a while, but couldn't think of a use for them at the time. :D
 
clean-rear-arch.jpg




I remove my wheels as often as i can.



I use autoglym engine bay cleaner, lots of soapy water, rinse and dry.
 
Man, I was just going to start a thread about how pleased I am with how I finally cleaned my wheel wells really well and it makes such a differenence, but here's this thread, stealin' my thunder.



I used the Orange Blast and the pressure wash booth to power the dirt out of the wheel wells and then put Armor All Foaming Tire Cleaner into them. Since my car is a 1994 Miata, black, having the grungy wheel wells really stood out to me.



When I tell normal people how pleased I am with how this came out, they think I'm crazy. Eh, I hope they choke on their dust covered minivans that they let their kids write "wash me" on the back of.
 
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