How do you guys clean the area around wheel wells?
- Thread starter z400
- Start date
Ben Kenobi
I hear the '55s are in
Yes, this is one of the last places I wash. I used a second mitt usually for the lower body as it gets the dirtiest. When I did the full detail on my car in the spring I went over it with tar remover, clayed it and washed it again. I made sure it was clean (used AIO) and then put a couple coats of sealanst on it. Now I find that dirt really doesn't stick to it and if I have any tar I wipe it off as soon as possible.
Keep the car protected and you'll find dirt will come off very easily. Nice work on your 540i, it looks beautiful.
Paul
Keep the car protected and you'll find dirt will come off very easily. Nice work on your 540i, it looks beautiful.
Paul
JasonD
New member
Wow, great job. Don't you just love black when it's detailed properly? By the way, what year is it?
Accumulator
Well-known member
Z400- Those are usually the last areas I wash when doing the side of the vehicle (well, those and the rockers) and after I wash that area the mitt gets retired. Sometimes I'll end up using multiple mitts for just the sides if I'm not confident they're rinsing completely clean. Heh heh, I can end up using a *lot* of mitts if the car's really dirty! Once a mitt gets used on a really dirty surface I don't use it again until it's been laundered; I get out a fresh one.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
I wash these areas last and with mitts marked for this purpose. These are anywhere from my fourth or sixth mitt during the washing process.
imported_hadboosttroy
New member
beautiful 540. our 7 has the same m parralells and they are so wide they fling up crap all over so i feel your pain 
z400 said:
Depends on how grungy the wheel wells are, and how much effort I want to put in.
For ultimate job, this is what works for me:
1. Remove wheel. Clean inside of rim, scrub tire with cleaner. I find a B&D "ScumBuster" to be a great tool. Lot's of all-purpose cleaner. I like Greased Lightening's Orange Blast for wheels and tires.
2. Hose down with maximum pressure available to dislodge as much crud as possible.
3. Note: Be carefull to keep all purpose cleaners, degreasers, and engine cleaner chemicals away from the paint on the fender. At best, they'll strip the wax. At worst, actual paint damage may happen. Spray down wheel well and suspension components with all purpose cleaner. Inspect mechanical parts. Tough grease on suspension components may need engine cleaner.
4. Repeat step 2 (rinse).
5. Heavy brush loaded with lots of suds from wash bucket. Whatever you use for car wash should be OK.
6. Repeat step 2 (rinse - I like lots of water).
7. Spray break cleaner on caliper, agitating with old tooth brush to get off brake dust and dirt. Take a good look at pads while you're there to make sure they haven't worn out. If you've got drum brakes, just look longingly at the hunk of rust called drums, sigh, and dream about disk brake conversion. (This is for others - you and I both have 4-wheel disks I see). I'm still trying to decide what to do about rust on rotors, other than replace with cad or zinc plated rotors.
8. Chenile covered sponge with lots of sudsy water from wash bucket.
9. Repeat step 2 (rinse - told you, I like to use lots of water).
10. Quick dry with towel. This is a good way to waste a MF, so the old terry cloth ones you gave up on when you discovered MF are good. If they get greasy, throw them in the washer with a little simple green.
11. Apply Meguiar's Engine Kote (EK)protectant. EK is OOP, but I still have some. EK has been replaced with Meguiar's Hyper-Dressing, but since I still haven't run out of EK, I have no experience with it's replacement.
12. Remount wheel and touch up dressing.
13. Repeat above until all 4 wheels are done.
14. All rags, towels, wash mits, and/or sponges get thrown in the wash. A little simple green in the wash cycle, a little vinegar in the final rinse, then air dry. Seperate from your MF stuff! Remember, we used chenile and cotton in the wheel wells.
Like I said, depends on how much work you want to do. I do the above when I rotate my tires, but I wouldn't do it every time I wash or detail my car. Maybe just hose down, wash with soap as best I can reach around the wheel, then rinse off before I attack the exterior of the wheel. Maybe just skip it if it hasn't been raining since the last wash. I've also had moderate success spraying with "Scrubbing Bubbles" bathroom cleaner, letting it dwell a bit, then hosing off.
Above also works for other under-car areas, like under the engine, under the rocker panels, and under the trunk.
Hope this helps,
Bill D
Hooked For Life
Arved said:
IIRC, if you like the original EK, there is a very similar product from Diamond Professional as is the new Sonus Motor Kote.
Bill D said:
I'm not sure I really like it. Some people on the Maguier's forum covet their remaining EK. I haven't yet come across a discussion where anyone said one was better than the other. I'm keeping my eyes open, and in the mean time, I've got plenty of EK to last me. By the time I need to replace it, I'm sure I'll find something at least as good, if not better.
EK is more durable than other dressings I've tried, which is good for engines, wheel wells, and underbody, but it's not so good looking I'd use it over some of the other dressings out there for tires, trim, and interior. What I'm trying to say is I'm happy with it, and I don't know anything that might be better for this use, but I'm not jumping up and down exstatic "hey you gotta try this" satisfied with it. Motor Kote may be better.
Thanks,