What is the harshest wheel cleaner out there?!

Hey Dave, there use to be an Ardex warehouse locally but it burned a few years ago. I think there is another - cause there is a mobile detailer that uses Ardex excusively around here. Any other decent Ardex products? I still haven't found the best tire dressing - some are sure better than others!
 
Be careful with acidic cleaners. I've had them cause (permanent) issues on wheels with compromised finishes. The acid apparently got through some tiny breaches in the paint/etc. and attacked the underlying aluminum. And this wasn't a really potent acid either.



spielnicht said:
I just got Eimann Fabrik Hi-Intensity Cleaner and tried it on my wife's Volvo wheels, came out spotless. They were covered with baked brake dust from not being cleaned as much in the winter. I started at 1:1 diluted with water, and decreased the dilution as needed.



I have to clean my wheels this weekend, and they're known to be a PITA. Seeing how easy my wife's wheels came out, I'm loving Eimann Fabrik Hi-Intensity Cleaner so far.
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The EFHI is one of those wheel cleaners that I use clay with. While the EFHI dwells, I use the clay. It *does* kill the clay pretty quickly though, especially if the EFHI is used undiluted. Still, it works well enough that I keep doing it.





David Fermani- Heh heh, we have a couple of similar threads going with regard to my above advice, huh :D
 
Anytime people use acid, make sure you neutralize the surface you applied it to. Just because acid is water based, doesn't mean that water (or soap) washes it off the surface. Acid will keep burning into the surface if it isn't neutralized by an alkaline product (like most APCs). Just rinse the bulk of the acid off, spray your alkaline product and let it dwell for a few seconds and rinse.



JuneBug: Ardex makes some decent bulk chemicals. I like using their solvents & aerosols the best.
 
Like David and Accum.... said -neutralize after acid. There is a little detailing supply company in Raleigh, and the owner was explaining that on chrome or painted rims, apply their product (kick acid) let it sit 30 seconds and apply (super green) - alkeline based to neutralize it then wash with normal car wash. I'm a little leery of doing that - I would rather try the mothers powerball and some polish - unless the owner told me he didn't care, he just wanted them clean!
 
I use Auto Magic Spoke at the shop on the Bimmer wheels and like others said, you must neutralize the stuff with apc. It's pretty powerful and I don't know how it will react on polished metal surfaces.



I did see some pics of a detailer that used a commercial steam cleaner on heavily baked on dust (wheels were off the car) and it worked great: steam, then wipe with old terry towel, steam, etc (slower, but friendly to everything around you).



Toto
 
Totoland Mach said:
..I did see some pics of a detailer that used a commercial steam cleaner on heavily baked on dust (wheels were off the car) and it worked great: steam, then wipe with old terry towel, steam, etc (slower, but friendly to everything around you)...
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I used the steamer to clean the calipers on the '84 RX-7. They're hidden behind "pie pan" style wheels and were presumably never cleaned before. Worked incredibly well (no they're not perfect, but hey, it was 20-some years' worth of mess), but note that they're cad plated and maybe the brake dust/etc. wouldn't stick to that as badly as to many wheel finishes.



I had to use the Daimer steamer for them, my DeLonghi didn't quite have the beans for that job.
 
i only ever use two wheel cleaners both are acidic base. The one is ardex labs a.t.t.a.c.k acid, is they also have a honey based acid called buster. most of ardex products im not impressed with but ii have been using the products for 8 or 9 years and never had a reason to swith i can get a 55 gallon drum for 220$ th buster is the bad boy its a gel so when you spray it sticks and don't move. just some advice.
 
I like plain apc and soap on un finished rims. For painted, valugaurd's custom wheel cleaner is not bad.



Because of a little snaffu i ended up with 25 gallons for the price of 5. Hence. I am using it. I still keep p21s wheel gel around though
 
I tried Danase Assassin Wheel & Tire Cleaner today on some stock RX-7 wheels that havent been cleaned since I bought them about a year ago. The brake dust was caked on so bad you would have thought it was a BMW wheel.



The wheel cleaner worked really well with just a quick spray and dwell for 1 minute, about 95% clean. Then I sprayed them again with a light scrub using a spoke brush follwed by a rinse and they were 100% brake dust clean.



I have been meaning to try some Mark-V Wheel Brite but just havent gotten around to it lol. Im such a product junkie. P21S still gets the vote for most wheel cleaning and waxed wheels.
 
RDAVEX7 said:
... P21S still gets the vote for most wheel cleaning and waxed wheels.
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Doesn't the P21S strip the wax? I used to use it (or Griot's) diluted not quite 50:50 with water, but it still seemed harsher on my wheels' LSPs than shampoo mix.
 
Accumulator said:
Doesn't the P21S strip the wax? I used to use it (or Griot's) diluted not quite 50:50 with water, but it still seemed harsher on my wheels' LSPs than shampoo mix.
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Yes and no, I have stripped wax at full strength and long dwelling times but at 3-1 in my 32oz bottle I havent stripped wax, just slightly more agitation required. BTW I didnt know you had a 7. The 1st gen Rx-7 is what got me hooked on those things when I was a kid.
 
i use to use all types of wheel acid cleaners until i got my steamer now some vapor steam and the wheel is clean if it is really dirty some citrus cleaner and steam clean and if really dirty stuck on some citrus with steam and some brushing comes right off no harm best few grand i ever spent saves a ton on chemicals that i don't have to buy now
 
RDAVEX7 said:
Yes and no, I have stripped wax at full strength and long dwelling times but at 3-1 in my 32oz bottle I havent stripped wax, just slightly more agitation required. BTW I didnt know you had a 7. The 1st gen Rx-7 is what got me hooked on those things when I was a kid.
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Interesting about the diluted P21S being OK on LSP...I'll keep that in mind and maybe try diluted Griot's again sometime. With all the layers of KSG/FK1000P I could probably get away with a more aggressive regimen that I could back when I was just using regular waxes on my wheels.



Yeah, I too got the rotary bug with an early 7 that I drove in college. I now have a concours quality '84 GSL-SE with ~23K one-owner miles, with original SS metallic paint. It's sorta mothballed in the back of the shop as I never find time to do anything with it, I keep trying to get a pal from my Jag club to buy it as he'd have fun entering it in shows but his significant other (who has a low-mile 1st gen 7 of her own) thinks he has too many cars already :D
 
themightytimmah said:
I looked into it, and it turns out you can't get the good stuff over here due to VOC regulations. It's P21S' heavier wheel cleaner, it's supposed to stink up a storm but work as well as the acid cleaners with a little agitation. You might be able to get it shipped from one of the euro sites though.
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A gentleman on Detail University - Automotive Detailing Community was in Europe and brought back a 5liter bucket of it. And like Tim said, it is a lot more "sticky."
 
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