Wheel Cleaner

JMV777

New member
Hello all,





I have a 2010 Jeep SRT with these alcoa forged rims with the durabrite coating, I was wondering since I JUST got my rims replaced, will the Sonax Wheel Cleaner be safe or should I just use regular soap?





Thanks all!



-Joe
 
If your Jeep has the same brake pads and Brembo calipers as my 2007 SRT8 SuperBee you will be cleaning your wheels ALOT!



The brakes dust is out-of-control with the stock (most say they're actually a Bendix formulation) pad. While the dust washes off rather easily I was cleaning the wheels every other day.



I finally ended up putting ceramic pads on mine and love the fact that there is hardly any dust to speak of. I just wished they had the stopping power and pedal feel of the original pads.



Jeff
 
I've had good luck with just plain old ONR like the rest of my vehicle. I did use the Sonax FE last time I washed and it seemed fairly safe but not familiar with the rims you are talking about. I'd always start off with the least aggressive technique until you get up to what is needed to get them to your level of clean.
 
JCturboT said:
If your Jeep has the same brake pads and Brembo calipers as my 2007 SRT8 SuperBee you will be cleaning your wheels ALOT!



The brakes dust is out-of-control with the stock (most say they're actually a Bendix formulation) pad. While the dust washes off rather easily I was cleaning the wheels every other day.



I finally ended up putting ceramic pads on mine and love the fact that there is hardly any dust to speak of. I just wished they had the stopping power and pedal feel of the original pads.



Jeff



I bought the Jeep new in Dec of 09, had the stock brembos on for a little over a year then I switched out for a set of slotted/dimpled R1 rotors with Stoptech pads. A little less dust than stock and most importantly the stopping power is close to stock.



Yeap the cleaning with the stockers was intense but I enjoy cleaning the Jeep. Its therapeutic. :)



cptzippy said:
I've had good luck with just plain old ONR like the rest of my vehicle. I did use the Sonax FE last time I washed and it seemed fairly safe but not familiar with the rims you are talking about. I'd always start off with the least aggressive technique until you get up to what is needed to get them to your level of clean.



Gotcha! Thanks!
 
As long as the wheels are cleaned/maintained on a regular basis, I've never had a need for a wheel-specific or HD cleaner (just a car wash solution and agitation). I'm not saying I don't find them useful in some situations but 95% of the time on my vehicles, I don't need them. ....even with the relatively safe, "bubba proof" cleaners I feel it's a waste of product and money for frequent use if my wash solution and brushes/media will accomplish the same thing.



EDIT: On another note, I also like using LSP's on my wheels to help make them easier to clean. Maintaining them with a car soap (vs. using something like a harsh cleaner) will typically mean the characteristics of my wax/sealant will last much longer.
 
griots garage wheel cleaner would safe and cheaper than sonax. sonax maybe a little much for wheels that are cared for regularly. following what kean said about lsping the wheels works well to.
 
mrclrider said:
It is cheap and does work well, but it is not safe for all wheels.



Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk



Do you have personal experience with this not safe issue. All the wheels I have cleaned have worked well but I have never used it on my hot rod wheels that are mirror polished aluminum. I will try a small test area and see how it works
 
TedFred said:
Do you have personal experience with this not safe issue. All the wheels I have cleaned have worked well but I have never used it on my hot rod wheels that are mirror polished aluminum. I will try a small test area and see how it works



Don't risk it. If the manufacturer says don't do it, they probably have a reason for it.



Meguiars Wheel Brightener 32 oz.



Specifically states not for polished aluminum.
 
Potently acidic products are very tricky to use on aluminum, as in "don't try it if you care about the wheels". Even just some small areas of compromised finish can lead to trouble on "normal"/painted wheels.



One might make an argument against laymen using WB anyhow...I'd sure want to take reasonable safety precautions and I don't think most people want to bother with that. Heh heh, WB would be overkill on remotely well cared-for wheels anyhow!



JMV777- If regular (maybe mixed a little strong) car wash doesn't do it, I'd go with the Griot's. I do it both ways- sometimes I wax/seal wheels and clean with shampoo mix, other times I don't wax/etc. and clean those with Griot's Wheel Cleaner. Both methods work fine and both have pros/cons (none of which are any big deal IMO).
 
If I let my wheels get a little too dusty for regular soap, I use a diluted APC. The main thing is rinse the wheel first, never spray any cleaner on a hot, dry wheel. Use soap first, then a little APC if it's stubborn.
 
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