Wheel well help (tools) and procedure

7

74 thing

New member
I was wondering what tools or brushes you guys use for the wheel wells. I am never satisfied and when I do a wheel well I tend to just use the stiff nylon bristle brush I use for the tires but I always tear up my knuckels getting the brush in and out of there plus I cannot get a good scrub with the small handle.



I think I need something with a longer handle with a brush face that is not too big so I can fit it between the wheel and body panel.



Thanks
 
I do use a stiff nylon brush when I can get it in the gaps. But usually I just spray some simple green max on them, let it sit for a few minutes, then take the power washer to them. or just let it sit and use the brush followed by the power washer.
 
I dunno if what I use will be helpful and my wells are in pretty nice shape. I use Quickee Sponge Mops (sponge on a plastic stick, made to clean the inside of glassware) and small BHBs from Griot's (pn 15520 IIRC).



For wells that need more vigorous cleaning, there are long-handled brushes at my local autoparts/autobody-paint stores, or you can check out Griot's pn15502, which is advertised as being for just this application.



I rinse them out first (I use a female plastic disconnect for the "nozzle" as it fits in there well and its shutoff lets me adjust the spray), spray with either an APC (beaters) or a strong shampoo mix (good vehicles), let it dwell, then use the wash media before rinsing.



Cleaning at every wash, it seems to go quickly and easily, but then I'm not going off-road either.
 
I'm not a professional detailer so I've only done my cars and a couple of my friends.



None of them were in bad shape save for one.



I usually use the NoTouch Tire dressing (original forumula).



I spray it liberally on the wheel well and let it do it's thing. I usually do all four just before I start to wash the wheels.



After I finish washing the wheels I give the wells a spray to remove any left over NoTouch.



Works very well for me so far.
 
I use a Costco MF if the wells are grimy and have bonded grime along with an APC at 10:1. Usually, I just use a 1/3 of a grout sponge and a heavy concentration of DG 903 soap (1-2 oz/gallon). Let it dry, liberally spray FK1 108, wait, go back with a dedicated tire sponge and wipe the dressing.



FWIW, Im not a fan of brushes because the handles come dangerously close to the fenders, and no matter how I position them, I almost always bang them against something.
 
I've picked up the green tire and wheel brushes from AG and they work great. Although Autogeek sells them as a wheel brush it has a sticker on it that says its a utility brush so you can probably find something locally in a home depot maybe. They have soft bristles and clean the wheel wells great. Get the extended handle so you don't kill your knuckles.
 
My wells are usually in pretty good shape where I can use a old chenille mitt and car wash to get the job done. I demoted NXT for that since it seemed rough on my paint.



Some people have recommended toilet brushes as well.
 
i saturate them with wesleys bleche white, let them sit for a while and hose off. weselys is some serious stuff, in my experience strongest degreaser. have old mits, sponges, and a brush or two to get the heavy stuff off. i washed my dad's car a he had hit some cow poo on the road (i live it iowa :wall) and wesleys and a strong spary of the hose took it off. was glad, i really didn't want to use any of my tools on it!:lol
 
I would second the opinion on Wesley's. Got some strong rec's from some serious car folks.....had it sittin around for awhile.....tried...and it is some serious stuff....they say don't use it on windy days.....almost like an "acid" type of thing....you don't want to get it all over your car....but really seems to work well on the tires and the wheel wells.



I have seen a number of recommendations for then spraying them with something like 303Aerospace Protectant....303 makes some great stuff....especially in the winter to reduce the attachment of "snow plop".



Bought a small jack recently so I could remove the wheels/two at a time/and really get a good sealant on the inside of the rim/wheel. Amazing.....never been cleaner......almost NO brake dust adhere to them at all.



Shoot me a message and I will give you more details.....:bounce



:beware
 
A toilet bowl brush works very well for this task. Long handle and a round brush surface, great for any angle.
 
since my wheels wells aren't bad, i just use a sponge (also latex gloves) and apc/car wash and scrub them clean. if you treat the wells regularly with dressing, it makes them easier to clean...
 
Waxguy said:
A toilet bowl brush works very well for this task..
Click to expand...



Just be judicious regarding what you use that on. It'd scratch up painted surfaces something awful and polishing/waxing inside wells is a PIA that I don't want to do very often (and the paint in there is seldom cleared and usually very thin).
 
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