Which wheel brush?

danforz

New member
Are any more efficient then others? (BHB vs Hard Bristles vs etc)



I'm looking for one with a longer handle so I don't get break dust in my face.



I'm willing to pay a bit more because I DESPISE cleaning my rims.
 
AG carries this and not to mention they have a 15% off sale through aug 24th (coupon code "summer15")...

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I find that a spoke brush removes most of the brake dust from the crevices on my wheels. Unfortunately, it's also when I'm using this brush that I'm more likely to get splashed with soapy solution & brake dust. I might have to try Griot's.



If you don't mind a short handle, this one works well on the wheel face and even gets in between the larger spokes on mine:



OXO Car Wash Brush
 
I know that Mother's carries a line of brushes that look pretty similiar to the Meguiar's one's above, no experience with them though
 
I found one of the Megs angle brushes from an Amazon seller. May still be some available. I like the brush, soft but very effective.
 
BigAl3 said:
also, if you have a big lots near you... you might be able to find these discontinued megs brushes...

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if you lived near me, i would give you one of these ^... :)

FYI – The short handle Megs brush is actually a tire brush. Hard bristles in the middle surrounded by softer bristles on the edges so your wheels don’t get scratched while scrubbing your tires. Just thought you should know before ordering.
 
Vintage said:
FYI – The short handle Megs brush is actually a tire brush. Hard bristles in the middle surrounded by softer bristles on the edges so your wheels don’t get scratched while scrubbing your tires. Just thought you should know before ordering.



i have a few of each and they've held up pretty well. still using the first tire brush i bought...
 
I only use BHBs as I want to be as gentle as possible. It takes a few different ones, plus a small ("four finger") sheepskin mit and some swabs to get to all the different surfaces (back sides of spokes, recesses around lugs and valvestems, etc.).



A few comments on some of the suggestions (just IMO/IME):



I found, sorta to my surprise, that I prefer short handled wheel brushes, at least for the wheels (I use long handled ones for undercarriages). The short ones give me better control and leverage and no, I don't get any dirtier with them.



Speaking of getting dirty, that EZ Detail Brush gets me dirty everytime I use it..little black spots that fly everywhere. And while I don't use it on my good/delicate wheels, it's OK for the initial cleanup of the back sides of certain wheels and good for some undercarriage areas (I use it on the MPV's rear coil springs at almost every wash). I still have to follow up with the little mitts and swabs though as it just never gets all the brake dust back behind the spokes.



Be sure to inspect brushes with synthetic bristles. The soft/gentle flagged tips can wear and when the flagging is gone they become serious scratch-machines (I had to get a BBS wheel refinished when I failed to notice some worn bristles in time). I stick with BHBs for that reason; the BHBs don't get as nasty-aggressive when their bristles wear down (but they do wear and should be replaced now and then).



Just as I only use the EZ Detail Brush on certain wheels, I wouldn't use very aggressive brushes. Most wheels are cleared, and just as with the paint on the rest of the car, I don't want to inflict any marring if I can help it. Certain wheel finishes (e.g. the "machined finish" on some Audi wheels, and wheels that are anodized or powdercoated) are pretty much impossible to do correction on once you mar them, and getting them refinished is an expensive hassle.
 
evenflow said:
No need for a wheel brush now that I have the Wheel Schmitt



how do you deal with the inner surfaces? i sold my shmitt for wheels because it was too big to get into the spots i need to clean.

i use an over the fingers wool mitt, three different cone brushes for inside the rims, lugnut brush and a tire brush (other stuff for the wheel wells). the new BF inner wheel cleaning rod actuall works very well on a cordless drill (i had my doubts but tried it).
 
pt91 said:
how do you deal with the inner surfaces? i sold my shmitt for wheels because it was too big to get into the spots i need to clean.

i use an over the fingers wool mitt, three different cone brushes for inside the rims, lugnut brush and a tire brush (other stuff for the wheel wells). the new BF inner wheel cleaning rod actuall works very well on a cordless drill (i had my doubts but tried it).



I have 5 spoke Saleen wheels, so I am able to get in between the spokes and into the back parts of the wheel. Other than that, I usually squeeze the schmitt to get into the nooks and crannies.
 
pt91 said:
how do you deal with the inner surfaces? i sold my shmitt for wheels because it was too big to get into the spots i need to clean.

i use an over the fingers wool mitt, three different cone brushes for inside the rims, lugnut brush and a tire brush (other stuff for the wheel wells). the new BF inner wheel cleaning rod actuall works very well on a cordless drill (i had my doubts but tried it).



What brand of cone brushes? Hard to find any relatively soft brushes for the cordless drill online.



BF = Blackfire?



Edit - That blackfire power stick looks pretty good! The properautocare.com site shows a pic of the power stick with rims that look like mine. :spot
 
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