best product for cleaning wheels?

what do you all use to clean your wheels? Mine are pretty bad (they've got a wierd grease mark on them, been there since i picked it up from the dealer that i havent had a chance to clean)

I've tested and tried a lot of products. My very favorite for cleaning wheels and tires is Eagle One A2Z.

 

http://www.ocdetails.com/assets/images/a2z.jpg

 

You spray it on cool dry wheels and then hose it off after it has had a minute to break down the crud. Spray it off with a hose and that takes care of most all of the brake dust and other dirt that gets on your wheels and tires. I have a seperate wash mitt for wheels that I usually hit them with after I have washed the car just to catch the rest of the stuff that might not have been rinsed off earlier. This wheel cleaner is the best out of every other brand I have tested in the last several years. Its current formula is extremely good in my opinion.

Would a mod please move this thread over into the detailing forum? ...oh, wait. I forgot.

I have not been all that impressed with Meguiar's Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner. Seems like I had to scrub just as hard as I would've had to if I were just using water....plus, it kinda freaks me out when the instructions say not to leave the product on the wheel longer than 15 seconds. Geez!...it takes me longer than that to apply the product...sounded as if it was going to melt them off the axel or something. I will give Eagle One a try next time...thanks for the suggestion.

The way I do it with Eagle One is to have the hose close by and then spray all four wheels. I put the bottle away and then start spraying them off. I followed that routine weekly for 3 years with one set of wheels and they look as good today as they did the first time I used it. This is a product that is safe on your wheels for sure.

OCD - thanks for the review/recommendation. I was using some form of Eagle One that just ran out last weekend so I'll see if I can't hookup with some of the A2Z.

 

SBT

what do you all use to clean your wheels? Mine are pretty bad (they've got a wierd grease mark on them, been there since i picked it up from the dealer that i havent had a chance to clean)

 

That grease mark may be what some members determined was a kind of wax applied on the lug nuts during assembly and subsequently melted. Check this thread.

Once you get them clean, treat them with RejeX. Awesome stuff that really works. Brake dust and crud don't even stick, but if you get any build-up, it washes right off with only water. Did my whole car including windows and it is great. Bugs are everywhere right now after all the rains here. After RejeX(ing) my windshield, the bugs roll off with easy swipe of the gas station window washer/squeege. This stuff works!

 

http://www.sportscarcare.com/scc/rejex.pdf

I got an awesome wheel brush from my neighbor in a cleaning kit he bought me..makes getting behind the spokes so much easier.

 

So you have the crud on your wheels, too? Mine have been there since the dealer, also, and I couldn't get the spots off.

 

-Tyler

That grease mark may be what some members determined was a kind of wax applied on the lug nuts during assembly and subsequently melted. Check this thread.

 

That sounds exactly like what it is – because you can see how the grease is originating from the lug nuts. Thanks for that link, I’m glad to know what caused it.

Now that you mention it, I remember some particularly gooey residue around the lug nuts....took me forever to scrub off during the first wheel cleaning.

i use a paper towel. works like majic.

I use whatever wash concentrate is in the water bucket and a soft terry towel. Finish up with your fingers for any crevices that are hard to get with the towel. As long as you do it regularly, the brake dust doesn't have a chance to etch into the finish.

For those of you who use the wheel cleaners -- do you need to worry about the adhesive weights coming off? Some of those cleaners are pretty caustic and I would imagine do a number on adhesives.

 

Ken

I've been detailing for nearly 10 years now and have several regulars that I have been detailing their cars for much of the past 5 years. I have never ever had a wheel weight come off from detailing the rims. You've got about as much to worry about there as having your emblems come off while washing. Those suckers are stuck to the wheels pretty well. Most of the time you aren't spraying much wheel cleaner on the inside of the rim anyway. That area is best cleaned by a wheel brush and soap/water.

One word of advice when cleaning wheels. Designate certain towels for only wheel washing. I bought a whole separate mit for it. Once a towel touches a wheel it is never allowed to touch paint again...

I've had pretty good success with Griot's Garage wheel cleaner (mail/internet order only...not in stores). Not cheap, but recommended by BBS so it's not going to eat up wheel finishes. I use a wheel brush if it's not too dirty, but also save the kitchen sponges deemed unfit for use on eating surfaces, use them once on the wheels and toss them.

OCD, got any ideas on how to remove some really BAKED on brake dust (like 6+ months old worth) off a non-waxed/non-sealed machined polished lip? I tried some Meguiar's Hot Rims Cleaner on top of the Meguiar's Metal Restorer by hand.. most of it is off, but the tough spots and the "bling" isn't there yet.. need something more potent or a different approach to cleaning them? Suggestions? Bought a set of used rims and man, they are looking dirty!

 

Keefe

 

 

Keefe

bump

 

how do you clean baked on brake dust for the wheels?

 

im going to try spraying them with the eagle 1 AtoZ and use some elbow grease, maybe a tooth brush, then maybe just a regular brush (with plastic bristles)

When the wheels get really dirty, I use a little Simple Green in a spray bottle and a soft car wash brush. Just make sure the wheels stay wet. Works great in getting off stubborn stains.

that grease behind your lugnuts wont come out with your conventional carwash soap and water..

 

you should use a specialized product that emulsifies grease/oil. sometimes a mild solution of dish detergent can work too!

Are these products recommended for any type of finish? For instance, a rim painted satin black? Or are we talking alloys only?

bump

 

how do you clean baked on brake dust for the wheels?

 

im going to try spraying them with the eagle 1 AtoZ and use some elbow grease, maybe a tooth brush, then maybe just a regular brush (with plastic bristles)

 

Sometimes we have to realize that borked is borked. Not everything can be fixed. You may be able to get the burnt on black stuff off with a wire brush, but I'd almost guarantee you that you'll be left with a brown stain on the rim afterwards. Sometimes you can't restore things after serious neglect. They are just ruined...

 

Wheels will never get cleaned just by spraying chemicals on them and then rinsing them off. Almost always is it going to require at least a small amount of elbow grease. For really thrashed wheels you are going to need to get in there and be even more meticulous. I would recommend removing the wheel from the car and getting comfortable on the grass while you clean them. Restoration of screwed up wheels is not something that comes in a bottle. You are going to have to carefully brush the area with wire brush if soaking it in wheel cleaner doesn't work. You may actually have to end up having the wheel repainted after doing this. Hard core baked on brake dust repair is like body work on your car. You can't wash away dents and sometimes you just have to get the area repainted even after you pull the dent out. So be prepared that your wheel may need to be repainted or replaced in order to get it looking like new again.

Are these products recommended for any type of finish? For instance, a rim painted satin black? Or are we talking alloys only?

 

Eagle One wheel & tire cleaner is safe for all wheel finishes. Unless you had the wheel painted after you bought it, then you are safe to use it on any rim. Aftermarket painted wheels should only be cleaned with soap and water to avoid chemical chipping of the paint.

Any recommendations for crazing of the clearcoat?