Alloy Wheel Cleaning

[jayson]

Hello People, what do you find best for cleaning your alloys?? The suns been out all day and I been on the clean! Of course the Mrs got me roped into cleaning hers!! lol..........glutten for punishment me thinks!!

 

 

 

 

[NemesisUK]

I use the same shampoo as I use on the car, with the help of Wheel-Woolies

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-and-tyres/wheel-woolies-wheel-brush-kit/prod_1037.html

[capese21]

1 hour ago, NemesisUK said:

I use the same shampoo as I use on the car, with the help of Wheel-Woolies

Agreed although if very black with brake dust I use Demon Wheels which helps shift the dirt without being to harsh.

Ed

[steveledzep]

I too use the same car shampoo, Turtle Wax at the mo.  I use a gentle sponge as the paint is quite fragile I've found.  From time to time I'll put a wax polish on to make it easier to clean in the future.

 

Just had my RX for 6 weeks now and I'm amazed how little brake dust accumulates on the wheels in between washes.  My previous IS blackened the front wheels in no time !

[NemesisUK]

I have the current wheels sealed with ceramic coating and the very limited amounts (as it's a hybrid) of brake dust simply rinses off.

Previous cars the rims were all treated with Collinite 915 and after washing I wiped them down with Meg's Last Touch.

[200h]

i use megauirs gold class shampoo although i make sure the wheels are the last thing to be washed i also use a

different sponge  to keep the bodywork sponge clean , if there is a lot of brake dust i sometimes use

auto glym alloy wheel cleaner to help aid in the breaking down of the brake dust .

[rayaans]

Autosmart smart wheels shifts everything.  Needs to be diluted 10:1. 

If you don't feel confident with that, Valetpro Bilberry is the next best thing diluted to 5:1.

I use a Valetpro soft brush for the faces and a noodle microfiber glove for the insides, backs and spokes.

Ideally, you want to clean the wheels once, remove fallout, de-tar, clay and then seal with something. 

Then just use normal car shampoo until it wears off

[steveledzep]

I don't like using the strong chemicals, as I said, I consider the finish on the wheels a bit fragile.

 

I'd rather use gentle suds on a more regular basis.

[lockeyboy]

1 hour ago, 200h said:

i use megauirs gold class shampoo although i make sure the wheels are the last thing to be washed i also use a

different sponge  to keep the bodywork sponge clean , if there is a lot of brake dust i sometimes use

auto glym alloy wheel cleaner to help aid in the breaking down of the brake dust .

No sponges!!!

 

[Rabbers]

I would recommend you invest in a Daytona Speed Master wheel brush in the small size ("JR") and, assuming you never allow your

alloys to get so dirty as to require a specific detergent, use it with your normal bodywork shampoo.  The protectively-coated stem of

the brush is sufficiently flexible to get behind the spokes and the bristles are highly effective but not so firm as to be in any way abrasive.

I have had mine for twenty years and it seems to improve with age and use.

[200h]

7 hours ago, lockeyboy said:

No sponges!!!

 

i dont actully use sponges i use wash mitts but i have 2 of them one for wheels and 1 for bodywork

after every use i give the wash mitt a good rinse to make sure its clean for the next use.

[rayaans]

11 hours ago, steveledzep said:

I don't like using the strong chemicals, as I said, I consider the finish on the wheels a bit fragile.

 

I'd rather use gentle suds on a more regular basis.

The new Lexus finishes are resilient to chemicals - I understand the IS250 you had before had wheel issues but nothing on the RX after 45k miles and its fair share of strong-ish chemicals on the wheels

[steve2006]

I would also suggest that you remove the wheels at least twice a year, particularly after the winter salt season to clean the inner rims thoroughly where the finish is normally not to the same quality as the facing surfaces. Corrosion tends to start on the inner rim edge and then spread towards the outer face of the wheel.

This also give you the chance to check the unseen tyre sidewall for damage.

Also wash out your arches when the wheels are off to get rid of road salt,grit and mud accumulation.

 

[steveledzep]

1 hour ago, rayaans said:

The new Lexus finishes are resilient to chemicals - I understand the IS250 you had before had wheel issues but nothing on the RX after 45k miles and its fair share of strong-ish chemicals on the wheels

That's good to know...thanks.

[C Mclean]

It's a good idea to take the wheel off every year to clean off the corrosion that builds up between the wheel and hub, I've seen many a mechanic, sorry they're technicians these days, having to take a big soft faced lump hammer to the back of the wheels to free them from the hubs. A coating of Copaslip will usually keep them from seizing up in the future.

[tayaste]

On 15/04/2017 at 8:49 PM, NemesisUK said:

I use the same shampoo as I use on the car, with the help of Wheel-Woolies

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/wheels-and-tyres/wheel-woolies-wheel-brush-kit/prod_1037.html

I like the look of those Wheel-Woolies. 

[NemesisUK]

Great cleaning aids, easily reaches the back of the wheel barrel and with the different sizes one can clean between each spoke and between the calipers and rim. They hold a lot of water too, so really flush the dirt away. 

[wendle]

if your wheels are really bad you can use purple rain or dragons breath, spray on, leave 5 mins, jet wash of, job done, then after applying a couple of coats of Gechniq C5 alloy wheel armour you can just wash them with your normal car shampoo. 

[rayaans]

3 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

Great cleaning aids, easily reaches the back of the wheel barrel and with the different sizes one can clean between each spoke and between the calipers and rim. They hold a lot of water too, so really flush the dirt away. 

£40 for brushes! You must be mad! 

Good business idea though - might just rip them off and sell them for £25! Might call them Wheel Wallies 

On a side note, Autofinesse do their own for £30

[colin79666]

Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel is my go-to for wheel cleaning. PH neutral and reacts great with brake dust to go a dark purple when ready to wash off. It doesn't need much agitation with a brush and doesn't seems to strip the polish on the rims either. Not the best smelling product but I've had worse. I have also used Bilberry wheel cleaner which is cheaper (you mix it yourself to the desired concentration) but it didn't shift the grime so well.

http://www.bilthamber.com/auto-wheel

[rayaans]

3 hours ago, colin79666 said:

Bilt Hamber Auto Wheel is my go-to for wheel cleaning. PH neutral and reacts great with brake dust to go a dark purple when ready to wash off. It doesn't need much agitation with a brush and doesn't seems to strip the polish on the rims either. Not the best smelling product but I've had worse. I have also used Bilberry wheel cleaner which is cheaper (you mix it yourself to the desired concentration) but it didn't shift the grime so well.

http://www.bilthamber.com/auto-wheel

Bilt Hamber autowheel has a bleeding fallout remover in it, hence the purple colour. Worth noting that BH Korrosol are similiar products and both may be used interchangeably

At £13 it is expensive for what it is though - much more because Wonder Wheels Hot Wheels non acid exists and the bleeding fallout remover is an expensive ingredient. 

Having said that, I only use dedicated fallout removers as there's no point using a fallout remover each wash.

[Tel]

When I bought my ISF Mk2 there was an issue with the special forged wheels that were prone to significant build up of brake dust & the Forum tested many techniques to resolve the issue both in Europe & the States.

The best solution was Poorboy's Wheel Sealant that is a pink cream that I purchased from the States.

I applied this to my brand new wheels & was so sceptical that this was the solution as the cream was SO  easy to apply.

It works & I have used this ever since allowing me to use my Maguires Body suds to sparkle my alloys.

Now available in Halfords.

Does exactly what it says on the tin!

Tel

[Martin F]

2 hours ago, Tel said:

The best solution was Poorboy's Wheel Sealant that is a pink cream that I purchased from the States.

I applied this to my brand new wheels & was so sceptical that this was the solution as the cream was SO  easy to apply.

It works & I have used this ever since allowing me to use my Maguires Body suds to sparkle my Alloys.

 

This is good to hear as I use this on all my alloys and it certainly does give good protection. Probably only need to apply a couple of times a year and as you say it's more widely available nowadays.