Wheel Cleaning Off Car

Finally swapped wheels to summer set, and have my 6 month used style 4's about to go off for storage, But before they do I wanted to give them a good clean, and maybe get some Gtechniq C5 on them back and front.

Only washed with water so far, and the front surfaces are fine (I had applied Autoglym wheel seal immediately after delivery to front surface), but the insides and rear of spokes have some serious tar, iron spots and brake dust build up!

Whats the best way to safely clean these up again ready for either AG or C5 sealant? I dont want to apply any acid cleaners really if I can avoid.

Will put some pics up of problem areas when I have access to them.

Iron X & Tar X, as long as there fully washed off & dryed afterward & then wiped with IPA before treating with C5.
This will keep your wheels tip top for up to two year (longer in your case as there only used in winter).
For the weekly clean, just use a non acid wheel cleaner like Chemical Guys rim & wheel gel & after a few months before washing give them a light spray with some Nano wheel cleaner, I use Wolfs Nano wheel cleaner which won't damage the C5 as Gtechinq is Nano also.

Thanks doug, I will checkout those products.

Here's a pic of the awkward areas after 6 months of usage, and I missed the snowy week!

   

I can 2nd the Iron x it's awesome stuff. I use auto finesse Oblitarate as tar remover and it is also very good. These products combined with an inch round wheel brush will sort the awkward areas you referred to!!

(07-06-2012 09:25am)doug Wrote:  Iron X & Tar X, as long as there fully washed off & dryed afterward & then wiped with IPA before treating with C5.
This will keep your wheels tip top for up to two year (longer in your case as there only used in winter).
For the weekly clean, just use a non acid wheel cleaner like Chemical Guys rim & wheel gel & after a few months before washing give them a light spray with some Nano wheel cleaner, I use Wolfs Nano wheel cleaner which won't damage the C5 as Gtechinq is Nano also.

Weekly clean?????? I bought a RR due to the advert that the rain washed the car.

This reminds me that I have my winter wheels sat in the garage as they came off the car. Guess I better find the time to clean them!

I find that cleaning wheels (whether on or off the car) is one of the more difficult areas of car care as there tends to be a lot of bonded contaminants on wheels i.e. tar, brake dust etc. and all sorts of nooks and crannies to get into (a set of “PB wheel woollies” will help with this though). The temptation is always there to scrub and scrape at tar spots rather than try to dissolve them.

There’s some good information on the below website for those who are not familiar with the methods involved in “detailing” a car with pretty in depth descriptions of the processes and reasons for them. Also some nice pictures of shiny cars for those who are that way inclined

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/...dvice.html

(08-06-2012 12:46am)Mudi1 Wrote:  Weekly clean?????? I bought a RR due to the advert that the rain washed the car.

With you on this Mudi...but ours are Havana, which is a premium self cleaning paint!

(08-06-2012 12:46am)Mudi1 Wrote:  Weekly clean?????? I bought a RR due to the advert that the rain washed the car.

I meant I missed the snowy week for getting salt and contaminants on the wheels! Even I don't clean it every week! I'm amazed how well having treated the paintwork the rain does actually keep it clean!

Couldnt get Iron X in time, but got some Turtle Wax ICE Wheel clean, seems to be the same ph neutral purple dissolving effect of Iron X, and the gTechniq C5 turned up with some pre-cleaner so will try to get a few pics of the process in the coming days for anyone interested, weather allowing.

1 Wheel done with the turtle wax ICE, works pretty well just a few problem areas to get into somehow. Amazed at how much pitting there is on the rear painted surface of the spokes.

Setup ready for cleaning the Insides
   

Leave for a few minutes
   

Agitate with a wheel brush
   

Rinse down, a lot removed but a few awkward corners to get still
   

Fronts looking sparkling!