Cleaning wheels
- Thread starter TTM
- Start date
heh, that is massive deja vu - I cleaned the wheels on my car not long after I bought it and they were in exactly the same state!
I used a clay bar as above, but that didn't seem to do much. Plus whenever it caught on flaking bits of paint it took big chunks out of the bar. I bought Autosmart Tardis and Bilberry wheel cleaner - you put them in (separate) squirty bottles and spray on, leave for a few mins come back and pressure wash off do the same for the other. Then squirt some more on and scrub off with a softish brush - Something you don't mind scurbbing your hands with is fine. Don't go too aggressive or your'l start removing the top layer of paint. Keep spraying/soaking/scrubbing till you don't think you can get anymore off. Its a laborious process but the only way I could do it myself.
When thats all done I put 2 coats of Autoglym Super Resin Polish then 2/3 coats of Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection on the inside and outside of all the wheels, both products I have a lot of but if you don't any polish/wax will do. This makes it MUCH, MUCH easier to clean in future, you can literally wipe the muck off with your finger as its sitting on the wax and not the paint.
Tardis is a tar remover and is pretty useful on the rest of the car too, I bought it for ~£16 for 5 Litres, which 3 years later is nearly finished.
Bilberry is an "acid free" cleaner - but I'm pretty sure its a base though so I'm not convinced its safer - It is good though, I bought 5 litres about 3 years ago and also still have some left! Got this for about ~£25 for 5 litres, it also smells lovely - but don't drink it, tastes horrible [
]
Sorry, that went on longer than expected. []
I used a clay bar as above, but that didn't seem to do much. Plus whenever it caught on flaking bits of paint it took big chunks out of the bar. I bought Autosmart Tardis and Bilberry wheel cleaner - you put them in (separate) squirty bottles and spray on, leave for a few mins come back and pressure wash off do the same for the other. Then squirt some more on and scrub off with a softish brush - Something you don't mind scurbbing your hands with is fine. Don't go too aggressive or your'l start removing the top layer of paint. Keep spraying/soaking/scrubbing till you don't think you can get anymore off. Its a laborious process but the only way I could do it myself.
When thats all done I put 2 coats of Autoglym Super Resin Polish then 2/3 coats of Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection on the inside and outside of all the wheels, both products I have a lot of but if you don't any polish/wax will do. This makes it MUCH, MUCH easier to clean in future, you can literally wipe the muck off with your finger as its sitting on the wax and not the paint.
Tardis is a tar remover and is pretty useful on the rest of the car too, I bought it for ~£16 for 5 Litres, which 3 years later is nearly finished.
Bilberry is an "acid free" cleaner - but I'm pretty sure its a base though so I'm not convinced its safer - It is good though, I bought 5 litres about 3 years ago and also still have some left! Got this for about ~£25 for 5 litres, it also smells lovely - but don't drink it, tastes horrible [
]Sorry, that went on longer than expected. [
]
ghost
New member
Wonder Wheels. Take your time - lots of soaking and agitating. Overuse of a jet washer will damage the paint with microscopic pitting that makes it easier for dirt and brake dust to grip in the future. Like the previous poster said. LOTS of polish and wax coating to stop the dirt sticking after you've cleaned them.
TTM
Well-known member
Though I didn't get the chance to find the products mentioned I tried a wheel cleaner from Michelin, which, combined with a domestic brush used to clean things like sinks made of aluminium, has proved rather effective.
However several years of neglect show the wheels are in a poor cosmetic shape.
However several years of neglect show the wheels are in a poor cosmetic shape.
TTM
Well-known member
Mine had a yellowish layer that came off rather easily and which I believe is the same yellow waxoyl the factory applied to the whole underneath of the cars before leaving the factory.
That there is still some of it on the wheels after 20 years just goes on to show how rarely they were cleaned, if ever! [&:]
Super_Marv
New member
ORIGINAL: TTM
Some spots suggest the aluminium has begun to oxydise [&:] - or perhaps was repaired?
Though I use these wheels only as back ups I will probably have them refurbished when financial skies will be brighter.
Probably caused by a stone chipping the paint, then water getting underneath.
It's no surprise that they look like that after nearly 20 years! As said by others, it can be stayed on top of by removing the wheels every year and giving them a damn good clean, then wax. I look for any stone chips and use a clear lacquer touch up paint stick, to cover over the stone chip, so no water/dirt/salt gets underneath.
marcoturbo
New member
Have a look at this e-shop and buy some Cartec weel cleaner
http://www.shine-on-wheels.eu/eshopping//index.php
http://www.shine-on-wheels.eu/eshopping//index.php
Posts made and opinions expressed are those of the individual forum members
Use of the Forum is subject to the Terms and Conditions
