Wheel cleaning
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
From: Cumming GA
Wheel cleaning
How in the world do you guys clean the inside part of your wheels. I have the polished wheels and when they are completely wiped down and you can see the shine all the way through to the other side of the tire it looks abosolutly great, My wife says all I need to do is keep the ourside star wiped down, I however feel the whole wheel should be clean. The only way I can see do do this the right way is to lift the car and get under it. I have been able to clean a small portion and then roll the car forward clean a small portion and so on. I went to the local auto parts store and they didnt have anything for this type of hard to reach cleaning. I guess I could teach my 4 yr old daughter (tiny hands) how to clean the wheels (not sure how the wife would like that). Any suggestions would be great.
Thanks as always
Thanks as always
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 41,332
Likes: 616
From: FL
CI-7-8-9-10 Veteran
Cruise-In IX AutoX Winner
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '11,'19,'22,'25
St. Jude/CI Name Tag Designer
I actually found a really nice "brush" at Wal-Mart that does a great job. Unlike most hard bristle brushes, this one seems to be made of a rubberized material. It has a red handle and grey bristles. It is long enough to reach the entire rim on the back rims and does a nice job.
The difficult question is, after I wash the car (and rims) and go out and air dry the car, the inside of the rims get just as dirty from the rust as before I started. I have to actually wash the insides a second time.
Any way, this brush is flexible enough that it can slide under the caliper on the front rim as well, thus allowing you to clean the entire inside of all wheels.
The difficult question is, after I wash the car (and rims) and go out and air dry the car, the inside of the rims get just as dirty from the rust as before I started. I have to actually wash the insides a second time.
Any way, this brush is flexible enough that it can slide under the caliper on the front rim as well, thus allowing you to clean the entire inside of all wheels.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,262
Likes: 4
From: Manhatten Beach, California
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '11,'18,'20,'21,'24,'25, '26
Originally Posted by Datawiz
I actually found a really nice "brush" at Wal-Mart that does a great job. Unlike most hard bristle brushes, this one seems to be made of a rubberized material. It has a red handle and grey bristles. It is long enough to reach the entire rim on the back rims and does a nice job.
The difficult question is, after I wash the car (and rims) and go out and air dry the car, the inside of the rims get just as dirty from the rust as before I started. I have to actually wash the insides a second time.
Any way, this brush is flexible enough that it can slide under the caliper on the front rim as well, thus allowing you to clean the entire inside of all wheels.
The difficult question is, after I wash the car (and rims) and go out and air dry the car, the inside of the rims get just as dirty from the rust as before I started. I have to actually wash the insides a second time.
Any way, this brush is flexible enough that it can slide under the caliper on the front rim as well, thus allowing you to clean the entire inside of all wheels.
Night Race Blue 427
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,794
Likes: 6
From: Muncie, Indiana ...... Can I buy an amplifier on time ... I ani't got no money now but I'll pay you before I die
I have a small California duster that gets in there pretty good. Then every so often I take them off and clean them real good.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 41,332
Likes: 616
From: FL
CI-7-8-9-10 Veteran
Cruise-In IX AutoX Winner
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '11,'19,'22,'25
St. Jude/CI Name Tag Designer
Originally Posted by Corvette Junkie
I have a small California duster that gets in there pretty good. Then every so often I take them off and clean them real good.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 8,593
Likes: 1
From: Yorktown Heights NY
St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06
Originally Posted by Datawiz
Since we don't have a spare, how do you take them off? Where do you get the jack and the lug wrench? This is the first car I've ever had that did not have a spare.
I take the wheels off a couple of times a year to give them a good cleaning.
A paint stirrer with a micro fiber cloth wrapped around it works well for polish and buffing if you don't want to take the wheels off.
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Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 408
Likes: 0
From: Acworth Ga
I just stick my hands in there with a soapy rag and wash around to the calipers then move car foward or back and do the piece that was behind the calipers. It's really not that hard, just a little bit of a pain in the ***.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,909
Likes: 4
From: Ponte Vedra Beach / London State: Dazed and confused
Clean, properly conditioned wheels, tyres and fender wells greatly enhance the overall appearance of your vehicle. Today's wheels come in a variety of materials and finishes. Clean one wheel at a time, wash wheels and wheel-wells before the rest of the vehicle to avoid dirt and etc. coming into contact to newly washed surfaces.
Once the brake dust has been removed with a 100% acid-free wheel cleaner, apply a citrus based cleaner to the surface, agitate with a boars hair wheel brush and rinse off, dry thoroughly and then apply a polymer sealant for protection, this will also make future cleaning easier. A polymer is recommended as it has a higher melting temperature (350oF) compared to Carnauba wax (180oF) a wheel surface will reach a temperature in excess of 120oF due to rotor friction and in excess of 195oF when parked in the sun.
Periodically remove the wheels (one at a time) to enable the back of the wheel, callipers and give better access to the wheel wells. Should the wheel surface have small scratches they can he removed with a mildly abrasive polish.
Tar should be removed with a solvent type cleaner, and any bonded contaminants or over spray removed with Detailer's Clay, then wash and dry wheel surface thoroughly and apply a polymer sealant (Zoopseal)
JonM
Once the brake dust has been removed with a 100% acid-free wheel cleaner, apply a citrus based cleaner to the surface, agitate with a boars hair wheel brush and rinse off, dry thoroughly and then apply a polymer sealant for protection, this will also make future cleaning easier. A polymer is recommended as it has a higher melting temperature (350oF) compared to Carnauba wax (180oF) a wheel surface will reach a temperature in excess of 120oF due to rotor friction and in excess of 195oF when parked in the sun.
Periodically remove the wheels (one at a time) to enable the back of the wheel, callipers and give better access to the wheel wells. Should the wheel surface have small scratches they can he removed with a mildly abrasive polish.
Tar should be removed with a solvent type cleaner, and any bonded contaminants or over spray removed with Detailer's Clay, then wash and dry wheel surface thoroughly and apply a polymer sealant (Zoopseal)
JonM
Safety Car
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 3,525
Likes: 0
From: Kenton TN
If I have not driven the car in the rain (C6, normally not driven in the rain) I wipe out the fronts and back sides of my polished factory wheels (clear coated) with an older micro fiber cloth and some detailer spray. I guess I am very flexible from detailing cars and working on them for years as I can get my hand all the way in the rear wheels and clean all areas of loose brake dust. On the fronts since the caliper is so big, I just clean the back side of the wheel that you can see from the outside.
If I have driven the car in the rain, during its bath I will take a wet soap micro fiber cloth and run that around the back side of the wheels, its an easy clean if you car fliexible like myself.
Here are what mine look like all the time (painted caliper, rotor hubs and rotor cooling vents, Duplicolor caliper paint)
If I have driven the car in the rain, during its bath I will take a wet soap micro fiber cloth and run that around the back side of the wheels, its an easy clean if you car fliexible like myself.
Here are what mine look like all the time (painted caliper, rotor hubs and rotor cooling vents, Duplicolor caliper paint)