bigblock427

My wife recently sold her Vette and bought a '12 Carlisle Blue Grand Sport. We live in Oklahoma City and she bought the Vette from a dealer in Florida sight unseen. The car was received in pristine condition and just as described by the dealer. However the brake calipers and wheel barrels had never been cleaned. They are absolutely filthy! I wash our Vettes almost every week and wash the wheel barrels and brake calipers every time I wash it. So they are never dirty. I have washed her new car three times now using the same products and methods I have always used. I use a Daytona Speed brush and the same Adam's car soap I use to wash the car. This method does not remove any of the grime on the wheels or calipers.

I have never owned a car with chrome wheels. I have washed and detailed my cars for over 20 years. I consider myself a good detailer.

Can any of you recommend a good product to remove heavy grime from the wheel barrels and brake calipers that won't damage the chrome wheels.

Thanks in advance for you time and input.

LT1xL82

Adams Wheel Cleaner with the brushes you have. Make sure wheels are cool. Do not let cleaner dry on wheel and rinse really thoroughly.

bigblock427

Thanks for the recommendation. I use Adam's products, but have not bought their wheel cleaner. I have watched their instructional video on the product though.

I like to hear what products other enthusiasts use on their cars.

Thanks again.

Jim D.

Try a chrome-specific wheel cleaner and something like a Wheel Woolie.

The Wheel Woolie is still gentle, but I find it has better agitation ability than the brush you are using, and it doesn't fling the chemical on you as you are using it. An assortment pack with various sizes is usually found online, and they're a good investment.

Use some car wash suds to keep the working area wet as you do the detail work so the wheel cleaner does not dry.

Once clean, use a good chrome-specific polish and they should wash up with car wash in the future.

0Adam's Polish

Thanks for the kind words, our Wheel Cleaner is a pretty neat product, I don't think that you will be sorry. It will do you a great job!

http://adamspolishes.com/shop/exteri...l-cleaner.html

Killrwheels

Griots Garage makes a good, safe chrome specific wheel cleaner. It is quite dependable and a gallon is the best value. You certainly can find brushes like the Wheel Woolies cheap on Ebay also. Some have even used a MF towel over a toilet brush and suggested success.

Never spray and cleaner on hot wheels ...allow wheels to cool.

LT1xL82

Wheel Woolies work really well. (Say that fast 5 times!) Adams also sells one that has a bend in the handle...helps to reach the barrel and caliper when the wheels are installed. (For the task in your post, removing the wheels would makes the job much easier and likely yield better results.)

Assuming you have factory wheels, they are not really plated chrome like years gone bye. Threat them as if they were paint. Once you get them clean with wheel cleaner, the shampoo you have been using will be fine for maintenance washes...especially if you put some kind of paint sealant or coating on them.

Jim D.

Yes, certainly it is important to identify the finish one is cleaning -- common wheel finishes include polished aluminum with a clearcoat, chrome plate, black chrome (PVD) or bright chrome-like (also PVD), among others.

And yes, for many years chrome plating on Corvette wheels was not a factory option, but it is more common again.

Chrome plate is often not used as it adds weight and it is not environmentally friendly, but the sparkly look is hard to duplicate.

I believe in 2012, the Grand Sport's chrome wheel factory option would be code PYE.

OP, please post photos if you're not sure.

rkj427

that will clean them up, and then you can just maintain them going forward with the Adam's Car Shampoo......

2008 Corvette

You can also use Simple Green 50/50 mix. Works great. Rinse thoroughly when done.

0Innovative Detailing

I have used many wheels cleaners in my career as a professional surface care expert. I believe in always taking the least aggressive approach possible along with a cleaner that is not caustic or a nightmare on my lungs and hands. Chrome finishes can be very delicate and extremely thin so work with a cool surface always and stay away from conventional acid wheel cleaners.

I currently use NANOSKIN NON ACID Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is a professional-grade wheel and tire cleaner that forgoes caustic acids and instead relies on smart chemistry. Our "Xtreme Cling" foaming action is designed to cling to vertical surfaces and break down stubborn road residue on wheels & tires. Designed to clean clear coated, factory painted and chrome wheels

pickleseimer

Wondering would the wheel cleaners discussed here remove wheel coating products? I remove the wheels once per year in the off-season to thoroughly clean, detail and apply a wheel coating (usually the PBL wheel coating product). I'm under no illusions about the longevity of a coating application, especially on wheels. The cars I use the coating on are driven 3-5000 miles per year in fair weather and the coating keeps the wheels looking good. The times when I do wet-wash the car I would like to use a product for cleaning the wheels but would not want it to deteriorate the coating.

justplainjim

imho Chadwick's Triple Play works great..

LT1xL82

Generally wheel cleaner will remove protection. Wax and sealants for sure, likely less so for coatings.

That said, there is no reason to use wheel cleaner for every wash, especially if the wheel has protection. Instead, try the same shampoo you use on the paint. I mix car shampoo 16:1 and apply with a spray bottle.

Snowwolfe

The best cleaner I found for the chromes on my 2013 GS was a bucket of warm water and car wash soap.

bigblock427

Thanks guys for your comments and recommendations.

The wheels are the factory chrome Grand Sport wheels.

I have never had to use a cleaner on the wheels of any of my cars. I wash the wheels each time I wash my car (about once per week). So the wheels never get very dirty. I am 100% certain the wheel barrels and brake calipers had never been cleaned. Other than that the rest of the car was in pristine condition when we bought the car. The chrome is in excellent condition. So hopefully, I should only need to use the wheel cleaner once, and then continue with my normal washing of the wheels with a soft brush, wash pad, and car shampoo.

Thanks again guys.

duckvett

I primarily am an Adam's user, but I have not used their Wheel Cleaner (yet). My wheel cleaning procedure:
Twice a year I remove the wheels and clean the barrels with Griot's Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner and the face of the wheel with Griot's Chrome Wheel Cleaner. After rinsing thoroughly and drying the entire wheel, I apply Rejex to the barrel, let it cure and buff off. Cleanup during normal car washing is much easier with the Rejex on the wheels.

LT1xL82

Please post an update on how it all worked out, including what cleaner you used...

leebay

Griot's Chrome Wheel Cleaner

bigblock427

Will do.