Alloy Wheel Cleaner

[StuartFZR400 0]

What do you find is best for cleaning your Alloys?

 

I use warm soap & water, but a couple weeks of cold weather meant I was too much of a wuss to clean them, and now the brake dust dont wanna come off in a hurry - are there products out there worth buying?

 

 

Does anyone use a cleaning tool for fiddly wheels such as multispokes (bbs etc)?

 

- hardly technical i know

[chris g 0]

Autoglym Clean wheels (I think that is what is called)

 

Only use it if yout wheels are laquered though!!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

http://www.kleenwheels.co.uk sell a special polymer coating that stops anything bonding to the wheels. I hear it's pretty good, but not cheap at £30!!

 

I personally use Swissol Autobahn wax on my wheels (also not cheap) which has been formulated to handle the heat. Brake dust just wipes off with a wet cloth! So what I'm saying is, prevention is better than the cure.....don't let the dust bond itself to the wheel in the first place. Acid based cleaners eventually strip all your laquer off.....

[blackcat 0]

Does anyone use a cleaning tool for fiddly wheels such as multispokes (bbs etc)?

 

I use a toothbrush to clean my wheels, the neighbours must think I'm crazy :wink:

[Louie Lungbubble 0]

If you brush your teeth with a car sponge they certainly will!

[StuartFZR400 0]

Classic - but i find i get carried away with a toothbrush and the plastic can mark the alloy, so gently does it.

 

Looks like PREVENTION is the key as Kev says, thanks fella. Where do you get the Swissol?

 

Getting these rims clean first will be hard work, dont think they hav a laquer. The BBS (going on this/next weekend) are though - although some of its peeling off.

Kev you mentioned a place that does refurbs (in another thread), where are they?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Stuart, PM John Wintle, he's the Forum's Swissol contact 8)

 

He's a top bloke, quick to respond and take BACS payments, so dead easy. Delivery times are usually dependant on stock levels in the main warehouse but I've always been pleased with the turn around.

 

And for the wheels, http://www.pristinealloywheels.co.uk

 

They are superb. I am truly shocked by their quality and service. Wasn't expecting them to be half as good, but it further supports the 'You get what you pay for' argument.

The collection and delivery is included in the refurb price, which is £44.50 per wheel. It's cost me £500 in refurbing and tyres for my speedos which is a lot, but I now have mint, standard wheels again which is how I want the car to be for the next couple of years.....mint and standard.

[Guest]

Kev - my refurbs are being sent tomorrow. Can't wait :) Then new tyres in early June ready for 26th @ Leeds.

Can you not buy Swissol locally? Sounds like treating the alloys before getting them anywhere near the road is a good idea.

 

Stuart - I've not seen the finished product yet but can vouch for the customer service and turn around times.

[john_wintle 0]

Can't buy Swissol in the shops, only mail order. PM/email me if you are interested in any products.

 

What I would advise people to do is firstly clean off the wheels with either some Wonder Wheels or Virosol (MC2), and then clean the wheels properly getting little bits off them using a Paint Rubber (clay bar), then prime using the Swissol Cleaner Fluid, then coat with the AutoBahn Wheel wax.

 

As Kev stated above, then much will then just wipe off easily, without the use of chemicals.

 

John

[fatherted 0]

Before the C when I was blasting around the roads on two wheels I had loads of problems with bonded on brake dust. I always used wonder wheels to shift the stubborn stuff (particularly on second hand bikes) which did a great job. I then discovered that just polishing the wheels with the same polish I was using on the bodywork meant that next time the wheels were a doddle to clean.

 

It took 2 or 3 sessions with wonder wheels to clean off all the stubborn stuff that was on the C alloys when I got it.

[Furkz 0]

citrus Juice,, dilluted

[fatherted 0]

What, to clean them? Preserve them? Or just make them taste better?

[mk1-corrado 0]

Tried sonax's alloy wheel cleaner, the one with schumacher,(sorry) on the front, is very good and non acidic. turns brake dust into a red liquid and i just use a soft paint brush, then loads of Mothers wax on them to keep em shiny!

[Furkz 0]

fatherted, try it to clean them and watch the results, bet u wont get a more easy clean for under £1

[flusted 0]

I use a product called MUCK OFF! they sell it in bicycle shops to clean grease and grime off bikes,it works very well,just spray it on and wash off in a few mins

[Neil VR6 0]

I use that Muck Off as well, very good on wheels!

[john_wintle 0]

Muck off is an expensive way to by the stuff, which as far as I can tell is just a citrus cleaner like Virosol. Virsol works out about £13 delivered for 5L from the likes of jantasic.co.uk, or even cheaper if you find your local Clover Chemicals distributor, about £7 for 5L.

[fatherted 0]

I do a bit of mountain biking and actually have a bottle of muck off I received gratis. Might give it a try to compare with wonder wheels.

 

If you think that is a bit steep MBR magazine recently discovered Fenwicks Caravan Cleaner. It is supposed to be good for cleaning bikes and is pretty cheap due to the high volume used on caravans!

[GIXXERUK 0]

wonder wheels is excellent stuff, comes with a paint brush , bring em up like new

[Dr Forinor 0]

I use a wheel wax, forgotten the name of the thing now, but that seems to really help prevent the brake dust from sticking to the wheels. Again, prevention is better than cure, I just wash off with soapy water and it's brand new again.

[Phil K 0]

wonder wheels is excellent stuff, comes with a paint brush , bring em up like new

 

Thats exactly what I use too... I put it in a spray bottle though and take it off with a jet spray though - makes life a lot easier 8)

[Furkz 0]

wonder wheels is too harsh boys,,, the product can prove this if you leave it on for a few mins and not rinse it,,,you alloys will show you the damage wonder wheels is doing

 

try meguiars hot rims

[Phil K 0]

FurkiG60, wanna come round and give me a demo ;)

[Furkz 0]

yeah no worries but 1st i gotta eat get the table ready :lol:

[GIXXERUK 0]

used wonder wheels for years never had a problem mate