heavy wheel cleaning

M

mbs431

New member
I find a lot of articles on "how to maintain your wheels." But I detail in the northeast and come across some serious beat up wheels. The dirt and grime is so caked on that it seems to become part of the wheel. I use P21S wheel cleaner and let it sit for a while. After using various brushes, that brown color is still on the wheels, especially in between the spokes. I have used a scratchless Scotch Brite pad before and worked well but it's risky. Any other products or tools you may suggest to work on very soiled wheels? Thanks.
 
You could try meg's wheel brightener. But be uber careful. I guess the clear on one of my wheels was "going bad"? I though it was caked on brake dust. I scrubbed at it with the brightener. Sprayed it off. Didnt make a difference. The next day I noticed the clear was flaking off..



And no, that wheel was no curb rashed or anything. So its not like it got under the clear that way. So I dont know what the hell.
 
The tricky thing is it really depends on the wheel. Each wheel can be very different. Factors can be type of wheel, how it was painted, is it one piece or two, how old it is etc... The key is make sure the wheel is not hot first. Start with your least aggressive chem 1st then work your way all the way up. You can buy wheel acids and dilute them down and try that too but be careful because you can cloud some wheels very easily with that. You can also get 00000 steel wool and a clay lube for the very stubborn corners. We've also used our wheel polish balls with a little compound on tricky wheels. Lot's of options... Just remember you can't undo when you've done too much.
 
mbs431 said:
The dirt and grime is so caked on that it seems to become part of the wheel. I use P21S wheel cleaner and let it sit for a while.
Click to expand...



The wheels may be beyond the point of no return with professional re-finishing the only realistic option.





I think you are on the right track, permit the P21S (gel) to dwell for an extended period. The Meg's Wheel Brightener is an exceptional cleaner but with recognized health hazards. Be aware of them.



I guess mechanical polishing would be my final attempt. I've spent hours trying to restore trashed wheels and have had limited success. It's going to come down to how much time you are permitted to invest.



The stains do seem to lighten gradually if the wheel is maintained on a weekly basis. I have noticed this on some used cars I've purchased. The appearance improves if the wheel receives regular care, though the change is quite gradual.



If you are willing to pay for the P21S, I'll suggest the Autoglym as an alternate. It's around $60 for 5L. It's somewhat stronger and does a great job on cleaning rubber as well as delicate wheels. I've been very pleased with it. (I will no longer purchase P21S due to the price.) It leaves a beautiful finish just like the P21S products.
 
The worst I've run across is the Mercedes wheels that haven't been cleaned in a few....years. I start with cool wheels, power wash and then get the Megs wheel brite out, spray, pray, scrub with an old toothbrush, rinse - lather- repeat, then you'll still need to polish with something like a mothers powerball and the polish of your choice.
 
Buster from Ardex is the strongest wheel cleaner I've ever found. It's made for the German cars but works on any wheel sans chrome and hub caps. Wear proper safety attire when using and DON'T GET ANY ON YOU!
 
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