does anybody have a good way to get and keep the rims shining?

thanks.

-Z

 

the only way to keep them clean is to have a brake pad that doesn't put out a lot of dust. and i find that glass cleaner tends to work better on rims than actual wheel cleaner. just something i learned as a porter.

 

don't use any wheel cleaners on the rims. they contain some acids that will eat the finish off of your rims in a little while.

keep the rims waxed, a carnuba or synthetic wax of your choice. you could also check out tirerack's wheelwax.

to clean then, soak them in car wash water, then work some magic with a microfiber towel.

 

Sponge and soapy water =P

 

I used Meguiar wheel cleaner. They claim that it is safe for all wheels. Works very well on my BMW stock wheels and probably on tcs stock wheel. If you have RS 1.0 type wheel that is powder coated, its very easy to clean without any chemical.

 

So i can use some meguires wax? just wax them up?

 

Here is how to properly clean and detail a wheel.

I spend about 5 minutes a wheel if I'm just cleaning, or about 10-15 a wheel if I'm
detailling for a show.

All you need is an inexpensive wheel or body brush from Walmart.



It doesn't have to be a really expensive one, the finish on wheels are way tougher
and resistant to scratches then your cars paint.

A basic wheel cleaner spray and a hose with a good spray/jet



The Greased Lightning is my current favorite. The Meguiars stuff is good, even simple
green is good, though I can't stand the smell. Window cleaner has AMONIA which
eats away at your paint...that's bad for those who weren't sure.


The method is simple.

WHEN THE WHEELS ARE COOL, hose down the wheel to get rid of any debre.
Spray down the wheel with your favorite cleaner, and let work for 30-60 seconds.
DO NOT LET WHEEL CLEANER DRY ON WHEELS!!
Scrub off gunk and dust with your inexpensive wheel brush, then hose off.

Your wheels should sparkle!

Now, take a good microfiber cloth:



And wipe down the wheel to get rid of any smearing and water droplets. You don't
want water spots on your wheels.

NEVER, EVER use a microfiber cloth on your paint after you've used it on your wheels!!
As I've said, the paint on your wheels is tougher then the finish on your car.
Any brake dust picked up by this microfiber cloth can scar your paint!
Also, NEVER EVER use a microfiber cloth you've dropped. It's probably picked up
thousands of small rocks and whatnot and you don't want to rub that into your paint!

Ok, enough ranting, back to wheels.

Now that the wheels are cleaned, and now dry, use your favorite liquid wax or quality
detail spray to protect your wheels. Just a few squirts, let soak in, buff off with a clean
microfiber cloth.



I suppose you could use a paste wax, a good carnuba, but why go through all the
effort when a gool liquid wax/detail spray will do just as well.

I go through this method once a week. I get compliments at every show, and I'm
constantly asked "did you get new wheels?"

I hope this helps out some...hmm...I think I'm going to repost this and ask for a sticky.

 

^^^ Good review, Mods should put this in the tech section.

 

Thanks!

I just cut and pasted it into it's own thread and PM'd a mod
for sticky.

I've been meaning to get off my ___ and post a bunch of
Detailing How-To, and I just realized I did my first one here! LOL

 

Look out for wheel cleaners that says "Spray On, Rinse Off!". That means they are acidic and have the small chance of actually being bad for your wheels. There's definitely no easy way out of cleaning your wheels.

I use Michelin tire care products (believe it or not, I did a TON of 'Net research on wheel cleaners and tire shine's). SUPPOSEDLY, Michelin's products don't use anything that can be detrimental to your wheels or tires, and are SUPPOSEDLY good for the vehicle.

Michelin also makes a 'dust repellent' that you spray on your wheels after cleaning them. It doesn't really keep the brake dust off the wheels, it's suppose to prevent the dust from eating into your wheels, and make it easier to clean your wheels.

I also try my hardest to avoid Tire Shine products w/ petroleum in it. The only problem is that tire shine products that don't have petroleum are no where near as shiny or 'wet' as those that do.

Again, the 'bad' products aren't all that bad or else they wouldn't be selling them...but to me it's just a personal choice because I want my tc to last as long as possible.

 

I agree COMPLETELY!

Too many petrol products, or silicon enhancements, or loaded
with fermaldahyde (did I spell that right?)

I've been through probably a dozen different tire shine products,
and every one seems to have it's drawbacks. That was actually
going to be my first article, but after I found what I thought
was the BEST product out there, it shows it's weakness a
few weeks later.

The *active* ingredient in the Greased Lightning is some
form of distilled or watered down amonia. I don't recall what
it is off the top of my head, but according to them it is paint
safe and doesn't strip wax off (like amonia does).

I've tested it by using detail spray on my wheels, then a
full week later spraying down and letting the wheel cleaner
soak in. Water still beaded as perfectly as if I had just
used the detail spray. I was VERY impressed.

I've been meaning to write the manufacturer and ask them
more about the product, but I never get straight answers from
any big company...at least until I talk to an engineer. LOL

 

I usually wash the whole car first, then after the car is done i take a seperate sponge and the soapy water and wash down the rims , rinse them off. Then spray some simple green on the rim/tire and let it sit for a minute or two then rinse off again, seems to take off everything without a problem . Most of the stuff comes off just from the soap/water, the simple green just goes in any small places i couldnt hit with the sponge and makes the dirt drip down to get rinsed off.

 

Ceramic pads reduce the dust by as much as 85% (or so I'm told). Mother's has a kit (Powerball) that includes a foam head that fits onto a drill and buffs/polishes all metals and finishes. http://www.autogeek.net/mo5140.html

 

Good info!

 

maybe the spray on hose off products are bad... i have no idea. but i really like Eagle One all-in-one tire and wheel cleaner. It has worked really well for me especially if you are just washing your car, and want a really easy way to clean your wheels. When Im going all out and detailing it, i will do things like mentioned above.


to Lonely Raven, nice post. good info.

these rims are SO tight.

where did you get these and how much were they?

.

 

soap and water or metal polish

 

ive used eagle 1 all wheel and tire cleaner for about... 2 years now? and ive never had a problem with the finish of the wheel.... even though its a "spray on and rinse" wheel cleaner(which i still do scrub). it gets the wheel and tire clean in 1 go.

then i use black magic tire wet/shine to keep the tires shiney. it may not last as long as a few other products that are supposed to last several weeks or whatever.... but its easy and convenient.

 

for the rims ONLY I use regular dish soap and a sponge thats covered in the sheepskin material , works fine and done it for years

 

I also use the Greased Lightning Orange wheel stuff and it does a good job busting up the funky stuff on your wheels. I saw a ton of it at my local "Big Lots" for dirt cheap too!

 

My wheels have a ton of spokes, so I just use a dish washing brush to get in there and clean the inside of the wheel. It works really good cause I can't effectively get my hand in there with a sponge.