Thorough Wheel Cleaning: On or off the car?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 93
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Thorough Wheel Cleaning: On or off the car? hey guys, I was outside cleaning the windows and doorjam areas on my z28 when i noticed how filthy the wheels have gotten. tonight i stumbled across some pics and they look completey differet 
Not only the wheels, but I was like...whoa...I had painted calipers? What do the majority of you do to clean that area? Do you actually unbolt the wheel and take it off? 
I know that would make cleaning away every last bit of dirt and brake dust a snap, but it just sounds like a major pain 
I have some spray that I assume is some form of acid that you spray on for like 30 secs, wait and then spray it off. But I have been lazy and havent bought a brush small enough to use on the wheels to massage it away fully, so they never got really clean. Yup...right now they're a brownish orange and make me wanna
Any recommendations on cleaning this area of my car would be much appreciated. (they're stock matte alloy and not glossy)
Not only the wheels, but I was like...whoa...I had painted calipers? What do the majority of you do to clean that area? Do you actually unbolt the wheel and take it off? I know that would make cleaning away every last bit of dirt and brake dust a snap, but it just sounds like a major pain I have some spray that I assume is some form of acid that you spray on for like 30 secs, wait and then spray it off. But I have been lazy and havent bought a brush small enough to use on the wheels to massage it away fully, so they never got really clean. Yup...right now they're a brownish orange and make me wanna
Any recommendations on cleaning this area of my car would be much appreciated. (they're stock matte alloy and not glossy)
I did once. The brake dust came back so fast I probably wont do it again. I did manage to scrape off alot of (what I think is) melted asphalt pieces off the inside of the rim though. How the hell does that stuff get there? One of those great human mysteries..
As to the outside, I simply use whatever I wax my car with on the rims after a wash, buff and polish, then use Mr Clean Magic Erasers to touch them up between washes if needed.
As to the outside, I simply use whatever I wax my car with on the rims after a wash, buff and polish, then use Mr Clean Magic Erasers to touch them up between washes if needed.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,535
Likes: 1
From: The Houndstooth
I use a large soft bristle paint brush carefully to clean my rotor hubs and painted brake calipers. Actually, I use the brush alot when I wash my car... emblems, trim pieces and especially in the grooves between body panels.
I do a little washing of the inner rim area, but not farther than I can reach easily. I just wait about cleaning the inner wheel area that you can't see until I have the wheel(s) off the car.
I do a little washing of the inner rim area, but not farther than I can reach easily. I just wait about cleaning the inner wheel area that you can't see until I have the wheel(s) off the car.
I dont personally do it, but to get a great detail job out of the inside of the rim there's no other way to do it. Yeah, its a PITA for some of us who dont have access to 4-post lifts and have asphalt driveways and no garages etc, but I dunno of anything that works well enough without pullin the rim.
When I had the snowflakes, I would take them off about twice a year and clean them inside and out. Now that I have the ZR1's, I can reach between the spokes and do a pretty good job of cleaning everything. I'm about to get new shocks, so when I do that, I'll probably also get the rotors turned, replace the brake pads, bleed the brakes, and clean everything really well while everything is apart.
-Mike
-Mike
