Alloy Wheel Cleaning

[quik5i1ver]

Decided to try and give my wheels a thorough(ish) clean today. They have brake dust in the corners where the spokes join the rim and the odd stain from what I can only assume is wet brake dust coming from inside the wheel. Anyway, the car was permaguarded before I bought it - do they do the wheels? I got the permaguard fluid out that they suggest using on stuborn stain etc and gave it a go. It did help a little on the water type marks but I can't shift the darn dust, does anyone have any pointers for me please?

Also, has anyone used the windscreen solution? I applied it before driving to Devon and after a couple of hours of manky weather I gave up and used the wipers.. I used rain-x and rain wizard on my last car and they were far better, unless perhaps I didn't do a very good jop on the Trophy...

 

[Steve]

Decided to try and give my wheels a thorough(ish) clean today. They have brake dust in the corners where the spokes join the rim and the odd stain from what I can only assume is wet brake dust coming from inside the wheel. Anyway, the car was permaguarded before I bought it - do they do the wheels? I got the permaguard fluid out that they suggest using on stuborn stain etc and gave it a go. It did help a little on the water type marks but I can't shift the darn dust, does anyone have any pointers for me please?

Also, has anyone used the windscreen solution? I applied it before driving to Devon and after a couple of hours of manky weather I gave up and used the wipers.. I used rain-x and rain wizard on my last car and they were far better, unless perhaps I didn't do a very good jop on the Trophy...

1. Yes, they do the wheels as part of the standard exterior treatment.

2. My only advice here is to give it some elbow grease with something a bit on the abrasive side but not harder than the paint/polymer ie. the scourer that came with your Permagard pack, it will come off. Then clean them more regularly and the dust won't build up in the corners and harden so much, it will shift every time.

3.I've used the windscreen solution a couple of times(the glass treatment doesn't last nearly as long as they suggest) and it works very well but don't be sparing with it, clean the glass thoroughly first with the special solvent otherwise the polymer won't stick to the glass properly then really wax the stuff on using tight circles, don't rinse it off but let the first rain do that. The wipers can make it whiten and obscure visibility quite a lot at first though so be warned. I've used Rain-X before on my old car and I think the Permagard stuff is slightly better, lasting much longer (around 1000 miles in winter).

Hope this helps.

 

[oliie]

Permagard do the rims but it does not really last long and is quite pointless (only the paintwork is well protected from my experience).

You can buy some brake dust cleaner and just apply it sparingly to the areas that are stubborn. I've also heard Fairy Liquid works.

Just be glad you don't have PF97s to clean the dust of...

O.

 

[quik5i1ver]

Cool, cheers guys!

154's gonna have to wait until next weekend before I can give that a go again! Such a shame as I was hoping to get her gleaming and find a nice spot for some photos with the weather being pretty fair today. 8) As it was, didn't finish cleaning until it was dark - arghh!! :x

How often do most people clean their wheels in order to keep the dust away most effectively? I can appreciate that intervals vary dependent upon the amount of driving anyone does..

 

[Cue]

Permagard do the rims but it does not really last long and is quite pointless (only the paintwork is well protected from my experience).

You can buy some brake dust cleaner and just apply it sparingly to the areas that are stubborn. I've also heard Fairy Liquid works.

Just be glad you don't have PF97s to clean the dust of...

O.

quite a few things here for me to add to, from my experience. First point is that if this were top trumps - brake dust would bethe winner. It corrodes anything given enough time to. Lesson = clean them more often.

Second. Fairy liquid is a very powerful de-greaser. It can also stip paint to some extent so I wouldn't let it go near the alloys. It'll shift more than just the drake dust.

Also say clear of Wonder wheels type treatments for the same reason. Yes they clean the brake dust away but you're basically putting concentrated acid on to th wheel. Would you do this to the body work?

I know this is irrelavent in your situation but the best option is to keep them clean - as Steve said, cleaning them then is a peice of p1ss.

If you've got caked on Dust then only elbow grease is the cure.... and whatevre you do, dont take the wheel off, put it in the sink and take a brilo to it!!!!!! It proper fecks up the alloy then! I know someone who did this and it cost him a pretty penny to buy new wheels 2 months later, :lol:

 

[FunkyMunky]

and whatevre you do, dont take the wheel off, put it in the sink and take a brilo to it!!!!!! It proper fecks up the alloy then! I know someone who did this and it cost him a pretty penny to buy new wheels 2 months later, :lol:

who was a sink big enough to fit an alloy wheel in it? :shock:

haha - that has to go down as one of the reasons this website is so good - unpredictableness!!

 

[Steve]

How often do most people clean their wheels in order to keep the dust away most effectively? I can appreciate that intervals vary dependent upon the amount of driving anyone does..

I clean them every time I clean the car, which when driving it every day and in summer is at least once a week, now it's winter and I'm not driving it as much it's every couple of weeks, the brake dust is fairly easy to remove when you keep it under control and don't let it harden over a number of weeks, it attacks the laquer/polymer when left on there too.

 

[quik5i1ver]

Methinks I shall be giving the wheels some serious elbow grease at the weekend, unless of course I can get the lead lamp out tonight and do it in the dark after work. I just hope that the built up dust hasn't been on there for too long! May invest in some of those washing up sponges with the rough pad on the back - much like the permaguard one for a little extra abrasion.

Feeling sure that by the time I have got them clean, I will have learnt for the future that I need to keep it very much under control or arm ache will be a regular occurence! :roll: [/quote]

 

[SCR]

I don't clean mine myself, I have a man to do that for me while I flutter my eyelids!!

once a week though!

 

[Cue]

I don't clean mine myself, I have a man to do that for me while I flutter my eyelids!!

once a week though!

I needs me some of these eyelids :wink:

 

[Steve]

I don't clean mine myself, I have a man to do that for me while I flutter my eyelids!!

once a week though!

OMG that is well sexist. :lol:

Cleaning a car is man's job after all, otherwise you just get super-clean mirrors and a dirty roof. :lol:

 

[SCR]

Cleaning is indeed a mans job especially when there are other things to be done!

hmmm like hoffing in the other car! :lol:

 

[Steve]

Cleaning is indeed a mans job especially when there are other things to be done!

hmmm like hoffing in the other car! :lol:

What is 'hoffing'?

 

[SCR]

taking the roof down and blasting through the countryside!

 

[Steve]

taking the roof down and blasting through the countryside!

Vantage Roadster?

 

[SCR]

no, that was just a birthday gift for the weekend!

Weekend car is Z4 2.0 litre

 

[Steve]

no, that was just a birthday gift for the weekend!

Weekend car is Z4 2.0 litre

You got a slower car for the weekend?!?

 

[SCR]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[oliie]

Permagard do the rims but it does not really last long and is quite pointless (only the paintwork is well protected from my experience).

You can buy some brake dust cleaner and just apply it sparingly to the areas that are stubborn. I've also heard Fairy Liquid works.

Just be glad you don't have PF97s to clean the dust of...

O.

as Steve said, cleaning them then is a peice of p1ss.

Not if you live in London guys... with a hose pipe ban, and no garage, parked on the road but yet continue to use the car every day!

I spend more than £10 a week paying someone to clean my car because it is almost physically impossible for me to do so myself

O.

 

[quik5i1ver]

So is the definition of 'Hoffing' to take a blast in ones convertible and pose like 'The Hoff' 8) or to end up with ones hair looking like 'the Hoff' due to wind... Or neither...?!

Oh and Ollie, move out of the city a little, they relax the bans in Essex