Wheel cleaning

[anonymous-user]

Well I only have myself to blame but I washed my car today after about 15k miles (it needed it) to find my wheels covered in an impregnable crust of brake dust. I spent hours with Simonz wheel cleaner and a toothbrush but still this horrible crap won't come off my alloys. Other than elbow grease or refurbishment, is there an easy way to get them clean again? I'm lazy so the easier the better!

Thanks.

[mattrg]

I use Bilthamber auto wheel on mine which being non-acidic you can leave on for a good while.

Works well but i've never given it 15K miles worth of brake dust to contend with so not sure how it would cope with that.

[greygoose]

Bilberry wheel cleaner is very effective (God knows what it is made from).

[ian2144]

greygoose said:

Bilberry wheel cleaner is very effective (God knows what it is made from).

It smells nice and you can dilute to what ever strength you want.

[jimmy156]

Something i have always wondered about wheel cleaning products...

They all claim to be able to dissolve/break down the brake dust that collects on your wheels, which is surely just tiny bits of brake pad. Could they not also 'break down' the brake pads that are only a few centimetres away from the wheel that you are liberally covering in cleaner.

[JQ]

I've always founds WonderWheels to be good at shifting crap.

[R1gtr]

Try Iron-X, it is great stuff, vids on youtube of it in action.

[anonymous-user]

Yep, sounds like you need to decontaminate with Iron-X first then use a wheel cleaner like Bilberry. You can treat the wheels like any other painted surface, so clay them, polish them, and finally protect them.

[mattberkshire]

Had a bunch of horrible stuff on my tele dials. Autoglym wheel stuff cleaned them right up

[Squishey]

Dragon's breath (similar to Irox-X) and Bilberry wheel cleaner both by Valet Pro will shift it.

[sleep envy]

JQ said:

I've always founds WonderWheels to be good at shifting crap.

Also good for cleaning brickwork due to it being diluted acid. Awful stuff.

[gizlaroc]

I would try claying them, this usually brings off all sorts.

[pimping]

Mr muscle oven cleaner.

[Tc24]

My Civic's alloys which had 80-odd thousand miles worth of caked on grime on the back of them came clean with some oven cleaner and fairy liquid. Polished then sealed with wax to hopefully keep them nice.

[PlayersNo6]

mattrg said:

I use Bilthamber auto wheel on mine which being non-acidic you can leave on for a good while.

Works well but i've never given it 15K miles worth of brake dust to contend with so not sure how it would cope with that.

+1 even though it stinks. Read good things about Iron X too.

[jebus]

andrewparker said:

Yep, sounds like you need to decontaminate with Iron-X first then use a wheel cleaner like Bilberry. You can treat the wheels like any other painted surface, so clay them, polish them, and finally protect them.

Other way around, clean with a good wheel cleaner a couple times, then hit it with irox or similar and tar remover, the wheel cleaner will get rid of everything it can then the ironx etc will get the more stubborn bits.

for OP best way would be to get a proper wheel cleaner, bilberry, smart wheels are good and pretty cheap, both can be diluted depending on how bad your wheels are take each wheel off, and with a couple wheel brushes (cheap £1 jobs from tesco be fine) take each wheel off in turn scrub them and scrub them so more. If you head over to detailing world, after you received the punishment for not cleaning your car for so long, a local member will be happy to give you a hand, demo etc of how certain products are.

[anonymous-user]

What about just spraying over the dust with some silver spray paint?

Bang on!

[Tickle]

ian2144 said:

greygoose said:

Bilberry wheel cleaner is very effective (God knows what it is made from).

It smells nice and you can dilute to what ever strength you want.

+1 on the Bilberry.

[jebus]

lord trumpton said:

What about just spraying over the dust with some silver spray paint?

Bang on!

This isn't wheeler dealers lol

[anonymous-user]

pimping said:

Mr muscle oven cleaner.

Hmmmm, does this work on dirty, neglected wheels? Will it take the paint off?