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View Full Version : Safe Wheel Brush for Volk GTS Wheels



Nopstnz8
02-27-2009, 01:57 AM
I am looking to buy a wheel brush or two to use to clean my Titanium Gunmetal Volk GTS Wheels with the anodized lip. I want to make sure they don`t scratch whatsoever and was thinking of either the Worlds Greatest Boars Hair brush or the Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush made by EZ Detail? I was possibly thinking of getting both of them, but if I don`t really need both, will the just the Boars Hair one due for me to be able to accomplish all of the above? My main goal is to cut down on cleaning time by making it easier and safer without scratching the lip. It isn`t easy cleaning the inside of the wheel with a sponge since I sometimes cut my hands, or slighly miss a tiny section. I clean the wheels inside and out including the calipers to make sure everything is nearly spotless. I am currently a Lowes grout sponge with ONR and it takes a while, eventhough the results are worth it. Can these brushes be used with ONR without causing scratches, or do I need to go back to conventional washing for the wheels. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

WhiteStripes
02-27-2009, 02:03 AM
EZ Detail



/thread



Haha, seriously though, the best part of the EZ is that it can get into the spokes and get the inside of the wheel. It`s by far the best brush I`ve ever used, and it`s super soft. If it isn`t soft enough for you right outta the box, the instructions say you can soften the bristles even more by soaking it in hot water.

JohnZ3MC
02-27-2009, 03:29 AM
I have the BMW Roadstars, 5 spokes but wider than the Volk GTSs but sort of similar but not.

I have the EZ Detail so your Daytona choice is a good one. I could really use the short handled boars hair brush but haven`t got one yet. You should get it.

The only other one I`d recommend is a simple sash brush with natural bristles. Wrap duct tape around the ferrule and you`ll be good to go. Just in case you don`t do work around the house, the sash brush is the paint brush cut on an angle for trim. Get a 2 inch one, nothing larger. Cheap and at hardware/paint stores.

I use the sash brush on about 75% of the wheel and the EZ/Daytona on the rest.

Why the sash brush? Try it once on your calipers and you`ll smack your head as the light dawns. You`ll laugh at cleaning calipers now that it`s so easy.



Leave all of them in your wheel care pail and you`ll be good to go.

-John C.

Nopstnz8
02-27-2009, 11:59 AM
There is also a part on the wheel where the lip meets the face of the wheel. It is all anodized aluminum and is under the face. The Daytona brush would obviously scratch this area since there is a tip on the end. Would a boars hair brush be the ,most ideal for this part? Also, would both these brushes be safe for use with ONR? My wheels are generally not soiled and are sealed with Klasse AIO and the sealant glaze.

Accumulator
02-27-2009, 03:24 PM
There is also a part on the wheel where the lip meets the face of the wheel. It is all anodized aluminum and is under the face. The Daytona brush would obviously scratch this area since there is a tip on the end. Would a boars hair brush be the ,most ideal for this part? Also, would both these brushes be safe for use with ONR? My wheels are generally not soiled and are sealed with Klasse AIO and the sealant glaze.



I`m not a big fan of the EZ Brush, but IIRC brushes like that (i.e., including the Daytona) have a plastic cap over the end of the core to prevent scratching.



I use BHBs for jobs like this, and the small round one sold by Griot`s and others is very handy for certain areas. Also, small sheepskin mitts (again as sold by Griot`s and others) can be good for reach around and doing the back sides of the spokes. I`m kinda surprised how mich I like the little sheepskin mitts made for wheels, I didn`t expect much when I first ordered one.



I do better claning the back/insides with methods like that than I do with the EZ Brush, but that`s just me.



I`m not 100% happy with how ONR works with BHBs. I tend to prefer BHBs for conventional wash methods, but again, that`s just me.

Kaze_RSX
02-27-2009, 05:24 PM
Swissvax wheel brush and Meguiar`s spoke brush take my vote FWIW.



Take care in cleaning the faces, and be careful to use a spoke brush for cleaning the inner rim. You should be fine otherwise, IME Volks are a fairly hard finished wheel.

GLuXuRy
02-28-2009, 12:16 AM
i use boars hair on my GTS`s



if you want to save the sealant .. just use a very diluted soap and water ratio ..

Nopstnz8
03-02-2009, 12:53 AM
Thanks for the advice guys. I will probably be getting both because I don`t think the boars hair brush will be that useful for the inside of the wheel.

GLuXuRy
03-02-2009, 09:55 AM
^^^just use a old wash mitt .. the spokes are far enough apart you can stick you hand in there .. unless you have like a 14" rotor with a 6 piston caliper ... then thats a different story

shadow85
03-02-2009, 10:49 AM
.. unless you have like a 14" rotor with a 6 piston caliper ... then thats a different story



Maybe thats why the ez brush was not so easy for me..... um the rotor part.



The mitt sounds very useful. Maybe an old microfiber can do the same....

Accumulator
03-02-2009, 01:09 PM
^^^just use a old wash mitt .. the spokes are far enough apart you can stick you hand in there .. unless you have like a 14" rotor with a 6 piston caliper ... then thats a different story



Yeah on all counts. A few of our vehicles have such tight wheel/caliper clearance that the wheelweights barely clear; on those I simply have to move the vehicle half-a-wheel-revolution to expose that area, no way around it.



Cutting an old mitt into smaller pieces would be pretty similar to the little mitts that I like so much.

Spilchy
03-02-2009, 01:14 PM
Cutting an old mitt into smaller pieces would be pretty similar to the little mitts that I like so much.



Or get ripped off by Griots and buy theirs :lol



Sorry, had to.



In all seriousness, sea wool sponges work great. You can buy little ones anywhere from 2 inches on up. You can buy these little guys in bulk.

Accumulator
03-02-2009, 01:20 PM
Or get ripped off by Griots and buy theirs :lol



Sorry, had to..



Oh that`s me all right...a real glutton for punishment where Griot`s is concerned :o



Yeah little sea sponges would be good too...for some reason I`m still on a sheepskin binge.

GLuXuRy
03-13-2009, 12:05 PM
Yeah on all counts. A few of our vehicles have such tight wheel/caliper clearance that the wheelweights barely clear; on those I simply have to move the vehicle half-a-wheel-revolution to expose that area, no way around it.



Cutting an old mitt into smaller pieces would be pretty similar to the little mitts that I like so much.




Maybe thats why the ez brush was not so easy for me..... um the rotor part.



The mitt sounds very useful. Maybe an old microfiber can do the same....



i think the best way would to remove the wheels .. but i dont know if you guys have the time/tools nor if the customer even wants to pay extra for that .. figure it this way... with the wheels off then you can get really detailed and clean and dress the fender wells

Accumulator
03-14-2009, 10:41 AM
i think the best way would to remove the wheels .. but i dont know if you guys have the time/tools nor if the customer even wants to pay extra for that .. figure it this way... with the wheels off then you can get really detailed and clean and dress the fender wells



This comes up from time to time in reference to pros doing cars for customers.



Sure, if it`s your own car you oughta pull the wheels from time to time anyhow, all sorts of stuff really isn`t accessible with `em on.



But for a pro, there have been liability/etc. concerns raised that I might not`ve thought of :think: Nah..*I* wouldn`t hesitate to pull `em, but if somebody is even remotely concerned about doing it then maybe they shouldn`t.