Yeah, those wheels we all love to clean. *wink*

[Jean-Claude]

The faces were kept decently clean. The barrels....mmmm, not so much. I don`t think they had been cleaned before. With the wheels off I spent about a hour on them.



Before (the spare is the closest and the worst)

http://imageshack.us/a/img18/7862/img0809lk.jpg



After (notice how well that same spare came out)

http://imageshack.us/a/img547/8159/img0810x.jpg



http://imageshack.us/a/img10/7093/img0811og.jpg

[Ron Ketcham]

I "drive" my vehicles, as do most people.

If, for some reason such as replacing brake pads or a flat, who cares what the back of the wheel looks like?

One other time I would "maybe" be concerned, is if I were in a car show, which is very seldom, and I don`t care about trophy`s, etc, instead I enjoy the chatting with other owners, visitors.

Hey, "concurs" is concurs and I no longer care about that anal world.

[Jean-Claude]

Keeping barrels clean does not mean a life of slavery. If they are clean they look a lot better. It makes sense to spend an extra 5 minutes or so per wheel keeping on top of barrels imo. It`s difficult understanding that there should be need for defending this type of cleaning here at Autopia.



These are some wheels I picked up for my truck. Cleaning them while they were off made sense.

[Nth Degree]

At least they weren`t these wheels:



http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/08%20BMW%20M3%20%20Interlagos%20Blue/36.jpg



For those not familiar; in addition to the narrow gap in the spokes, there is space between the back of the spokes and the barrels. I have a couple of customers with these wheels, one I clean bi-weekly. So much fun.:frusty:

[Ron Ketcham]

Keeping barrels clean does not mean a life of slavery. If they are clean they look a lot better. It makes sense to spend an extra 5 minutes or so per wheel keeping on top of barrels imo. It`s difficult understanding that there should be need for defending this type of cleaning here at Autopia.



These are some wheels I picked up for my truck. Cleaning them while they were off made sense.

Jean, I can understand that when one get`s a "new/used" set of wheels for their own vehicles, why not clean them up.

I need to pull the wheels of the Sebring this spring to change brakes, and the corrosives used in Ohio and now Iowa/Illinois has crawled under the clear on the wheels due to over the life of the car, the shops putting on new tires, chipped the clear in the center emblem area, allowing them to corrode.

I will take them off, blast them, sand them and put on a few coats of urethane clear.

It`s not a customer detail, and that is what I assumed you were referring to.

Sorry.

[Jean-Claude]

At least they weren`t these wheels:



http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x471/nthdegreenc/08%20BMW%20M3%20%20Interlagos%20Blue/36.jpg



For those not familiar; in addition to the narrow gap in the spokes, there is space between the back of the spokes and the barrels. I have a couple of customers with these wheels, one I clean bi-weekly. So much fun.:frusty:



Yes. I agree. That ridge behind the spokes that separates the barrels is a huge pain. I have a daytona wheel brush that I keep bent in a u-shape for cleaning spots like that.

[Scottwax]

That`s why I like the 5 spoke wheels on my car, easy to clean the barrels while on the car.



Of course, it would have been nice if the original owner of the wheels would have been as diligent cleaning them as I have been.



http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s445/ScottwaxH/RSX_wheels5.jpg

[Brad B]

You rookies! Try polishing 72 spokes! :)



http://www.fototime.com/B30BEB1C065F0F8/standard.jpg

[Jean-Claude]

You rookies! Try polishing 72 spokes! :)



http://www.fototime.com/B30BEB1C065F0F8/standard.jpg



With "-------------"(fill in the blank), it`s all about patience.

[David Fermani]

You rookies! Try polishing 72 spokes! :)



http://www.fototime.com/B30BEB1C065F0F8/standard.jpg



Wheel Acid FTW.... :)

[David Fermani]

JC - what product did you use on wheels in the OP?

[Jean-Claude]

JC - what product did you use on wheels in the OP?



Wheel Brightener

[Accumulator]

I "drive" my vehicles, as do most people.

If, for some reason such as replacing brake pads or a flat, who cares what the back of the wheel looks like?

One other time I would "maybe" be concerned, is if I were in a car show, which is very seldom..



Leaving aside Autopian high-and-mighty arguments like "it`s just how I do things...", from a practical aspect, I`ve had the first signs of impending service issues show up as staining on the inner barrel of wheels.



Clean wheel barrels make it easier to get good wheel weight adhesion when rebalancing. (NO, one does *NOT* just sand a spot smooth the way that GM FSM says to do it :grinno: )



And when my wife or I have to change a flat, it`s nice to have stuff reasonably clean even though we are wearing gloves.



I read once about a certain style of wheel (oh [snap], can`t remember what it was...BMW maybe..) that was so prone to retaining dirt/etc. that people where having what seemed like wheel-balance issues. Turned out the solution to the problem was to just "clean your [flippin`] wheels!".



But hey...I really just like to look through the spokes and see everything looking nice and clean ;)



No, I don`t keep the back of my BBS wheels all that spotless, but I *do* pull `em off the car every now and then in-between seasonal wheel/tire changes.

[Junebug]

I`m with Scott, 5 spoke wheels rule! The ones (19") on the wife`s Highlander are great, I can get my hand and a small sponge in there and clean behind the spokes with no problem. One of the many reasons I went with a Camry SE instead of LE or XLE was the 5 spoke wheel. Now if only I could get a set of Cragar SS chrome ones! I love the 70`s!!

[Accumulator]

I`m with Scott, 5 spoke wheels rule!



Yes, indeed! I think I`m gonna get a set of (18") `em for the Crown Vic that`s still wearing wheelcovers.