Aluminum safe APC / tire cleaner

[PRicci09]

Hey guys,



Im looking for a tire cleaner that will not haze the surface of mirror polished aluminum wheels.



I tried optimum power clean but it left white spots on the wheels where it dripped, (was not used in the sun, did not allow to dry).



Thanks!

[tom p.]

Pricci, welcome aboard!



Have the highly polished wheels been clearcoated after the polishing or is the surface truly bare, exposed aluminum?

[PRicci09]

Thank you Tom!





The wheels are bare aluminum.

[tom p.]

If that`s the case, I don`t think I`d use an APC. Aluminum is highly reactive and I think will ultimately become a massive undertaking for you to keep them looking right.



I might try something like Optimum No Rinse (aka ONR) and an MF towel. I would also contact Griot`s and see if they believe their regular wheel cleaner would be safe on uncoated aluminum.



Perhaps somebody else will pop in and make a recommendation they`ve personally tried.

[Ron Ketcham]

Have to be pH neutral when mixed, usually a quality car wash shampoo meets that requirement. All "all purpose" or "wheel cleaners" have other surfactants in them to either increase the pH or decrease it.

Use a car wash shampoo, rinse well and dry at once.

That`s best I can offer, it`s what I do on my polished, uncoated aluminum wheels. Once a month a I apply, by hand a good "cleaner sealant" like one uses on their paint. Keeps them in pretty good shape.

[[SS]Shooter]

OPC undiluted is too much. You`d want to be at 1:3 at a minimum.



If they aren`t really dirty, I would use OPTI-Clean instead. It`s basically a polymer-laden spray and wipe. Clean the wheels with ONR on a mitt, then spray with OPTI-clean and wipe clean.



If they are dirty, and the wheels are delicate, for a pure wheel cleaner, I like to use P21S gel which seems very gentle.

[Accumulator]

Pricci09- The P21s liquid is even more gentle than their gel, and though it`s a close call IMO the Griot`s Garage Wheel Cleaner is a bit more gentle than the (milder) P21s. I`ve used all of these diluted too, still a bit more effective than regular carwash shampoo.



Not as good as some other stuff when it comes to tires, but not all that ineffective either.



You might call Griot`s and see what they say about using their Wheel Cleaner on the bare aluminum. I *seem* to recall that it`s ph-neutral and safe for this application, but I`d hate to trust my memory over a direct answer from them.

[Nth Degree]

I think everyone is missing the question. He is looking for a TIRE cleaner.



I recommend simply using whatever Aluminum wheel cleaner you use on the wheels on the tires as well. It should be able to cut the grime and brake dust in the same manner. If you use something like an APC spray it onto a disposable MF towel and wipe on the tire so that you can avoid dripping or overspray. The key is to not let them go too long and require heavy cleaning or it can be difficult to get them clean again.

[pwaug]

The new Mothers Back to Black Tire Cleaner (not the trim treatment) might be a choice to use in the method suggested by Nth Degree--it requires no rinsing so you could spray on the MF and wipe the tire with it. Don`t know if it`s aluminum safe, but it would be easy to control the amount you use so it doesn`t run on the wheel.

[wascallyrabbit]

i use autoglym custom/acid free wheel cleaner, then if i need to touch up i use metal wax (they had a spray wax/shine) and if need a really polsihing i use english custom polishes, megs, or mother`s billet.

[Jesstzn]

If you really want to use an APC then what I did was make a cover out of Coroplast and cover the wheel and spray the tire with the APC lightly. Let it set a couple minutes then dip your scrub brush in water and scrub and wash the tire with a sponge and hose / rinse well "immediately" . I use LA Awesome APC full strength. Then do the next one. Also wipe the back of the cover off after each wheel. As said above if you wash your wheels/tires regularly and don`t use a greasy aerosol dressing you won`t have to do this often . Here is a pix of one cover I use ... Its a 1/2 cover, didnt have a pix of the full one. Just make it 1/2" bigger than the wheel , this gives you a 1/4" overlap all around . http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/JessTzn/DSCF1267.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/JessTzn/media/DSCF1267.jpg.html)

[dyjdtjjian]

Pricci, welcome aboard!

http://esmallgame.com/hu11f.jpg

[dghjtyjian]

Pricci, welcome aboard!
http://esmallgame.com/hu11f.jpg

`

[xfgjdtykjian]

<span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:`helvetica neue`, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Thank you Tom!http://esmallgame.com/hu11f.jpg`

[szgnzmhjian]

<span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:`helvetica neue`, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Thanks!`http://esmallgame.com/hu11f.jpg`