Wheel weight adhesive removal

[nathansdad04]

What can I use to get the adhesive/rubber residue off my rims? It`s pretty thick.
The wheel weights were moved from one spot to another to balance my wheels and the idiots at the dealership just snipped off the old weights and left the rubbery glue stuck to the rims. I don`t think that Goo Gone will work.

[CalgaryDetail]

You have a few options, you could start with a heat gun then clay (this is not the method i would use)

You could use a few coats of megs paint cleaner, this should work well, no harm to the rim and will be easy enough.

The one i would use would either be an adhesive remover or goo gone. I use goo gone since its what i have localy but any one of those tpyes of products should take it right off

[nathansdad04]

Never thought about trying heat first....think a hair dryer aimed right at the spot would be hot enough?

[CalgaryDetail]

Im not sure, its worth a shot. i dont know if it would work, i dont know if it would remove the glue. but i dont think it would hurt the rim, i would say give it a shot and let us know how it goes

[CharlesW]

Never thought about trying heat first....think a hair dryer aimed right at the spot would be hot enough?Yes.
It sounds like you have quite a bit of the adhesive tape residue to deal with. I have had good luck with a hair dryer and just using my fingers to roll the majority of the stuff off. To complete the cleanup, I use 3M Adhesive and Wax Remover.
3M Home and Leisure : 3Mâ„¢ Adhesive and Wax Remover 03607, 8 oz. can (http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001/home_leisure/-/node_GS9BRY68DHgs/root_GST1T4S9TCgv/vroot_GSHCV1ZFXKge/bgel_L44W7NCC4Wbl/gvel_V2G53V0FBRgl/theme_us_homeleisure_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html)

I got mine at Wal*Mart, but lots of places should carry it.

Charles

[nathansdad04]

I`ll give the hair dryer a shot...and try the Goo gone I already have.

[JohnZ3MC]

If your wheels are clearcoated like a lot of modern ones are, I`d be careful with the heat. Use heat by all means, but be aware of extreme heat. A little is good, enough is good, excessive heat is bad.
When I superglued my appendix incision back together, Goo-gone dissolved it so it`s worth a try on the wheel weight sticky stuff.
-John C.

[dr_detail]

I use a Lil Chizler (http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000915.php) with great results. It helps to soften up foam type tape that`s used on these wheel weights first with mineral spirits, naptha, reducer, or (never used this last one myself) goo-gone. It`s sad that many tire stores end up scratcing rims by using a metal scraper or screwdriver :(

[Poorboy]

At our tire shop we remove most of it with a knife and then use Spray & Rinse on a cotton towel and it comes right off ...we used to use mineral spirits a while back , but it too more effort ... be careful with a product not specifically meant to be used on painted surfaces(clearcoat) as it was stated by John, it could damage the wheel as could high heat.

[blkSRT]

Just did this and I used stoners terminator them some PB pro polish to clean any residue.

[audiboy]

I just had to deal with this also and just used my thumbnail. After that I just wiped them down with a mild APC and hit them up with a bit of wheel wax.

[nathansdad04]

The weights are on the inside of the rim so there should be no danger to the clearcoat. Once my DetailCity order gets here I`ll be taking off my rims to detail them indoors(winter here in NY).
Once all the adhesive etc is off...they`re getting a nice coat of PB wheel wax. Is 1 coat sufficient?

[audiboy]

One coat would probably be sufficient, but I like to do at least three. It really doesn`t take that much time to apply and remove extra coats.

[nathansdad04]

Do I apply it just like regular wax? Let it haze and remove?

[audiboy]

Do I apply it just like regular wax? Let it haze and remove?

Yep. It hazes pretty quickly and removal is really easy.