Tire & Wheel Detailing w/Chemical Guys

**AutopiaTech** · 12-10-2011, 12:44 PM

One of my favorite aspects of car care is wheel and tire detailing. I see a ton of shiny cars on the road but more often than not, their shiny paint is accompanied by filthy wheels and brown tires. Having your wheels and tires look as good as your paint is a no brainer to me. I probably spend more time dressing a tire than most people spend washing their car. So when a new product line arrives at the Autopia store I usually grab the wheel and tire care products first.

That brings us to Chemical Guys, the newest addition to the ever-growing Autopia-CarCare.com. Chemical Guys manufactures a complete line of car care products for every square inch of your vehicle, inside and out. While their products have the reputation to impress, a few in particular are known to exceed expectations. With my interest in wheel cleaning and the Chemical Guys isle only eight feet from my office, I grabbed as many products as my two arms could hold and headed outside.

Wheels get dirty, quick. It`s something that plagues all car care enthusiasts and haunts those who own a BMW or an Audi. Wheel cleaning can be a nuisance if you don`t have the good stuff to do it the right way. Chemical Guys has the good stuff for wheel and tire care and I`m going to show you what those products are and what they`re all about.

The wheels you see pictured above haven`t been cleaned in weeks. Instead of having four different wheel cleaners to choose from, Chemical Guys provides all your wheel cleaning needs in one product - Diablo Wheel Cleaner Gel. This particular wheel cleaner is safe on all wheel finishes and is only available in a concentrated formula that you can dilute depending on your cleaning requirements. The formula also utilizes a very unique suspension technology that allows the wheel cleaner to cling to the surface longer so it can lift brake dust, dirt and contamination with minimal agitation.

Chemical Guys recommends diluting Diablo Wheel Cleaner Gel anywhere from 1:6 for light duty cleaning or 1:3 for the tough stuff. I diluted it 1:3 because the wheels I would be cleaning were pretty nasty, especially the wheel barrels. I used a 36 Ounce Detail Bottle (coming soon to Autopia!) as my spray bottle of choice. I really like this spray bottle because it features a heavy-duty PVC construction and is labeled in ounces and millimeters. The side of the 36 Ounce Detail Bottle also features dilution ratios so mixing your chemicals at various dilutions requires no calculations.

I started off by rinsing the wheel with the Industrial High Flow Fireman`s Nozzle to remove any loose debris.

After that I sprayed an ample amount of the cleaner onto every square inch of the wheel.

Diablo Wheel Cleaner Gel clings to the wheel`s surface allowing maximum dwell time so you don`t have to scrub like a mad man.

After letting the wheel cleaner dwell for about three minutes, I cleaned the wheel barrel first. For that I used a Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush. This is the wheel brush that quickly gained the reputation of being the best of the best because it cleans where no other brush before it has ventured. With its reinforced flexible stem and thousands of non-abrasive nylon bristles you can safely clean virtually any part of any wheel.

To give the the face of the wheel a good thorough cleaning I used the Montana Boar`s Hair Original Wheel Brush. Use this brush once, and I guarantee you will toss out all your synthetic brushes. It features natural boar`s hair bristles that are feathered at the end to not only provide safe, but effective cleaning.

To ensure no area big or small was overlooked, I used the 1-Inch Road Natural Detail Brush for the lug nut holes and all the other nooks and crannies. Like the Montana Boar`s Hair Original Wheel Brush, this brush also utilizes natural boar`s hair bristles with feathered tips that make for safe, effective cleaning.

After I finished pampering the face of the wheel with the Montana Boar`s Hair Original Wheel Brush, I gave the tires a good scrubbing with the Short Handle Green Tire Brush. This brush features stiff, chemical resistant nylon bristles and a heavy-duty plastic handle. This brush can handle any abuse you can throw at it and it`s even available in a long handle version that`s perfect for cleaning wheel wells.

After giving the wheels a thorough rinsing with the Industrial High Flow Fireman`s Nozzle I dried them using a Black All Purpose & Wheel Detailing Towel.

That`s as clean and that wheel barrel is going to get!

To protect the wheels and to make future cleaning effortless, I applied a thin coat of Chemical Guys Wheel Guard with a Wolfgang Finger Pocket. Wheel Guard is much more than any regular wax or sealant. It was designed specifically for wheels and not only does it protect the finish, but it also enhances the appearance.

Wheel Guard goes on very thin and for best results, let it dry to a haze before removing it.

While Wheel Guard was drying to a haze I grabbed a shot of my rinse bucket. Diablo Wheel Cleaner Gel paired with an assortment of essential wheel detailing brushes made short work all that brake dust and road grime.

After about ten minutes, Wheel Guard was ready to be removed. Again I used a Black All Purpose & Wheel Detailing Towel. Wheel Guard buffed off without a struggle and left behind a super slick finish.

Now that the wheels were cleaned and protected, it was time to dress the tires. For that I used Chemical Guys V.R.P. Dressing. V.R.P. dressing is designed to protect and enhance the appearance of all plastic, rubber and vinyl surfaces inside and out. It features a thick gel formula that goes on very thin and even.

I applied a thin coat of V.R.P. with a foam tire applicator.

**AutopiaTech** · 12-10-2011, 12:44 PM

Here is the finished result: A clean wheel thanks to Diablo Wheel Cleaner Gel, a protected wheel thanks to Wheel Guard and tire that looks better than new thanks to V.R.P. - all three a member of the Chemical Guys family.

I heard Chemical Guys makes car care easy but I never knew they would make wheel and tire care effortless thanks to three unique products.

**Pats300zx** · 12-10-2011, 01:09 PM

Looking good Nick. It looks like they changed the color of the Diablo Wheel Gel. The bottle that I had was orange. It is a nice wheel cleaner since it`s a gel. Seems to cling to the wheel much better than some of the other cleaners.

I have to try the VRP dressing. It looks like it leaves a pretty matte finish.

**Pats300zx** · 12-10-2011, 02:10 PM

Nick...you inspire me !!!! Chilly day here in the Northeast. No detailing outside today. I decided to break out my bottle of CG VRT that I had laying around. I never used this on tires but here it is on my 350Z Toyos with my Volks GTC`s. It has a nice gloss to it !!!!

**rider9195** · 12-10-2011, 02:41 PM

Awesome!

I have the VRP dressing and the Wheel Guard as well. The VRP dressing leaves a very nice shine, not matte and not too shiny.

The Wheel Guard goes on super thin and I feel like I don`t use much. It does attract brake dust more than I would like it to though. But it does make the finish on the wheels pop!

**BobbyG** · 12-10-2011, 03:53 PM

Hey Nick,

I can concur Chemical Guys Diablo Wheel Cleaner is quite a nice product. I diluted mine 1:3 as you did and found it to work so well that it`s one of my regular go to products.

Great review and writeup!!

**rwright** · 12-10-2011, 06:26 PM

Originally Posted by Pats300zx

Looking good Nick. It looks like they changed the color of the Diablo Wheel Gel. The bottle that I had was orange. It is a nice wheel cleaner since it`s a gel. Seems to cling to the wheel much better than some of the other cleaners.

I have to try the VRP dressing. It looks like it leaves a pretty matte finish.

Hey Pat, do you have Diablo or Sticky Gel? I ask because I think Sticky Gel is orange, of course I could be wrong because I am new to the CG line.

Excellent review Nick and Pat!

**rider9195** · 12-10-2011, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by rwright

I ask because I think Sticky Gel is orange, of course I could be wrong because I am new to the CG line.

Chemical Guys Sticky Gel Wheel and Rim Cleaner is indeed orange.

**Old Pirate** · 12-10-2011, 06:42 PM

Great review Nick on these fine products from Chemical Guys.

**TroyScherer** · 12-11-2011, 07:49 AM

Nice review Nick...

Looks like the wheel wells could use some BareBones...

**Rfulmer** · 12-11-2011, 08:53 AM

The V.R.P. dressing is nice. Goes on easy, covers well, and doesn`t sling off.

**Pats300zx** · 12-11-2011, 10:00 AM

Hey Pat, do you have Diablo or Sticky Gel? I ask because I think Sticky Gel is orange, of course I could be wrong because I am new to the CG line.

No you are right. I had put it in a new bottle. It`s the Sticky Gel and not the Diablo.

**AutopiaTech** · 12-11-2011, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by Pats300zx

Nick...you inspire me !!!! Chilly day here in the Northeast. No detailing outside today. I decided to break out my bottle of CG VRT that I had laying around. I never used this on tires but here it is on my 350Z Toyos with my Volks GTC`s. It has a nice gloss to it !!!!

WOW those tires look great Pat, thanks for sharing!