a wheel clean/seal how to

[glen e]

I wrote this for the Vette sites for newbies to detailing, I`ll post it here as we all like pics....LOL - enjoy - Special thanks to Vega for the thread here doing a review of the Sonax wheel cleaner.

For those that have read my detail process, you realize my mission is to find products/procedures that are fast, complete but still very effective and durable.. I don’t have time to spend all day cleaning my car, I’d rather be driving or doing another project. Wheels are particularly a PIA to clean/maintain, as they have so many nooks and crannies where dirt can get, and it takes time to clean them out. Especially with the my Forgeline or the Z06 wheels , which are quite complex. So here’s my procedure I recently did. It uses two new products; one, a cleaner that attacks brake dust, even the dust you can’t see, and a next gen spray on/hose off silica ( think glass) sealant , that is formulated to spread with water. So forget all those hours of waxing on something like REJEX or NXT, and then having to go back and buff it out of the nooks and crannies. Lotta bending over, which I don’t like.

For this review, I`ll leave the wheel on the car, those of you with OCD will want to remove the wheel. Mine come off every fall , for a total clean.

So my wheel before starting looks like this - pretty clean right? Please no comments about the wheel being clean, this is just to outline the procedure, imagine a dirty wheel if you want....LOL


So first we’ll wet the wheel and spray on the "Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus". The neat feature of this, like other anti-iron cleaners, is when it finds dirt and brake dust, it shows you by turning red/purple. This product is certified safe for all types and finishes of wheels. It is Ph neutral. Now we let it dwell for a few minutes, and then use a super soft boars brush to agitate the surface. I use a bendable Daytona speedmaster brush for the barrels. (no, the cleaner is not staining the brake rotors in this pic)



now we just rinse with a hose. At this point I will also clean the tire, in a conventional manner, using the Blackfire Tire Cleaner. Then while it’s still wet, apply the Hydro2 "water sealant" with just spraying …4-5 quick spritzes gets it…The spray is diluted 3:1, so a small bottle lasts at least a year if you use it monthly. I have been told it can streak if done with bright direct overhead sunlight on the wheel, but I have not experienced that yet. Hydro2 is from the mfr of Cquartz, CarPro.



Now the unique part. Now hit it again with the hose, AS HARD AS YOU CAN GET THE HOSE STREAM…THE HARDER THE BLAST THE BETTER! Some even use a pressure washer on it.



The surface will slightly foam for a nanosec, and the sealant will spread to all the nooks and crannies of the wheel, not leaving any product on the tires.



Now in keeping with my "fast and easy" mission parameter, I use a cordless leaf blower to dry. The water flies off with the blower, due to the super hydrophobic behavior of the sealant. You can hit it with a weave towel after, but you really wont need to.



done for another month, brake dust now comes off well with just a hose blast.



Time start to finish per wheel about 6 minutes....

Hope you like this, there are many great products, this is just One EASY WAY to do it.

Products and tools:



Brushes - A soft Boars hair brush & a Daytona Speedmaster
one waffle weave towel for drying (optional)
Sonax Wheel Cleaner Plus
CarPro Hydro2 sealant
Blackfire Gel Tire Cleaner
Cordless leaf blower


Note: I just use this for the wheels, as I like other stuff for the paint, but many use it for everything, Here’s a youtube vid from Corey at Car Pro:

[Ronkh]

Great write up as always !!!!!!

Wonder how long till someone over there starts to "know better".................

[Swanicyouth]

Great write up as always !!!!!!

Wonder how long till someone over there starts to "know better".................

Lol. There`s always one in the crowd that knows better - or is convinced cleaning a wheel with an old shoe or something is the way to go. .

Great write up.

I thought of doing one of these focusing on wheels - but I thought I`d start at how just switching your brake pads can eliminate 90% of your dust and wheel cleaning issues in most cases - making iron wheel cleaners not necessary.

Not sure if Vettes come with dust maker brakes like German cars often do, but certain ceramic pads offer excellent stoping power with little or no dust. You can pay for the pads with the money you save on iron attacking wheel cleaners and just use car wash soap.

Another thing is how cleaning your wheels with pH neutral soap will extend the life of whatever protection you have on your wheels at least 2 fold. Most "regular" wheel cleaners tend to be quite pH basic - and can shorten the life of wheel sealants or products like Hydro2.

[Ronkh]

Since I used hydro, all I need is water and apc (diluted)

[01GreyStangGT]

I have been doing something like that with my wheels. Great minds think alike! Instead of Hydro2, I have been using C.A.R. products water based sealant.