Best wheel cleaner

rlmccarty2000

rlmccarty2000

Active member
After another tough day of wheel cleaning (which I hate) I want to ask what is your go to wheel cleaner? Please say why and how well it cuts through tough brake dust. Thanks
 
The sonax works really really good. It is VERY expensive compared to other options out there though. Megs non acid wheel and tire works good and is a lot more economical. If wheels are really nasty I'll reach for megs wheel brightener. Obviously need to take the finish of the wheel into consideration. What they lack in the amazing cleaning power of the sonax, they make up for in quantity. You get GALLONS more of product for the same price. The non acid wheel and tire works great on filthy wheels but struggles on the really bad embedded brake dust, which is why I have the wheel brightener as well
 
Honestly it depends on the wheels/finish/coating, mine have a Dura-Brite factory coating that is forged/baked onto the surface and the manufacturer recommends avoiding everything but mild car soap and wax. Mine come clean just with compressed air or car soap and water (nothing sticks to them and water beads like they're waxed)

Dura Brite coated wheels really are a double edged sword because I want to try IronX on them but can't afford replacement wheels if it causes the coating to fail (the retail price is $3k and up per-wheel).
 
Honestly, my findings are that if you have to get down there and agitate, then just about any good quality wheel cleaner works for me, and I'm talking about German car brake dust. I can only remember Black Magic as one that I didn't care for.
 
Agree with WaxAddict.

The Griot's product is probably the least expensive product by the gallon. You should be able to buy a modest bottle at Advance Auto Parts before committing to a large size. It's very good for properly maintained cars ... meaning washed weekly. If you are letting the wheels go for weeks on end, it's probably not the best choice.
 
Thanks, I've used the regular Sonax and it just did not have great cleaning power. I was going to try Meg's, I've got everything else they sell in gallons, but I never know what wheel is coated with what and didn't want to ruin a wheel. I think I will step up to Sonax plus and see what happens.
 
I tried Meg's mixed pretty strong and it was good but not great. I recently used Wolfgang wheel cleaner and it worked great, though very pricey at $25 for 16oz. It is a wheel cleaner mixed with a metal particle dissolver so it dissolves break dust very well. It also smells really bad letting you know it is strong stuff, safe on most wheels, clearcoat, Painted, Aluminum etc
 
If you have a Napa, federated, or even car quest(some will still carry) Duragloss all wheel cleaner. It is on part with other autostart store wheel cleaners and is the best I have found besides using ironx.

Even on the wife's VW which gets washed maybe once a month, if she can leave it with me long enough, will remove 90% with a spray and rinse.

I applied permanon platinum 6 weeks ago and her wheels look clean still. It just sheds dirt and dust. Best preventive maintenence I ever invested in.
 
For light cleaning, CG Diablo gel is safe and economical. Smells great too but the bottle design is dumb.

For normal cleaning, I have both 1Z ColorTec and Sonax Full Effect Plus / FE.
I will buy 1Z again but not Sonax.

For heavy duty, I use Megs WB.
 
For really tough baked on wheels the Sonax wheel cleaner plus is great. The full effect is a baby step up from p21s gel and below that I just use car wash soap.

It's more about matching the product to the job. If your a pro, you need to consider that wheels are made of, if their clear coated and if the brakes are ceramic I would stick with neutral car wash soap.
 
I sell most of the wheel cleaners (the good ones), and always ask a few questions of customers:


1) Brand and model of the car

2) Frequency of washing

3) Finish of wheels


For normal low brake dust cars like Acuras, Chevys, Dodges, I suggest Griot's wheel cleaner

For the heavy brake dust euros like MB, BMW, Audi, and Subaru, I suggest Sonax FE for frequent washes, Sonax WC+ for less frequent washing, and if the wheels are really knarly - Sonax Fallout (or Iron-X) with the Sonax WC+

For chrome wheels and exhaust tips, we recommend Griot's Chrome Wheel cleaner


When you buy the gallons or large multi-liter refills, you can save a lot of $. As an example, Sonax FE 500ml is $16/bottle, the 5L is $100 (40% savings per 500ml bottle), sometime you can get them for $80/each...
 
paul huryk said:
I sell most of the wheel cleaners (the good ones), and always ask a few questions of customers:


1) Brand and model of the car

2) Frequency of washing

3) Finish of wheels


For normal low brake dust cars like Acuras, Chevys, Dodges, I suggest Griot's wheel cleaner

For the heavy brake dust euros like MB, BMW, Audi, and Subaru, I suggest Sonax FE for frequent washes, Sonax WC+ for less frequent washing, and if the wheels are really knarly - Sonax Fallout (or Iron-X) with the Sonax WC+

For chrome wheels and exhaust tips, we recommend Griot's Chrome Wheel cleaner


When you buy the gallons or large multi-liter refills, you can save a lot of $. As an example, Sonax FE 500ml is $16/bottle, the 5L is $100 (40% savings per 500ml bottle), sometime you can get them for $80/each...
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What's your thoughts on Malco brake off for Knarly wheels.........
 
I keep hearing about brown royal, I'm gonna try this stuff and see how well it works, great reviews on YouTube
 
Mp0wer said:
I keep hearing about brown royal, I'm gonna try this stuff and see how well it works, great reviews on YouTube
Click to expand...

Brown Royal works really well, but it is not PH balanced. It is alkaline based. It can damage some wheel surfaces if you don't dilute it enough for the surface. It also smells horrible.

I personally prefer Griot's wheel cleaners. Both the regular and the HD. The smells of the cleaners don't cause me to have a headache and they don't last for days on my hands. They are also reasonably priced when purchased in gallons.
 
4u2nvinmtl said:
Honestly it depends on the wheels/finish/coating, mine have a Dura-Brite factory coating that is forged/baked onto the surface and the manufacturer recommends avoiding everything but mild car soap and wax. Mine come clean just with compressed air or car soap and water (nothing sticks to them and water beads like they're waxed)

Dura Brite coated wheels really are a double edged sword because I want to try IronX on them but can't afford replacement wheels if it causes the coating to fail (the retail price is $3k and up per-wheel).
Click to expand...
You can send the wheels back and they will fix all four to new for $1,000. I actually traded my set in and got them chromed for $1,000 and they looked SICK.
 
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