Cleaning the barrel of the wheel, what do you use?

R

racingbeat

New member
My Carrera 5 spokes are a dream to clean but the openess of the wheel also makes a dirty wheel more visible. I don't think a detailing is complete without making sure this area is free of soot and dried up murk. It looks 100X's better when I have a nice clean wheel face, clean caliper and clean barrel but its a messy chore.



I've used various methods to to quick cleanings like diluted P21s wheel cleaner and a terry rag. The other day I actually tried Meguiars NXT GLASS and the the soot and brake dust seem to have 'coagulated' into a easy to wipe off glob. But soooo dirty I'm almost considering buying surgical gloves to keep the brake dust and soot from getting under my fingernails. I finish up with a sealant like Acrylic Jett, EXP or FX100 and once a month or so I strip everything off with AIO. That makes wiping off easier but its still a dirty affair. I'm thinking of keeping a 1 gallon pesticide sprayer from Lowes full of water/wheel cleaner in the trunk.



if you clean your wheel's inside/barrel what method and products do you use?
 
i recently had good results with pinnacles gel based wheel cleaner.



came free with an autogeek promotional order of souveran paste wax last year sometime and i am impressed enough to reorder on my next purchase.



last instance was on a set of pony rims mounted on a 2k daily driven v6 mustang.. the owner usually removes and washes the rims properly at the beginning of each season but mentioned to me that he hadent gotten around to it this year yet so 1+ year minimum of salt crusted brake dust and grime on there..



sprayed with the gel cleaner in between claying passes on the body and by the time i wiped the rims down the grime melted away rather nicely with the wash mit i have designated for wheels etc..
 
ok that one.



I was reading the Poorboys Wheel cleaner description and they are claiming no touching is necessary. SOunds too good to be true...
 
I use Four Star's ultimate wheel cleaner gel. I haven't tried Poorboys' product, but can't imagine the inside of the wheel coming clean without some sort of agitation and wiping.



Your process on your wheels is amazing and all of a sudden I really feel like a slacker. :)
 
For the last few years I've been using a slightly stronger-than-normal shampoo mix (Griot's Car Wash). As long as I keep the sealant reasonably healthy that's all I need, even for the back sides. Polishing before you seal, to smooth the surface, helps a lot when it comes to future cleanups.



For wash media, I use a number of things: A Quickee Sponge Mop (do a search, IIRC Setec Atronomy found a link for them) is good but sometimes won't fit between the caliper and the rim, so you have to move the car forward/back a bit to expose that area or else use a swab. The large swabs sold by Griot's, Meguiar's and others work well but take forever if you do the whole inside area with them. Handy for the tight spots though. I clean the back of the spokes with the "three finger" sponge mitts from Griot's. I've also had decent results from wrapping a MF around a long stick and using that. I've used the EZ Detailing brush from TOL but I won't use it on the good cars's wheels as it can cause (very) light marring.



The Quickee Sponge Mop is really handy though. I use them during *every* wash, besides doing the wheels it's the easiest way I've found to clean out wheelwells. Just replace them frequently; the sponge is held by a steel wire and when the sponge wears the wire can become exposed. Not a problem as long as you toss it before it *needs* tossed, but it takes a certain mindset to do that.
 
I love these things from Griots. I have the Carrera classics on my 997 and you can really clean inside the wheel with these.



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I used one of those recently (on my mechanic's loaner car) but I'd be a little careful using it on really nice wheels. I may be just paranoid, but I'd rather err on the side of caution. When I discussed the marring potential with the guy at Griot's he agreed that they're not right for *every* application. If you need it, they do offer better scrubbing than the Quickee thing though.
 
Accumulator...



Do you happen to have a pic of the Quickee Sponge mop that you use??? I have been looking for one all over. I tried a search through old posts to no avail.
 
Accumulator said:
I used one of those recently (on my mechanic's loaner car) but I'd be a little careful using it on really nice wheels. I may be just paranoid, but I'd rather err on the side of caution. When I discussed the marring potential with the guy at Griot's he agreed that they're not right for *every* application. If you need it, they do offer better scrubbing than the Quickee thing though.
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Interesting. It seems pretty gentle to me (feels softer than most brushes). I just wipe ones inside the wheel and the gunk is gone. I mainly like it cause it lets me reach all the way to the back of the wheel.
 
racingbeat & Pats300zx said:
quickee sponge?
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It's a sponge on a plastic stick, made to clean the inside of glassware. They have them at my local grocery and at have-everything drug stores. I wasn't foolin' I use these at *every* wash.



See if THIS LINK works.



Derf- Don't get me wrong, that'd be fine for many wheels. It's softer than some brushes (the EZ Detail brush comes to mind), but not nearly as soft as a BHB or the sponges. Note that I'm really paranoid about marring, and the wheel finishes on the S8/Jag/etc. are fragile enough to require something softer to avoid marring. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on some of my other vehicles if I needed it. It didn't appear to hurt the finish of the wheels I *have* used it on, and it seemed sorta similar to a "bug sponge".



I just really never need anything that aggressive though. Even though I sometimes let my wheels go an awfully long time before I clean them, they come clean with much less aggressive wash media, even when I just use the car wash solution. And note that some of my cars have the infamous "German brake dust" issues. Must be because I keep them well-sealed/waxed :nixweiss



I always think that the polishing (before waxing/sealing) helps a lot. Most wheels seem pretty roughly finished in the areas you don't really see and smoothing these areas up a bit seems to cut down on the tenaciousness of the soiling.
 
$3 Bucks?? SOLD



figure if its safe for fancy plates it should be ok on my stupid $500 wheels

I wonder if one of those toliet swiffer brushes with the flushable tip would work too

B0006M3AS6.01-A3CDPEGSIQM61V._AA280_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
 
RacingBeat- yeah, just remember to replace it before you think you need to. For some reason I'm always tempted to try to get more use out of it, even though it's so cheap. BTW, my local sources are even cheaper than $3, with no shipping, so look around.



Thought on the toilet bruses- something that's make to scrub porcelain might not be soft enough for certain other surfaces. Sponges are at least soft enough in and of themselves that any marring will come from the dirt getting dragged across the finish.
 
Iluv2zmzm, How long have you been using the Meg's brush? What type of wheels are you using it on? Several of the Meg's brush line are on sale at the local Big Lots. I bought all but this brush because I feared the bristles might be too abrasive. Are those fears unwarranted? Anyone else using that particular brush?



Accumulator, So you found the EZ detailing brush too harsh? I've pondered over that brush for over a year now and haven't been able to push myself to make that purchase in spite of the really good ad copy about how gentle the brush material is.



I am going to search out the Quikie product. Do I perceive that the heads are replaceable? Are replacement heads locally available for you? EDIT: Never mind I found the Quikie site



I "need" a brush that can reach through the wheel spokes all the way to the back of the wheel, and is flexible enough to go to the left and to the right of the wheel spokes. I might add that I would prefer that is be able to stand up rigorous usage. I'm currently using several different wheel brushes including "wheel face" brushes and "wheel spoke" brushes, but need something a little longer for reaching the rear of the wheels. Note: I do not remove wheels for deep cleaning sessions for potential liability reasons.
 
Mr. Clean said:
Accumulator, So you found the EZ detailing brush too harsh? I've pondered over that brush for over a year now and haven't been able to push myself to make that purchase in spite of the really good ad copy about how gentle the brush material is.
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Soft enough for the backs of the A8's "machined finish" wheels, soft enough for the backs of the MPV's barely-finished wheels. Not soft enough for the S8's nicely painted/polished wheels. Still worth having around but then I, well, accumulate stuff ;)



I am going to search out the Quikie product. Do I perceive that the heads are replaceable? Are replacement heads locally available for you? EDIT: Never mind I found the Quikie site
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As I expect you gleaned from the site, it's a non-refillable, disposable type of product.



I "need" a brush that can reach through the wheel spokes all the way to the back of the wheel, and is flexible enough to go to the left and to the right of the wheel spokes. I might add that I would prefer that is be able to stand up rigorous usage..
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Heh heh, given enough money and my own brush manufacturing plant I bet I could come up with a great BHB designed just for this. But I sincerely doubt that the return on investment would make it worthwhile...



Oh, and IMO if it's flexible enough to bend to either side of the spokes it'll be too flexible the rest of the time. Just one of those Catch-22 things. When my one EZ brush's handle/core got worn/overly flexible it was more of a pain than a benefit.



In the absence of such a perfect brush, I can say that it *is* possible to do the cleaning with stuff like the Quickie and swabs (large swabs taped to a stick to reach in there). It just takes a lot of time. The last time I pulled the wheels off the A8 to *really* clean them up I was pleasantly surprised at how clean they were after nearly a year on the car. But ask me again in a few weeks when I've tried cleaning the BBS RGRs I put on the M3 :o
 
Iluv2zmzm said:
i use this http://meguiars.com/?wheel-tire-brushes/Ultra-Safe-Wheel-Spoke-Brush, i just spray mine w/ Turtle Wax F21 wheel cleaner... don't spend alot on wheel cleaners since i go thru alot because of the crazy brake dust on the mazda 6....
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That's the same brush I use and couldn't imagine trying to clean the inside of the wheels without it.



I haven't noticed any scratches from it but my wheels aren't in perfect condition either thanks to the previous owner.



The only problem I have with it is being sprayed with nasty brake dust water. Whenever I use it I walk away with a black spotted shirt, arms, and legs because the bristles sling gunk when you pull it toward you.
 
Thanks for your input. :xyxthumbs

Accumulator said:
...Heh heh, given enough money and my own brush manufacturing plant I bet I could come up with a great BHB designed just for this. But I sincerely doubt that the return on investment would make it worthwhile...
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Hey, if you decide to manufacture a wheel brush, I'm in...I know kind of a narrow niche market ;)
 
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