Cleaning the inside/backside of rims?

I

imported_UnsanePyro

New member
Well, the more that I wash my car, the more that I notice all the brake dust and mix of everything caked on to the backside of the rims. I took one off today, and tried some simple green, and some rust remover, and some other can that was in my garage. I figured that nothing could really hurt, and none of it did.



Now, the problem is that it only got some of the crap off, about 1/4 of it. It bugs me knowing that the wheels would look better if they were clean all the way around, since you can see the back side of them a small bit.



Has anyone around here found out the best way to get all this crap off?
 
When I detail my rims I will usually use A2Z Wheel cleaner. I agitate the brake dust until it comes off. A word of caution: Don't let the wheel cleaner dwell longer than a minute to prevent permanent etching. Rinse with lots of water.



I will usually follow the cleaning with Klasse AIO and seal it with SG. This will make it easier to clean your wheels. Good luck.
 
On our 2000 Honda CR-V the rims are polished on the front but painted on the backside.



I pulled all four, used Megs non-acidic wheel cleaner and 0000 fine steel wool to get the build-up off.



I then waxed using a Megs paste wax which I had lying around. Two coats. I , too, am shooting for an easier clean-up in the future.



Peter...in Dener
 
I over spray the inside of my wheels with brake dust cleaner when I wash my car and use a semi-stiff brush to remove loose dirt. Rinese with lots of water. Does a pretty good job and add a bit bling to the wheels.:cool:
 
I use a pair of MF gloves to get inside the wheel every other car wash. The mf glove makes it easy to get inside and get it clean. Cleaning it regularly keeps the buildup down, and prevents the huge messy buildup problem.

Its snug in there trying to get it clean, but worth it. Its definetly easier to clean when my 19's are on then my 18's during the winter.
 
Auto Care USA said:
Acid, neutralizer, and kerosene they will look new again.
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That sounds dangerous. Can you elaborate more? What kind of acid,neutralizer, any brands? Can clay be incorporated in this regimen at any point?



Will this work on those wheels that have unfinished insides with sorta like grooves ex: late 90's Honda Accord , my former 93 Maxima



For me, I have 5 spoke 17" wheels, I rarely wash, in between doing so I wipe down very often with old sheepskin mitt no longer good for the finish.
 
I use Muc-Off wheel brush (highly recommended by TSW Wheels UK) and EO A2Z to clean the inner side of my wheels. For wipe dry, I would wrap the long wheel brush with a piece of cloth, it works quite fine. The only problem I have is the rust on the rear hubs. Any suggestions?



829DSC03516.JPG
 
I have this problem with my parents' Mazda 3 with the infamous rear brake dust issue. Also I recently switched to 17" 5 spokes too, so now I need to clean the insides of the wheels rather than just the surface spokes like I am used to.



1) Buy brake pads that produce less dust. Ceramic pads are good I understand, and supposedly common OEM applications. Can't or haven't gotten these yet for the 3, although this would be a more permanent solution.



2) Wheel cleaning solutions like A2Z. Spray these inside, and hose off very thoroughly.



3) Tools to reach inside to the back of the wheel. I made a tool out of a stain applicator and paint stirrer... no, it's not MF or wool, but then again it can't be worse than a nylon brush. Drawbacks include not being able to reach behind spokes and sometimes to the very backside of the wheel where there may be a lip.
 
4DSC, do you have problem maintaining the wheel lips? The reason I ask this is because usually the wheel lips will trap dirty water. If left for a long time, it might leave a spot on the wheel lip. Also, if tap water is left air dried on the wheel lip, water spotting will happen too. My wheels have non-clearcoated wheel lip, what's the best way to remove contaminants without damaging the surface?



1) use AG Intensive Tar Remover?



2) aggitate with EO A2Z?



3) clay?



4) apply AG SRP/MG NXT Tech Wax?



5) apply paint cleaner?



Thanks!
 
When I'm changing from summer/winter tires and wheels, or rotating them, I spend a little time getting the backsides *really* clean and sealed with something durable (good time to do the inaccessible areas in the wheelwells, too). Then I can keep 'em clean without too much trouble. I haven't even been using wheel cleaner this year, just a sorta-strong shampoo mix. Unless you have BBS-style wheels, there's usually some way to reach the back sides if you play around with different tools.
 
zey said:
The only problem I have is the rust on the rear hubs. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...



Wire brush to remove as much rust as possible. Then clean, prime and paint. Just use some black spray paint.
 
zey said:
4DSC, do you have problem maintaining the wheel lips?
Click to expand...
Well, no I don't. None of the wheels I deal with have very big lips, and the lip that I referred to in my post above is the inside one that you can't see.... I don't think you can really clean that well unless you actually remove the wheel.





For the rust on your hub I'm pretty sure you could use rust remover/naval jelly on it, rinse, and then prime and paint. Or just paint. Maybe with high temp paint. I'm going to try something like this soon if I can squeeze in the time.
 
hadboosttroy, I haven't got enough of budget to get the real TEs...these are the replica ones. :D
 
I just lift up one corner of the car at a time and reach behind the wheel and clean exactly as I would the front side. If you don't let it get too bad, they clean up without much effort.
 
Rust on hubs: dilute Kano labs Exrust to right ratio, apply, wait a few mins, it treats the rust. Follow with a matching paint.
 
Hi,



I don't know which is the best wheel cleaner. I use Blackfire Gel Wheel and Tire Cleaner:

http://www.properautocare.com/blgelwhticl.html



It's works well for me, but I'm sure that there are others that are just as good. However...



The BEST tool I've seen for getting inside the wheel, especially wide wheels, is the E-Z Detail Brush. I have several brushes, including three OXO brushes. I like the OXO brushes and several others for different things, but the E-Z Detail Brush does a great job of getting at the nasty stuff deep inside the wheel. It can even slide past the huge front brakes on my Audi. Here's a link:



http://www.properautocare.com/ezdetailbrush.html



I have mine just slightly bent for my Audi wheels. It has a little rubber coller to help prevent cuts on your hands and wheels from vigorous scrubbing. Just spray your wheel cleaner on the affected spots, wait a few minutes and then scrub away.



I'm relatively new at detailing, but I already have about $700 worth of tools and product sitting on my shelves. Nevertheless, I'm always willing to try something new. (For example, I switched from Meguiers to Menzerna and now I'm trying Zaino protectants.) That is, with one exception - this brush. I can't say enough good things about it. :xyxthumbs



Regards,



Dan.
 
May I know if we often use wheel brush to clean the inner side of the wheels, will it cause paint wear, and eventually stripped off? Thanks.
 
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