DARN BMW X3 WHEELS are killing me!

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baseballlover1

New member
Well i am doing this detail for a family friend of mine who has a porsche 911 and boxster along with this BMW. I donated this detail to the porsche club so he bought it and saved quite a few bucks. Anyways, there is a LOT of contaminants on the wheels. I have already clayed all the places that i can get to. What do i do about this little peice where i cant get it? Anyone ever had my experience? And recommendations?



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Yeah, acid is pretty much the only way to fix that. Maybe a dremel buff and some AIO would work, but why go to 3x the trouble for 1/2 the results. BMW wheels are cc'ed for a reason, I think.
 
Wheel brighteners are usually acid based. Plus, there's also some high alkaline cleaners that work great too. Their benefit would be that they don't require neutralizing like an acid.
 
Try some WD-40 to loosen it up, spray let dwell and go in using Q-tips , follow with some 3M adhesive remover if possible with a cotton rag and scrub like hell because it disolves very quickly. Ive found that even Megs agressive red clay doesnt do much on tough brake dust, especially BMW brake dust. Wheel Brightener is a good product also, I always said I would never use an acid based product but sometimes its what you need to get the job done. If the wheels arent scratched a strong mix of 4:1 should help, rinse very well after.
 
baseballlover1 said:
I think im going to put an order in for some megs wheel brightener or does anyone know a good alkaline cleaner?
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For OTC, EagleOne Wheel and Tire and if you have a carquest, Duragloss makes one, I dont recall the name however.



ADS has wheel brightener at a good price and in various sizes.
 
baseballlover1 said:
I think im going to put an order in for some megs wheel brightener or does anyone know a good alkaline cleaner?
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I'm going to get flamed for this but I have to advise you against using this product. The active ingredient in Meg's WB is extremely dangerous and I can't with a clear conscience read this thread and stand by while people suggest a product like this to a young man such as yourself.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I'm going to get flamed for this but I have to advise you against using this product. The active ingredient in Meg's WB is extremely dangerous and I can't with a clear conscience read this thread and stand by while people suggest a product like this to a young man such as yourself.
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I'm actually glad that you pointed this out Setec. I bought a 32oz bottle of it before I started reading the threads on here regarding the dangers of it. I haven't even thought about opening it up since then.



Daniel, search the site for information regarding Meg's WB and its hazards. I don't recall the exact dangers but it scared me enough to use different approaches.



-edit- Here is one thread: http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/96102-meguiars-wheel-brightener.html

And another: http://autopia.org/forum/detailing-product-discussion/82849-be-careful-with-wheel-cleaners.html



BTW - searching for ABF yielded more results regarding the dangers of the product.
 
Duragloss all wheel cleaner has "bufferred" acids that they claim are safe for any wheel, and they are indeed safe on the un-coated aluminum lip of my expensive 2-piece wheels (not to mention the clearcoated inner area).



I was wary to move away from p21s gel for my wheels, but this woks better and is just as safe in my testing for bare aluminum, clearcoat, you name it.
 
I have p21s right now but need to get the 5 liter refil. I probably only have 2 more sets left... maybe ile leave the WB out of my order now lol.
 
Yes, I would highly recommend staying away from the a strong acid cleaner. Especially for high end vehicles like you're doing. As you tell them the product you're working with and explain to them why it might have taken a little while longer and a little more scrubbing power on your side of things.



But that you did it knowing they care about the life of their vehicle and it's components, I'm positive that they will understand and keep that in mind. Hey this guy is willing to do a little extra to insure the proper fit and finish of my car.



I'm glad to see that you've taken the time to stop and assess the situation instead of moving in for the kill.
 
I know that when i used Wheel Brightner, I spray the crap out of the wheel quickly and walk away. I hate when the smell or product creeps up on me. YUCK. After about 25 seconds, after the product has had time to sit, I rinse it down with the pressure washer, and foam it up with a foaming attchment, then proceeding to scrub the wheel. Doing this allows the Wheel Brightner to penetrate and loosen the brakedust, so even if there are spots left behind after rinsing, they are easy to deal with.
 
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