What wheel cleaner on polished wheels?

C

cobrar97

New member
I have a new F150 Platinum that has the polished aluminum wheels. I don't know if they have a coating (clearcoat) of some sort or not. On painted/cleared wheels, I've always used something basic like Simple Green to clean my tires, and it always gets on the wheels too. I'm afraid that product (or those like it) may haze these polished wheels. Does anyone know the proper product to be using on this wheel?
 
cobrar97- It's a safe bet that they're cleared, but that doesn't mean they'll take abuse. I'd clean 'em with Griot's Wheel Cleaner, though there are other good options like 1Z.



I'd keep Simple Green far away from any vehicle that I cared about. Not hating on it, but I don't use it for detailing jobs as IMO there are better options that are also less likely to do damage.
 
cobrar97 said:
Is there a product that can do both tires and wheels safely?
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Yes, car wash soap. Wheel cleaners are for wheels that aren't maintained or cars with extremely dusty wheels. If you keep a good sealant on the wheels, soap and water should be fine, even on a performance car.
 
Dan said:
Yes, car wash soap. Wheel cleaners are for wheels that aren't maintained or cars with extremely dusty wheels. If you keep a good sealant on the wheels, soap and water should be fine, even on a performance car.
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Huh, never really tried using my sorta-strong shampoo mix (which I use on wheels/etc.) on the tires :think: But then again, I let mine get awfully bad between washes, so maybe I oughta stick with the Griot's Rubber Cleaner.



If somebody's using an appropriate APC (the green 3D stuff comes to mind), it oughta work OK on both the wheels and tires.
 
I wash my vehicle all the time...often using ONR weekly when it hasn't been driven in the rain at all. I always do my wheels at this time, but pass over the tires; therefore, they build up crap. Maybe I just need to do the tires too.
 
As long as you use a water based tire protectant, you should be fine. I only reach for a dedicated tire cleaner when I've been playing with a solvent based product.
 
cobrar97 said:
I have a new F150 Platinum that has the polished aluminum wheels. I don't know if they have a coating (clearcoat) of some sort or not. On painted/cleared wheels, I've always used something basic like Simple Green to clean my tires, and it always gets on the wheels too. I'm afraid that product (or those like it) may haze these polished wheels. Does anyone know the proper product to be using on this wheel?
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First things first!

First, take a clean, white terry cloth towel and some mild automotive polish and gently polish a small area that is not where you would notice a big difference.

If, when you do this "polish test", look to see if you have a "black" residue on the towel.

Should you see the black on the towel, they are NOT clearcoated, and one must be willing to use a mild soap and water only. Plus, if "NOT" clearcoated, be prepared to obtain a good mag/aluminum polish and polish them at least twice a year.

Now, "no black residue", then they are powder coated clear wheels. With that known, you may then use almost any wheel cleaner on them.
 
Dan said:
As long as you use a water based tire protectant, you should be fine..[washing tires with car shampoo]..
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Ah, OK..I do use Z16. But again, mine get awfully dirty between washes :o Gross brown sudsy foam on 'em when I'm scrubbing, brush gets incredibly filthy.
 
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