Wheel Cleaners What Are You Using?

[LibertyTC]

I want to try some new wheel cleaners so looking for recommendations from users of products designed to get that salt corrosion/ brake dust/crap off!!
In my latest 4 hour detailing...I used Simoniz heavy duty rim cleaner and it did work well, but these chrome clads are a PITA to keep clean. I dont normally clean them more than 2 x per year properly.
Brake dust is evil as it stick to them! I need to remove the rims and do the inside with SOS & cleaners. They are so bad inside, I did get most of the mud off though by power wash..
Here is after using simoniz with a scrub pad by hand...not bad eh?
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Even the balance weights came clean!

It is hard for me to keep the KJ clean, it is outside most of it life, here is a photo that I am sure HJ would agree...is a clean machine after serious power wash, back to black, McGuires quick detailer, and get the dirt particles off the glass. It was real bad.
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So what wheel Cleaners have u had good success with?

 

[tjkj2002]

So what wheel Cleaners have u had good success with?

Only works when starting out with new rims that are powder coated or clear coated..................


Clean rims with hot/soapy water and dry.Then wax the rims and wash good at least twice a month(I do it every sunday).Re-apply wax on yearly basis.

 

[LibertyTC]

Troy I am glad u find the time every Sunday to wash the wheels. This would definitely keep dirt at bay. I have limited time to do this, and this is not my only wheels, so cleaning KJ lately has not been a priority. These factory clad wheels when I bought the jeep were already corroded on the outer rim areas, and they are getting worse. I know I should spray some clear coat on outer rims rings before fall, or find a small brush on product in clear coat or something which would be better. The brake dust will soon be lessened as I am changing out the front organic pads next Monday to OEM Ceramics and bleed the 4 corners to DOT 4.
So I will have to continue to power wash occasionally, the soap & water is ok like u said for new wheels, these are far from new and wax them..I think wheel cleaners will be used, just want to find a good cleaner that is not so harsh that can still get the job done. I hope to clean the inside of rims while tires are off. That job will be a real mess, they are still so nasty corroded & brake dust in there/ ridiculous.
SOS pads & rim cleaner time again.

 

[tjkj2002]

Troy I am glad u find the time every Sunday to wash the wheels. This would definitely keep dirt at bay. I have limited time to do this, and this is not my only wheels, so cleaning KJ lately has not been a priority. These factory clad wheels when I bought the jeep were already corroded on the outer rim areas, and they are getting worse. I know I should spray some clear coat on outer rims rings before fall, or find a small brush on product in clear coat or something which would be better. The brake dust will soon be lessened as I am changing out the front organic pads next Monday to OEM Ceramics and bleed the 4 corners to DOT 4.
So I will have to continue to power wash occasionally, the soap & water is ok like u said for new wheels, these are far from new and wax them..I think wheel cleaners will be used, just want to find a good cleaner that is not so harsh that can still get the job done. I hope to clean the inside of rims while tires are off. That job will be a real mess, they are still so nasty corroded & brake dust in there/ ridiculous.
SOS pads & rim cleaner time again.

Well I work sundays so it's easy to make time.


Once the rims start corroding there is nothing you can do cheaply to stop it.The only way is to have them media blasted and refinished and by that time buying new rims is cheaper.Those plastic clad wheels are the worst since that cladding just traps junk and promotes corrosion faster.You can pull those caps off,pain to do but can be done.

 

[cplchris]

well, it is hard to make any good recommendation because you put up a pic of perfectly clean wheels...here is my suggestion:

for cleaning the wheels thoroughly every 6 months:
-clean with something like eagle one AtoZ or meguiars all wheel and tire cleaner
-rinse and dry
-remove road tar with stoner tarminator
-use an iron removing product such as CarPro Iron-x (it will dissolve leftover brake dust and iron particles and is a color changing product so its nice to work with)
-claybar the wheels (should be relatively quick and easy after using tarminator and iron-x)
-use a good sealant or coating on the wheels (finishkare 2180 or opti-coat)

now for what should be your routine cleaning:
-the same soap you wash the body of the jeep with...no wheel cleaners needed (especially since you are switching to low dust pads)
-if you can get chemical guys products get citrus wash and gloss or citrus red and dilute 1 ounce soap to 32 ounces of water (use this as a wheel cleaner if the regular soap wont cut it)
-also get some dedicated brushes for cleaning the barrel of the wheels while they are mounted on the vehicle.

as TJKJ said, you should be washing once a week, once every 2 weeks if you get that busy. i hope this helps get you on the right track.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

For heavy grime, you could use some diluted Simple Green. I've done that on the LR on occasion. I just bought some Meg's All wheel cleaner to try too. For normal cleaning, I just use Meg's NXT 2.0 wash with water in a spray bottle.

 

[Cardhu]

If your going for the 80% clean , 10% of the effort route like i do. full concentrated simple green in a sprayer, wheel brush, wait 4 minutes, powerwash. does good on underside too if you want to get the road grime off.

If you want clay bar clean disregard.

Brake dust is usually whats visable as my napa premium pads tend to dust pretty good and require some agitation with the cleaner to be a little brighter.

I used to use never dull wadding cloth on my old chrome clads but I never had the patience doing it by hand.

If you are going the waxing route, don't use simple green, it will strip it right off.

Also used this blue something gel that had ammonia smelling cleaner, was absolute junk.

 

[LibertyTC]

Today since the front Wheels were off (doing new ceramic pad install)...
I decided to finally use SOS pads and the Simoniz cleaner to attack the rim inside slime...
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The crap that came out was astonishing!
Like Troy said the chrome clads, keep & hold crud..and probably does not help in the wheel balance department either!
Much Better!
Sometime I will do the rears too..they need cleaning!

 

[CzarKJ]

I really have to do this as well next time I detail. Good work!

 

[LibertyTC]

Today I finally got to cleaning the rear inside rims !
They were nasty, including still some undercoating spray left overs.
4 SOS pad used and the Simoniz HD wheel cleaner. The rears look better now.
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I think I should do this once a year !
I don't think they have ever been scrubbed inside while off the Jeep.