Wheel cleaner (12 years since wheels were cleaned!!)

Wheel cleaner (12 years since wheels were cleaned!!)

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Steviesam

Original Poster:

1,290 posts

141 months

Sunday 13th August 2023
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Picking up a car for the wife, and the previous owner has never cleaned the wheels! (well, the faces have been cleaned by the rotary drive through car wash). Mechanically its been looked after, but not the wheels.

So as you can imagine the alloys are not just black inside the spokes, but almost a yellow where the dust has been for years.

I need the strongest wheel cleaner to get this stuff off-any pointers?

GiantEnemyCrab

7,724 posts

210 months

Sunday 13th August 2023
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Local immigrant car washes are rumoured to often use slightly diluted brick acid which is very effective......

Belle427

9,737 posts

240 months

Sunday 13th August 2023
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kkd devils juice is very good for one off hard cleans.

SteBrown91

2,569 posts

136 months

Sunday 13th August 2023
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Bilt hamber auto wheels - might need multiple goes and the wheels paint may be permanently stained from the dust so may end up needing a refurb.

trickywoo

12,289 posts

237 months

Sunday 13th August 2023
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SteBrown91 said:
Bilt hamber auto wheels - might need multiple goes and the wheels paint may be permanently stained from the dust so may end up needing a refurb.
I agree. If the BH doesn’t get them looking how you want it’s full refurb time.

Steviesam

Original Poster:

1,290 posts

141 months

Monday 14th August 2023
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Cheers everyone, thats great.

gweaver

911 posts

165 months

Monday 14th August 2023
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Belle427 said:
kkd devils juice is very good for one off hard cleans.
This - acid for really rough neglected wheels. KKD Brakeaway (alkali) is good for contaminated wheels, as is BH AutoWheel.

OldSkoolRS

6,865 posts

186 months

Thursday 17th August 2023
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I used some acid based 'Wonderwheels' that I'd had for years, but only on the backs of some 7 year old wheels that probably hadn't been cleaned since new. It did work well, though in this case I had to be careful not to get it on the front which were reasonably clean apart from in the corners.

Probably going to have to do similar on my recently bought 2014 Alfa Mito, though they are dark 'graphite' coloured wheels, so probably not so noticeable (again the fronts are decent), so thanks for the more up to date links above. I use some Bilt Hamber products for rust proofing and waxing, so will look at getting their wheel cleaner for this job.

For general maintenance cleaning I use BilBerry wheel cleaner which seems to work well even if quite diluted, but that's after the wheels have had a good initial clean to start with.

Front wheel before:



After acid based wheel cleaner and other general degreasing, tar removal and some clay bar too, then sealed with some wheel wax I had:


Belle427

9,737 posts

240 months

Thursday 17th August 2023
quotequote all
As good as BH Autowheels is it won't shift stubborn baked on stuff in my experience.
A must to have on your shelves though.

Steviesam

Original Poster:

1,290 posts

141 months

Saturday 19th August 2023
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Well, I bought some Bilt H as suggested and its worked a treat.

Three goes at them and its all come off. Remarkable stuff!

Thanks

OldSkoolRS

6,865 posts

186 months

Saturday 19th August 2023
quotequote all
Good to hear the end result turned out well Steviesam. beer