rob.rotor

Does anyone have a suggestion for a tool that makes cleaning the wheels easier? I find it hard on the back and difficult to get in.

I watched Monster Garage last year and Jessie James had this slick tool that went in a drill and expanded as it brushed the wheel clean, almost like a round pot scruber.

Thanks.

yiksing

I don't clean them anymore coz I get cuts whenever I do and it will get dirty again after one drive.

IZoomZoomI

there is that red round thing you can get at kragens. I forgot what it is called. You attach it to a drill and start cleaning.

IJM

The product I think you're referring to is Mother's Powerball which you can see here.

And here's a pic:


Having said that, you wouldn't believe the specialised tools you can get for washing wheels. They may not be power tools, but they are designed to clean wheels without scratching them.

There's the Meguiar's Wheel Face Brush:


The Meguiar's Wheel Spoke Brush:


And they even do a brush JUST for tires!!:


I have these Meguiar's brushes myself, and they're excellent. I use them with a safe non-acidic wheel cleaner and they bring the wheels up superbly. Really clean, shiny wheels add that final pop to the car and make it look really good.

OXO also do a set of brushes that I understand that are supposed to be better quality still. But they're quite difficult to get hold of over here in the UK:

OXO Ergonomic Wheel Brush


OXO Spoke Wheel Brush


Ergonomic Tire Brush


Anyway, there you go.

yiksing

You sure they don't scratch?

IJM

I have the Meguiar's set of brushes. The wheel face brush is incredibly soft. Also the brush head is rubber coated so if you do catch another surface with it, it won't scratch it.

The spoke brush is also surprisingly soft. There's no way it's going to scratch. With the '8's standard five spoke wheels, it's great for cleaning all the way to the back of the rim and round the back of the spokes.

They are intended for use with a wheel cleaner. I prefer using Sonus Rim Bright which is a non-acidic formula which is safe for all types of wheel. Being non-acidic it needs some physical agitation to work, but that means a few fairly mild passes with the brushes, not a harsh scrub.

But bear in mind I'm keeping my wheels clean from new, rather than trying to restore wheels that have never been cleaned properly.

Here's a really good guide: Autopia: How-To Detail Tires & Wheels.

Ian.

P.S. I'm not affiliated with Autopia, I just discovered their guides which transformed my view of how to look after a car.

lmitch6

I use a similar brush to the Meguiars Wheel Spoke Brush above with good results on the stock 18", and am able to get all the way back in the rim perfectly clean. I bought it from Pep Boys for about 6 dollars.

Whatever you use, once you get the wheels clean, put a good coat of wax on them. It'll make cleaning the wheels in the future much easier. With a good coat of wax on mine, most brake dust never sticks, and what does is easily removed with regular car wash soap.

RotrDoc

I wouldn't admit to that on this fourm.

Low Fly'n 8

I have always used the small version of the "Califonia Duster". This only takes a couple of minutes if you use it regularly. Waxing the wheels once in a while helps too. I'm kind of a psycho about the front wheels because they do get covered with brake dust so quickly. For me cleaning the wheels is part of life.

tiggerlee

Here's what I use.

yiksing

Err.... why not, many are too afraid to say this but I had to, anyway I used the armorall spray cleaner stuff and it even stops the brake squeal for a while

jonw440

I have a wheel cleaning kit $26.95. It includes the Meguiars Spoke brush and the soft face wheel brush plus P21S wheel cleaner.
I also just cleaned my Daughters wheels on her Saab, check out the write up and pictures.
http://www.decocarcare.com/tires_wheels.html

tjtull

I won't use any type of spray wheel cleaner ever again. I've ruined two sets of wheels using that stuff. It can remove the protective coating on most wheels and really screw them up.

jonw440

It's to bad you had bad experiences with wheel cleaners.
I do believe you. There are some pretty nasty cleaners out there.
If you ever try wheel cleaners again I would stick with the safe ones.
P21S(the gel should be left on for TWO hours to clean very dirty neglected wheels).

dillsrotary

i treat them just like the car, claybar them, wash, then a coat of zaino

jonw440

Once they are clayed and protected, no need for wheel cleaners. That is until the sealant wears out. But just re seal them before that happends and you can use car shampoo to eash the brake dust off.

Nubo

A wool mitt usually does the trick, just using the car soap after the rest of the car is washed. Cleans most of the wheel, and no cut hands. The only part that remains are the lug nut recesses. To get those, a short piece of plastic PVC irrigation pipe with a sock over it. A few twists per lugnut and you're done.

UFGator12

I just want to know... how do you get behind the bolts on your wheels? All of those brushes do not look capable of getting into such a small area. My fingers are too big to fit behind those bolts.

Ericok

For the stock wheels, I use Mr Clean's Magic Eraser. Needs only water.

theclaytaurus

I use a mit as well. Super quick; super effective. And no cut hands