cleaning rims/alloyes???

[edo]

usually spend about an hour to clean my car or an hour and a half if im doing both inside and outside and the windows.... which i dont really mind

but

i hate cleaning the alloyes on the 528i 2000 model there are so many spokes and it takes ages....
maybe im not washing them properly or with the wright cloth i dont know but it would take me about 45min to do all 4 of them... is this normal? lol

how do you guys wash em'? do you use washing detergent?

lol such a stupid question... but im interested in how use all do it

[fiveightandten]

Cleaning wheels with a lot of spokes does take a lot of effort and can take a long time.

Cleaning them with regular car wash is fine. I wouldn't use any harsh detergents, and be very careful with using wheels cleaners. I'd only use a high quality wheel cleaner, not a cheap one that's just designed to loosen up wheel funk and will possibly damage the finish on them.

I'd recommend starting over. Take them off the car and give them a good cleaning. Put a few good coats of wax on them (wheel wax if you can procure it). This will be very tedious. But until the wax wears off, it will make cleaning them much easier and less material will adhere to them. Also, some brake dust can be downright corrosive. It gets deposited onto the wheel at high temperatures and can wind up damaging the finish over time if left on there. Keep them waxed up so material is depositing onto the wax, not the wheel.

[2totoo]

hi room , after some advise its about alloy wheels they have not been cleaned for over 3 year nor has the car , and no no no its not my rav that gets cleaned ever week it my old escort van . i no its not correct to ask about any other car on a toyota site but , i no people on here have some great tips .. so back to my wheels, like i said i have not cleaned the alloys nor the van in over 3 years and as you can imagine the brake dust it so burnt on now nothing ive tryed will touch them ,, ive tryed wonder wheels , halfords wheel cleaner , and symons wheel cleaner and not one of them has touched them . im thinking of trying brick acid ( 1 part acid 5 parts water ) just not sure if brick acid will affect the tires . any adive on cleaning these alloys would be great other wise its going to be the brick acid , ohh and by the way i aint that bothered if the alloys get a bit knackerd as long as they look clean and dont knacker up my tires .

[Jamey Noel]

Hello guys!

For cleaning the rims and alloyes just use wax polish oil because it will give more shiness and moreover,im using more then six months and getting good result

[TOGWT]

Keeping Wheel Surfaces Clean

It is important to keep wheel surfaces clean, as well as improving the overall look of the vehicle leaving them dirty can have many adverse effects; the black powder coating on the surface of your wheel has four components; a static friction charge (caused by the pads contact with the rotors) that attracts dirt, road tar and other contaminants kicked up by both your vehicle and others. Friction heats the pads and callipers to extremely high temperatures, and causes tiny particles of hot metal to wear off and sent flying in different directions.

Many of these hot metal particles land on your rim and literally fuse themselves to the surface. Finally there is brake pad adhesive, modern brake pads are complex compounds of metals, synthetic materials and adhesives (the binder system) this is designed to wear away under friction like the rest of the pad.

The adhesives used in brake pads can be very difficult to remove and they are also corrosive and will etch the wheel surface, the metal particles from the pads and rotors will become a conduit for rust compromising the paint surface of your wheel

Cleaning Clear Coated Wheels:

• Ensure wheels and rotors are cool before applying cold water as this may cause them to warp.
• Hose off as much initial grime as you can.
• Rinse up into the wheel well to wash away road kill, mud and other debris.
• Use detailing clay and lubrication to remove any embedded contaminants
• Use a d-limonene (citrus) based cleaner to remove any road tar or oil. Apply P21S Total Auto Wash to wheel surfaces and let soak in, agitate with a long-handled boar’s haired brush before rinsing
• Spray P21S Wheel Cleaner (Gel or Liquid) this cleaner is 100% acid-free and will not damage any type of wheel finish. (Gel for badly soiled and regular for normal soil) onto wheel rims and lat soak in (for badly soiled surfaces us P21S-Red (422)
• Used the P21S Polishing Soap on the clean wheel to polish the lips, inner wheel, and face of the wheel. (agitate lightly on the clear coated parts)
• Before finally removing cleaner, agitate with a soft brush and then rinse off (See Wheel Brushes)
• Rinse wheel surface thoroughly with clean water (to avoid splashing paint surface rise by pouring a bucket of water over each wheel from the top down
• Remove any surface imperfections with a suitable clear coat polish (dependent upon extent of damage)
• Dry wheels with a forced air blower; these are extremely powerful and will dry the whole car and the wheels as well. A good tip; flush the rotors and callipers with water until it comes out clear.
• Apply polymer sealant (WheelWax or ZoopSeal) to the surface of the wheels, it will protect the finish from brake dust and the elements and also make them easier to keep clean.
• Organic wax has a low melting point and will not withstand the sustained temperature

Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

An extract from one of a series of unbiased “Detailing Technical Papers” © TOGWT ™ Ltd Copyright 2002-2009, all rights reserved.

[beemerteen318i]

thanks.......this really helped

[TOGWT]

Originally Posted by 2totoo

hi room , after some advise its about alloy wheels they have not been cleaned for over 3 year nor has the car , and no no no its not my rav that gets cleaned ever week it my old escort van . i no its not correct to ask about any other car on a toyota site but , i no people on here have some great tips .. so back to my wheels, like i said i have not cleaned the alloys nor the van in over 3 years and as you can imagine the brake dust it so burnt on now nothing ive tryed will touch them ,, ive tryed wonder wheels , halfords wheel cleaner , and symons wheel cleaner and not one of them has touched them . im thinking of trying brick acid ( 1 part acid 5 parts water ) just not sure if brick acid will affect the tires . any adive on cleaning these alloys would be great other wise its going to be the brick acid , ohh and by the way i aint that bothered if the alloys get a bit knackerd as long as they look clean and dont knacker up my tires .

Be very careful when using / disposing of Muriatic Acid (its also a form of hydrochloric acid) Muriatic acid has a pH of 0.1 and is used for cleaning cement or bricks

[cragglemiester]

be careful with some wheel cleaners as they contain harsh acids that if left can damage your rims. sealant application helps with future cleaning as brake dust doesnt stick as well and usually comes off with a good pressure wash making the rest simple. - try some billburys if you have tough caked on brake dust.

[TOGWT]

[Cleaning wheels with a lot of spokes does take a lot of effort and can take a long time.]

Spoke & Slot Brush - simple, safe, and effective, ultra-soft bristles squeeze into wheel crevices. Lamb’s Wool Spoke Brush - it replaces those awkward spoke brushes that never seem to be the right size and lack soft bristles on the tip. This tapered ultra soft tool is completely covered with 100% lamb’s wool and is small enough to squeeze between spokes, slots and around bolts 6 1/2" long, 1/2" to 2" in diameter - TOTL