Alloy wheel cleaning advice needed

[IanS16]

Got a set of Volk Racing GTS alloys with the deep dishes. Can anybody recommend what to use to clean them, the dishes have been getting a bit dirty and won't polish up just using a wheel cleaner and sponge!

 

Do i need to use something like autosol to get the shine back in the dishes?

(no probs cleaning the spokes as they arent meant to be shiny and have a matte finish)

 

Thanks

 

pic of wheels:

http://www.nyxracing.com/images/volkgts.jpg

[Chris`I]

Is the lip not laquered? I'll defer on this for now, as I dont want to give you information that may damange your wheels. Should someone confirm they are laquered or not then we can help you out.

 

Also what is left behind when you clean them? Is it brake dust? Streaks? This will help us decide on how to clean them.

 

For now do not use Autosol or anything agressive until we know what we are dealing with

[H5]

I would start with a mild car shampoo, and give it a good rinse afterwards, then dry them, then go for a drive to spin the last of the water out of the wheel. Then dry them again.

 

As Chris says, it depends what the finish actually is. Find out, then the removal of the stains can be undertaken.

 

I would then seal them with jetSEAL 109 when done, they give proper protection.

[IanS16]

Erm.. to be honest they were bought with the car from Big Phil so for obvious reasons I cannot find out at the moment. How do I tell if they are laquered or not?

 

When I clean them they are relatively shiny but have dark dull spots in the dishes.

 

Thanks for your help guys, I would normally just try to sort them myself but being expensive rims I dont want to wreck them!

[Chris`I]

Give Adam@Z1auto or Kev@Envy a ring/pm. They should be able to help.

 

Didnt Zedrush have GTS on his at one point? Try PMing him too

[Andy]

3fiddyZ will probably be your best bet here as he has the same wheels

[IanS16]

Sound Guys, Thankyou!

 

Will PM 3FiddyZ and if he can't help I'll try the others!

[Trev-the-Rev]

If you rub a small area of the polished part with something non-abrasive such as T-cut, if it's not laquered it will clean up nicely. If its laquered then if won't have any effect on it.

[Ebized]

If you rub a small area of the polished part with something non-abrasive such as T-cut, if it's not laquered it will clean up nicely. If its laquered then if won't have any effect on it.

 

Are you sure T-cut these days is non-abrasive? When I used that stuff years ago if you were too vigorous with it you could easily cut through the paint to the primer

[rtbiscuit]

If you rub a small area of the polished part with something non-abrasive such as T-cut, if it's not laquered it will clean up nicely. If its laquered then if won't have any effect on it.

 

I always thought T-cut was an abrasive, like brasso, it has tiney particles in it that polish out the larger scratches, bit like a liquid piece of wet and dry paper.

 

as for cleaning i had good results from Meguairs wheel cleaner, spray on 1 wheel leave for 15 seconds wash with water, jobs a goodun. don't do all at the same time, as left it could discolour wheels.

 

used sensibly, does no harm at all.

[H5]

I would try something like Poorboys SSR1, which is a very light polish and is silicon free. Should do the job.

 

T-Cut is effectively a paint renovator and was developed to literally remove the oxidised layer of paint from the car.

[H5]

PLEASE DON'T USE THE WHEEL CLEANER! Sorry to shout, but the acidic nature of it gets into every nook and cranny, and when split rims are involved it's a whole world of pain.

[Trev-the-Rev]

I would try something like Poorboys SSR1, which is a very light polish and is silicon free. Should do the job.

 

T-Cut is effectively a paint renovator and was developed to literally remove the oxidised layer of paint from the car.

 

That is probably a better suggestion Rob.

[IanS16]

All this talk of caring for my alloys and during an argument with the missus i just put a 3 inch curb mark on the passenger front wheel

 

Oh well, it was inevitable. Just crap the first time it happens!

[rtbiscuit]

PLEASE DON'T USE THE WHEEL CLEANER! Sorry to shout, but the acidic nature of it gets into every nook and cranny, and when split rims are involved it's a whole world of pain.

 

is it alright on normal wheels like the rays?

 

i haven't used it on my Zed yet, but used to use it on my old car.

[M350ZB]

All this talk of caring for my alloys and during an argument with the missus i just put a 3 inch curb mark on the passenger front wheel

 

Oh well, it was inevitable. Just crap the first time it happens!

 

Sorry to hear that bud, the Zed did look awesome when you drove off fromn ESR , hope you get them sorted

[IanS16]

All this talk of caring for my alloys and during an argument with the missus i just put a 3 inch curb mark on the passenger front wheel

 

Oh well, it was inevitable. Just crap the first time it happens!

 

Sorry to hear that bud, the Zed did look awesome when you drove off fromn ESR , hope you get them sorted

 

Cheers, still feel a bit bad for not sticking round for a chat but i was so excited to be getting in a zed again that I just had to shoot off.

Anyway, will be making the next Wales run so I'll see everyone there. Hopefully even Phil!

[H5]

PLEASE DON'T USE THE WHEEL CLEANER! Sorry to shout, but the acidic nature of it gets into every nook and cranny, and when split rims are involved it's a whole world of pain.

 

is it alright on normal wheels like the rays?

 

i haven't used it on my Zed yet, but used to use it on my old car.

 

I wouldn't use it myself. The Rays don't have a great reputation (as per all Jap wheels) for being very resilient, especially in the winter. I would spend the time in putting a really good sealant on them when new or after a thorough 'off the car' clean, and then your life will be a lot easier if wiping them down.

 

I used to use a range of wheel cleaners on my OZ Superlegerra's, including the one OZ recommended. After 2 years there was no paint left on them at all.....

[3FIDDYZ]

I did prescribe Docktor Power (Its a very mild household abrhasive) but like anything it will take off the laquer over time...

 

Any thoughts on the type of Sealent Rob? Have just been using layers of wheelwax but looks like I am going for a refurb....

[Chris`I]

I did prescribe Docktor Power (Its a very mild household abrhasive) but like anything it will take off the laquer over time...

 

Any thoughts on the type of Sealent Rob? Have just been using layers of wheelwax but looks like I am going for a refurb....

Any good sealant will do, but proper wheel sealant tends to be heat resistant too. AG EGP is meant to be ok, as is Carlack (forget which one), but something like Poorboys wheel sealant is best as its heat resistant which is meant to stop the brake dust baking on. I have been using it on my Rotas since new (4 layers when new) and it works like a dream. Just use normal car shampoo and an old wash mitt to wash them, clean up soooo easy

[H5]

Similar to Chris really Mark. I use jetSEAL 109 on mine, and it's been great. I have also used AG Extra Gloss Protection, and that also does a very good job. Both products require time to 'bond' to the surface and make cleaning a lot easier. Just make sure you have given them a proper clean and you do cover all of the wheel. Wheels really don't tend to get THAT hot, so I can't see why heat resistance is an issue myself. It's not a wax, it's a sealant, and the bonnet on a hot summers day is barely touchable, wheels almost always are. HTH.

[Chris`I]

Similar to Chris really Mark. I use jetSEAL 109 on mine, and it's been great. I have also used AG Extra Gloss Protection, and that also does a very good job. Both products require time to 'bond' to the surface and make cleaning a lot easier. Just make sure you have given them a proper clean and you do cover all of the wheel. Wheels really don't tend to get THAT hot, so I can't see why heat resistance is an issue myself. It's not a wax, it's a sealant, and the bonnet on a hot summers day is barely touchable, wheels almost always are. HTH.

Yeah, I didnt get the heat resistance part either, I just assumed that its more for track focused cars or something like that where they can get hot.

 

Saying that when I had my wheels last refurbished, the lady I spoke to was telling me about horror stories of putting the wrong products on your wheels. She had one chap with a teg that had just had the wheels newly done, pegged it home and sprayed something on them straight away (like Wicked wheels or whatever its called). His lovely new shiney white wheels were ruined as they were boiling hot and the stuff baked on. I guess that some wheels do get pretty hot as when he brought them back to be done again, she said they had to wait for them to cool down before they could remove them! Sounded a bit dodgy to me, but they did a puka job of my wheels

[H5]

Similar to Chris really Mark. I use jetSEAL 109 on mine, and it's been great. I have also used AG Extra Gloss Protection, and that also does a very good job. Both products require time to 'bond' to the surface and make cleaning a lot easier. Just make sure you have given them a proper clean and you do cover all of the wheel. Wheels really don't tend to get THAT hot, so I can't see why heat resistance is an issue myself. It's not a wax, it's a sealant, and the bonnet on a hot summers day is barely touchable, wheels almost always are. HTH.

Yeah, I didnt get the heat resistance part either, I just assumed that its more for track focused cars or something like that where they can get hot.

 

Saying that when I had my wheels last refurbished, the lady I spoke to was telling me about horror stories of putting the wrong products on your wheels. She had one chap with a teg that had just had the wheels newly done, pegged it home and sprayed something on them straight away (like Wicked wheels or whatever its called). His lovely new shiney white wheels were ruined as they were boiling hot and the stuff baked on. I guess that some wheels do get pretty hot as when he brought them back to be done again, she said they had to wait for them to cool down before they could remove them! Sounded a bit dodgy to me, but they did a puka job of my wheels

 

I see. For application of a product, I completely agree. It's only a few products (a lot of Poorboys stuff actually) that can be applied in anything other than 'cool' conditions. Trying to use any of the sealants on baking hot surfaces will cause problems I would think. My point was that if a sealant works on a paint surface, it is probably more than capable of standing up to road wheel temperatures.

[Chris`I]

Similar to Chris really Mark. I use jetSEAL 109 on mine, and it's been great. I have also used AG Extra Gloss Protection, and that also does a very good job. Both products require time to 'bond' to the surface and make cleaning a lot easier. Just make sure you have given them a proper clean and you do cover all of the wheel. Wheels really don't tend to get THAT hot, so I can't see why heat resistance is an issue myself. It's not a wax, it's a sealant, and the bonnet on a hot summers day is barely touchable, wheels almost always are. HTH.

Yeah, I didnt get the heat resistance part either, I just assumed that its more for track focused cars or something like that where they can get hot.

 

Saying that when I had my wheels last refurbished, the lady I spoke to was telling me about horror stories of putting the wrong products on your wheels. She had one chap with a teg that had just had the wheels newly done, pegged it home and sprayed something on them straight away (like Wicked wheels or whatever its called). His lovely new shiney white wheels were ruined as they were boiling hot and the stuff baked on. I guess that some wheels do get pretty hot as when he brought them back to be done again, she said they had to wait for them to cool down before they could remove them! Sounded a bit dodgy to me, but they did a puka job of my wheels

 

I see. For application of a product, I completely agree. It's only a few products (a lot of Poorboys stuff actually) that can be applied in anything other than 'cool' conditions. Trying to use any of the sealants on baking hot surfaces will cause problems I would think. My point was that if a sealant works on a paint surface, it is probably more than capable of standing up to road wheel temperatures.

Ah I see. I thought you were saying wheels didnt get hot

 

Yup, its generally agreed that any sealant will do the job, with AG EGP and Jetseal being pretty highly rated amonst the more focused wheel sealants.

[Muddy]

Just gona stick my tupeneth in.

 

Please do not use T-cut or even Poorboys SSR1, a bit too harsh for chromed, chromed/laquered wheels.

 

As described above try a mild shampoo and use a lambswool mitt.

 

Try an ez-detail brush to get to the back of the rim. Motorgeek sells these (Best wheel brush in the world)

 

Also bag yourself an Swissvaz wheel brush - they cost about £6 and are the 2nd best brush in the world. You can use this brush for bodywork too in knooks and crannys.

 

If you find that the wheels are unlaquered I'd try Meguiars NXT metal polish first and then Autoglym metal polish. These are a little less aggressive than autosol. If these don't acheive the finish you want go onto Autosol. No point going to autosol first, scratching the surface and ruining your wheels.

 

If they are laquered I'd try polishing with Autoglym Super resin first, then I'd go with some meguirs stage 1 or stage 2 cleaner & polish if the super resin is no good. Don't want anything agressive, unless the wheels are in poor condition, which I would doubt.

 

For protection any sealant will do, but I can recommend Poorboys wheel sealant or chemical guys whel guard. Both excellent

 

Hope this helps.

 

ex- pro detailer