Wheel cleaning help

[marzman]

Hey guys,

 

I spent a couple of hours trying to clean my Volks today and didnt have much success. I take them off every winter but i did drive with them on during an early frost in November last year and i think the roads had been salted - but i washed them within a few days so don't expect this to be the cause.

 

I also changed my wheel cleaner in the autumn as i'd run out... i've always used DoDo Juice Mellow Yellow wheel cleaner which was great, but i ran out and ended up using some AutoGlym Alloy Wheel Cleaner instead... i used it 3 or 4 times and suspect this may be the cause?

 

Basically the polished lips are covered in spots/marks which are raised to the touch. I've tried the Wolf's Chemicals Deironizer which doesnt touch them, and polished them with Megs NXT Metal Polish which made a slight improvement but still couldnt clear them. Lastly i tried some bug and tar remover but again this did nothing.

 

Anyone have any ideas on what this could be, or how to shift it? Or have they had their day and require a refurb?

 

The last pic is a closeup of the lip - i've breathed on it and fogged it up and you can see the marks very clearly.

 

Edited February 17, 2013 by marzman

[Toomer]

I've read on other forums to stay clear of auto glym's wheel cleaner because its very acidic, which would explain the imperfection's on your dish's, I have always used bilberry wheel cleaner works well and smells great!

[Arran]

Always use a ph neutral wheel cleaner, bilberry is perfect for this used with a 1" detailing brush

 

Those dishes will require refurbishment if they are diamond cut or painted, if the polished then some metal polish should cure that

[glrnet]

I know it's not everybody's cup of tea but that's one of the reasons why I had my my Linea Corse's, which had polished lips, powder coated.

[marzman]

I believe they're an anodized finish from what i've read online.... actually - i'll do a bit of googling on how to restore anodized metal.

 

But yes i had heard bad things about the AutoGlym too... i was always careful with it however and never left it on long. Be careful with Bilberry though too... im sure Bullet Magnet damaged his Volks using that...

[HEADPHONES]

Damn.....that's a bit of bad news especially after being so careful in looking after the Volk's.

I hope you find a cure without going through the expense of a refurb.

 

If all else fails, before you go for a refurb you could try those impregnated sponges that JML and the like sell. I used some on my neighbours car where Chipsaway oversprayed a panel trapping dust underneath too!

 

I have read similar stories on how fragile the lips are on my LMGT4's.

So much so, for the past 5 years I only clean them with a running hose and a MF cloth.

Then every couple months use a sealant with built in cleansers to remove any ingrained dirt and add protection.

Good luck Chris.

[ilogikal1]

As mentioned above, metal polish should sort it.

 

And bin the AutoGlym too.

[Karlp]

Looks similar to my LMGT4s, I use Carplan WonderWheels, seems to bring the wheels up very clean then I use megs gold class shampoo to give the a final rinse down.

[M13KYF]

BM's problem with Bilberry is he used it neat if I recall. It always should be watered down.

 

I saw some interesting vids on Carpro Iron X wheel cleaner. Fancy trying some after the bilberry has finished

[Tinyflier]

Try "claying" the wheels in same way you would the body - it might lift these contaminants out.

 

David

[Will370z]

Looks similar to my LMGT4s, I use Carplan WonderWheels, seems to bring the wheels up very clean then I use megs gold class shampoo to give the a final rinse down.

 

Wonderwheels - i remember being told to steer well clear of that when we went to a detailing seminar. I used to use it on my old saab and it ate through the dirt. I dont let it near my zed though.

[ilogikal1]

WonderWheels is also very acidic. So long as it's not left to dwell for too long it shouldn't do any damage but it's not something I would use.

[marconorth]

Autoglym Custom wheel cleaner is the way to go... Balanced acid free formulation which rapidly dissolves brake dust and traffic film from the most intricate & elaborate wheel designes. Its made from a gentle blend of biodegradable surfactants, solvents & alkalis. Leaving a spotless finish on all wheels without the trauma caused by the overly agressive AutoGlym Clean Wheels acid product!!

[Voodoo Vix]

Have you tried Carpro IronX? I love he stuff, wash wheels, spray on, rub in with damp sponge, wash off (don't let it dry) and then clay them, clay gets rid of surface contaminants but not what causes them so IronX is best first, check that it is ok for your wheels though, can be used on paintwork too, once contaminants gone then polish and seal

[marzman]

Thanks all for the suggestions.

 

The IronX product is essentially the same as the Wolfs Deironizing gel i have.

 

I cleaned a couple of my wheels by hand with a microfibre and some Megs NXT Metal Polish, and it returned reasonable results.

 

However today i bought a buffing drill bit and had another go... and got much better results. I've only done 1.5 wheels so far which took about an hour.

 

They're still far from perfect but this should give them another year at least before i send them for a refurb.

 

Before:

 

 

 

Polish applied:

 

 

Buffing it off:

 

After (Just that section obviously):

Edited February 27, 2013 by marzman

[BulletMagnet]

Basically, with Volks, don't use any specific wheel cleaner, just normal car shampoo and water and good old elbow grease.

Now that you have started using a polishing compound on the surface with a polishing wheel, you may have taken the anodisation layer off ( if the buffing cloth turns black after polishing, then yeah, you're on bare metal).

Over time, it will get more and more tedious to keep them polished.

My advice is to get them powdercoated as soon as you can to prevent further surface degradation.