The dirtiest part of the Beemer: The Wheels - best tactics/products?
- Thread starter heckler
- Start date
Okay guys...this is something new. I had a door salesman sell me a bottle of this all natural citrus wonder cleaner the other day. It comes in a 1 quart bottle with a squirt bottle with markings for you to mix different proportions for different uses, and there is a whole long list of uses! It's quite expensive though, at $33 a bottle, but when you dilute it out for various uses, I guess it's not bad.
Anyway, it's not toxic, the guy ran the tube from the spray bottle thru' his tongue and licked the cleaner! The cleaner when used undiluted, removed oil stains on my garage floor with minimal scrubbing!
So, to cut a long story short, I tried it on my wheels with 1:5 ratio and the brake dust just ran off my wheels. Now, my wheels do not have stubborn old stains, so I don't know about those. Maybe a more concentrated mix will do with those. What I like is it's not toxic and the mist and overspray won't damage my paintjob, tire, etc. And not to mention the wheel cleaner that often gets into my face and eyes when it's windy outside! This citrus cleaner, I can breathe easy and I don't have to worry about letting it stay too long on the wheels.
Check it out for yourself: http://www.advanage.com
Anyway, it's not toxic, the guy ran the tube from the spray bottle thru' his tongue and licked the cleaner! The cleaner when used undiluted, removed oil stains on my garage floor with minimal scrubbing!
So, to cut a long story short, I tried it on my wheels with 1:5 ratio and the brake dust just ran off my wheels. Now, my wheels do not have stubborn old stains, so I don't know about those. Maybe a more concentrated mix will do with those. What I like is it's not toxic and the mist and overspray won't damage my paintjob, tire, etc. And not to mention the wheel cleaner that often gets into my face and eyes when it's windy outside! This citrus cleaner, I can breathe easy and I don't have to worry about letting it stay too long on the wheels.
Check it out for yourself: http://www.advanage.com
Be careful with strong cleaners. You may not hurt your wheels immediately, but over time, even Simple Green can cause your wheels to look dull. Our BMW's wheels have clear coat (paint with no pigment) just like our car's paint. You wouldn't use wheel cleaner on your paint would you???
This is why you should wax your wheels. It make regular car wash soap efficient enough to remove brake dust. Simply because the dust bonds to the wax instead of your wheel's clearcoat. If you must use a "wheel cleaner" (and sometimes you must) only use cleaners like P21S or Detailer's Pride. They about have the PH of water.
This is why you should wax your wheels. It make regular car wash soap efficient enough to remove brake dust. Simply because the dust bonds to the wax instead of your wheel's clearcoat. If you must use a "wheel cleaner" (and sometimes you must) only use cleaners like P21S or Detailer's Pride. They about have the PH of water.
I don't know if anybody said this in this thread, but out of all the different solutions available, there is one critical part of cleaning your wheels: clean them often !
Whether you use an automatic car wash or you hand-wash your car, make sure that all the brake dust and road grime is comletely removed from the wheels every time your car is washed. The longer the brake dust and crap is on your rims, the harder it becomes to remove, so make sure to clean your car and your wheels often !!
Whether you use an automatic car wash or you hand-wash your car, make sure that all the brake dust and road grime is comletely removed from the wheels every time your car is washed. The longer the brake dust and crap is on your rims, the harder it becomes to remove, so make sure to clean your car and your wheels often !!
"Wheel cleaning..."
![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]")
Vlad,
If you want to go the 'extra' mile... I intend to pick-up a hydraulic jack and remove the wheel and mark the [exact] position from where the wheel was removed. In other words, mark the same whole, on the wheel, to the same screwpin on the brake rotor.
Wash your wheel, front & back.
According to a BMW mechanic, as long as you re-torque the lugs after you replace the wheel
you won't have any problems with the wheel being out of balance.
Vlad,If you want to go the 'extra' mile... I intend to pick-up a hydraulic jack and remove the wheel and mark the [exact] position from where the wheel was removed. In other words, mark the same whole, on the wheel, to the same screwpin on the brake rotor.
Wash your wheel, front & back.
According to a BMW mechanic, as long as you re-torque the lugs after you replace the wheel
you won't have any problems with the wheel being out of balance.