How to clean wheels
 

Picked up a used set of Porsche OEM rims for winter use on my Cayene. Two of the rims has baked on brake dust on the inside of the rim, which will not come off with P21 and a scotch brite pad
Any suggestions?

For hard to clean wheels, I've always counted on Zymol Strik. It's a safe and natural cleaner that will not harm the finish on the wheels. You let it dwell for about 20 minuts and use a cotton towel to clean the wheels. Post a pic of the current wheels and we can better diagnose the correct application.

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 to remove any imbedded contaminants
•Use a solvent based cleaner to remove any road tar
•Apply a solution of P21S Total Auto Wash to wheel-wells and tyres, and let soak in, agitate with a long-handled boars haired brush before rinsing
•Spray P21S Wheel Cleaner, or Menzerna Gel 7.5 Tire & Wheel Cleaner, these cleaners are 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.
•Before finally removing cleaner, agitate with a soft brush -OXO Spoke Brush - http://www.topoftheline.com or a ShMitt Wheel Mitt – http//:www.autogeek.net) and then rinse off
•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 (dependant upon extent of damage)
•Dry wheels with a towel, apply a polymer sealant (ZoopSeal) to the surface of the wheels, it will protect the finish from brake dust and the elements and also make the easier to keep clean.
•Wax has a low melting point and will not withstand the sustained temperature

Alternate products- ValuGard Custom Wheel Cleaner- Automotive International - (http:// www.autoint.com)

Heavily soiled - The front wheels are usually more soiled, as this is where most of the vehicle braking effectiveness is. For badly soiled surfaces use an undiluted citrus-based APC (P21S Total Auto Wash) let it dwell for 5-10 minutes and then use a very Fine Grade synthetic brass wool - http://www.briwax-online.com/GMT.html do not use heavy pressure, then use detailer’s clay followed by a gel-type wheel surface cleaner (P21S Wheel Cleaner) apply a polymer surface protection to ensure easier future cleaning (Klasse All-In-One or ZoopSeal) (http://www.autogeek.net)

Sequestered metal brake dust, if left for any length of time on the wheels causes galvanic corrosion, which etches the surface and eventually dulls the wheel’s appearance if not removed on a regular basis. To remove brake dust stains use a mildly abrasive cleaner (Iz™ einszett Metal Polish “Chrompflege”, P21S Multi-Surface Finish or Autosol)

Alternative product –
1. Alloy Wheel Cleaner- a specialised product for cleaning alloy wheels, an aqueous blend of acids and emulsifiers Alloy Wheel Cleaner is a completely water-soluble product.
http://www.cloverchemicals.com/uk/pr...y_wheel_uk.htm
2. ValuGard Custom Wheel Cleaner- Automotive International - (http:// www.autoint.com)

Here is a picture of the wheel on the inside:
It is like tar

Scotch Brite pad? Yikes!

I normally use a citrus based cleaner, but based on your description, I would suggest trying WD40 next. Let it soak in a bit then rub it off (with a cloth).

If not, you can always try something more chemical in nature, but only as a last resort.

BTW, Cayennes are known to have VERY dusty/dirty pads, so they won't stay clean for long (at least on the inside); it's much easier to keep the outside clean.

P.S. Not even a Cayenne deserves a Scotch Brite pad.

That's no problem for Strik. It's safe and it'll work.

Looks like cosmoline used in shipping but I've never seen it on Cayenne wheels so I can't be sure.

This always works for me on tough wheel crud http://www.topoftheline.com/32ozwheeltir.html

Anthony

That Top of the Line Power Wheel Cleaner page says: "It dissolves the adhesive that is mixed with the brake dust."

Is there a particular chemical it contains that will dissolve hardened brake crud as shown in the picture? The reason I ask is that the usual "safe" cleaners: P21S, Griots etc. definitely couldn't touch hardened stuff like that.

AFAIK, there are two kinds of wheel cleaners:

- the safe ones that are pretty much glorified soap/degreaser
- the not safe ones that actually dissolve hardended brake crud, but will also damage your wheels if left on too long

The TOL cleaner I suggested is an acid based wheel cleaner but it is NOT hydrofluoric based which can be very harmful to the wheels and also deadly to the person.

I use the TOL cleaner on all my details EXCEPT uncoated aluminum and I have never had it ruin or etch any wheels.

Anthony

WOW that stuff is on there.........my 20 year old stock wheels have what I like to call "fossilized brake dust" on them.....I tried grinding it off with a scotch brite...it comes off SLOWLY and takes forever...a real headache.....

I just bought new wheels....its so much easier to maintain a set of wheels from new......with a nice coat of rejex or opti-seal....the dust just slides right off!!

Fossilized is a good term for this
I am using them for winter use, but i still wanted them to look half decent, and of course, the pictures i saw before i bought did not show the inside of the wheel. My fault for not asking

I tried WD 40, mineral sprits since i had it around - no improvement
I think i will try to get some of the stuff others have suggested above.

Thanks to all who responded, i will let you know what works

Thanks for the info Anthony. Sounds like it's worth a try.

I've heard of people using Prosoco 600 (an HCl acid masonry wash) for removing hardened brake dust.

As AnthonyO eluded to 'Be very careful using acids to clean wheel surfaces' some of them are very, very corrosive to both the wheel surface and YOU :nono:

Hydrofluoric Acid (SiO2):
[: is a highly toxic and corrosive solution of hydrogen fluoride in water.] Cleaning paint (inc wheel surfaces) - ten or more years ago this method was widely used by body-shops and detailers to remove water spots from paint surfaces, however, as time progressed, we started to see metallic paints darken under the clear coat.

Hydrofluoric acid is also notoriously known to react with glass. Most of us have seen what it does to the more robust acrylic or polyester powder clears used on factory aluminium wheels. First, the wheel surface obtains an opaque (cloudy) appearance, as time progresses, we observe small hairline scratches start to appear; an indication that the finish surface has been compromised, it also produces micro hairline cracks, and will eventually fail.

Most of the larger automotive paint suppliers (PPG, DuPont and BASF) do not recommend this type of chemical to be used on their paints. Stating that the acid, even if thoroughly flushed with water had already compromised the clear coat and given time would also compromise the paint system, dependant on the environment the vehicle was subjected, to over a period of 2-3 years it was possible that the clear coat would occlude (cloud) indicative of clear coat failure as the acid breaks down the paints binder system.

It also has the unique ability to dissolve almost all inorganic oxides. In the human body, hydrofluoric acid reacts with calcium and damages nerves, bone, and several organs including the heart and kidneys. It has an NFPA health rating of 3; Short exposure could cause serious temporary or residual injury even though prompt medical attention was given

Information resource - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid
Material Data Sheet - MSDS - http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/H3880.htm

Notes:
a) Muriatic acid is also a form of hydrochloric acid (except the solvent)
b) Do not confuse hydrochloric acid (HCL) with hydrofluoric (HF) acid because of the similarity of names. On the skin, hydrochloric acid burns from the outside in. Hydrofluoric acid solution readily penetrates the skin and burns both skin and deeper tissues. If enough acid is absorbed, it may lethally affect the heart and nervous system.

Ammonium hydrogen fluoride NH4HF2 (or Ammonium bifluoride) is miss-classified as the safe alternative to hydrogen fluoride, once mixed with water it becomes hydrogen fluoride one of the most common, and dangerous, acid wheel cleaners used in automatic carwashes today. Its effectiveness removing brake dust and difficult contaminants from wheels is undisputed, but most chemists say Ammonium bifluoride presents an unjustifiable and potentially lethal risk to carwash operators and their employees. Ammonium bifluoride sometimes known as ammonium fluoride or ammonium hydrogen fluoride is a crystalline salt formed when ammonium hydroxide reacts with hydrogen fluoride. Through a complicated chemical reaction, it essentially becomes hydrogen fluoride when mixed with water or liquid cleaning solutions.

Similar to hydrogen fluoride, Ammonium bifluoride was originally developed for industrial uses, like etching glass, removing oxides from metals and eliminating mineral stains from stone, glass and porcelain
(See also Water acting as a catalyst for Acid, Hydrogen Fluoride (SiO2)

Information resource- Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/
Professional Carwashing & Detailing Magazine - http://www.carwash.com/article.asp?In

Tried Soft Scrub? Its on the inside of the wheel where really its going to be hardly noticeable if the wheel's surface isn't perfect. I actually painted the inside black on my rims so I didn't have to fuss with this stuff. I just take a Mother's powerball on a drill and let fly.

I thought about painting the inside black as well
How did you do this? Did it last?