Jim W

I drove my car at Road America. The track surface was patched in a few turns and was coming up during teh event. When I got home the inside of my wheel were coated up to a quarter inch deep with a mix of grit, brake dust and asphalt. This was 'baked on' due to the high temperatures of the wheels.
Iwas able to scrape of most of the crud, but the black smears and patches remain. Any tips for removal? I searches the last year but did not find anything on this problem. Thanks in advance for the help!
Jim

uzj100

Have you tried bug and tar removers? I believe that 3M, among others, makes some. Or you might try some turpentine. Might want to clay, then polish and seal the wheels after that.

I'm sure others will chime in with some other suggestions

HTH

BTW, beautiful car!

Stephenwz968

I would try some aggressive clay, like Meguiar's red and see if that will remove it before I used any more chemicals.

After that, I agree, with Uzj100, you should polish and seal the wheels with a quality sealant. Good luck! Oh, and nice color!

Steve

TOGWT

Bituminous Asphalt Removal: [:The term asphalt is often used as an abbreviation for asphalt concrete, asphalt refers to a mixture of mineral aggregate and bitumen (tarmac) Composed almost entirely of bitumen, which is a category of organic liquids that are highly viscous, black, sticky and wholly soluble in carbon disulfide, mostly made up of highly condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons]

The reasoning for the use of solvents for the removal of bituminous asphalt is that it dissolves it as a means of removal, as opposed to rubbing it. Asphalt is very sticky and its presence on your paint means that harder particulate matter (dirt/grit) has also stuck to it. By agitating or rubbing the dirt/grit that is contained with the bituminous asphalt will cause surface marring or possibly scratching, dissolution alleviates any potential surface damage.

Use a safe solvent that does not contain any harmful components (heptanes or xylene or hydrocarbon aliphatic solvents (Stoner™ Tarminator, Auto International New Car Prep http://www.autoint.com/autostore/pc....rs..P.asp.comm)
or Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner - http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_prod_ext_mor.php) that simply emulsifies and dissolves the bituminous asphalt / tar /grease when you spray it directly on the paint film surface It is important not to leave a solvent based chemical on the paint finish longer than is necessary.

Simply apply to the affected area, allow sufficient dwell time, and carefully wipe off, you may have to apply it three or four times allowing plenty of "dwell time" between applications.

Information resource- "Automotive Detailing Inside & Out, A Knowledge Base for the Perfectionist"–

cobalt

I use Wurth Citrus degreaser straight out of the can and allow it to sit for a few minutes works perfectly. I also wax my wheels inside and out using a quality wheel wax. This will prevent it from building up

Jim W

Heh, Great responses! Thanks.

PEvans

DON'T use Goof-Off. It will soften and ruin the clear-coat. Learned the hard way. I have seen recommendations for 3M Adhesive Remover for this.