Cleaning competition wheels correctly

[aremmell]

What are you using to successfully clean the black clear coat on your competition wheels? I am afraid to even touch mine now because what I thought was working was just scuffing the clear coat. I ordered some of this and I'm hoping that'll take the brake dust off or loosen it up before I hit it with the pressure washer.

Anyway, what is your wheel cleaning regimen? Do your wheels still look good under a flashlight at night or in the bright sun or do they look like someone took 150 grit sandpaper to them?

TIA

[chris719]

Originally Posted by aremmell

What are you using to successfully clean the black clear coat on your competition wheels? I am afraid to even touch mine now because what I thought was working was just scuffing the clear coat. I ordered some of this and I'm hoping that'll take the brake dust off or loosen it up before I hit it with the pressure washer.

Anyway, what is your wheel cleaning regimen? Do your wheels still look good under a flashlight at night or in the bright sun or do they look like someone took 150 grit sandpaper to them?

TIA

That's a strong alkaline cleaner, that Adam's W&T you bought. It's perhaps the strongest alkaline non-pro product out there. It will get the job done with agitation, however, if you put a ceramic coating or sealant on your wheels it will degrade that coating within 10 or so applications. I've used this on paint to strip old sealants before. It's like P&S Brake Buster but 2-4x as strong.

I would keep this product and use it on tires, but only use it on wheels when they are dirty with dirt, oil, grime, and not only brake dust. I suggest a wheel cleaner with iron remover instead if you want a low-touch protocol that gets the brake dust off. The wheel cleaners with iron removers are far more effective against heavy brake dust that M cars produce. I would look at: Koch Chemie MWC (best IMO), Turtle Wax Rapid Decon (best value), Griot's Heavy Duty, Tuga Alu-Devil (green), Adam's Wheel Cleaner (the dedicated one), Sonax The Beast, Armour Detail Supply Wheel Cleaner, and any of the others in that category. They are much better against brake dust than the alkaline cleaners. Koch Chemie MWC can almost clean my M2C wheels completely without any agitation. Of course, you use a ton of product if you don't agitate.

The safest way to clean gloss black is to pre-rinse the wheels, even though this dilutes the cleaner a bit, then follow up with your wheel cleaner covering generously, and agitate gently with one of those super soft little makeup type brushes. Rinse, then finish with a mitt and the car soap. I use an Autofiber barrel blade or a dedicated mitt and soap to get the inner parts. I won't use a big brush on the black / diamond cut wheels. Even though the flag-tipped brushes are supposed to be safe, I don't think they are if you are truly trying to prevent any marring of the clear.

[disintegrator66]

Originally Posted by aremmell

What are you using to successfully clean the black clear coat on your competition wheels? I am afraid to even touch mine now because what I thought was working was just scuffing the clear coat. I ordered some of this and I'm hoping that'll take the brake dust off or loosen it up before I hit it with the pressure washer.

Anyway, what is your wheel cleaning regimen? Do your wheels still look good under a flashlight at night or in the bright sun or do they look like someone took 150 grit sandpaper to them?

TIA

I don't have a M car, but a nice wheel is a nice wheel... if you maintain your car you shouldn't need harsh detergents to remove brake dust and road grime. I always use a combo of pressure and hand washing in the following order:
1) Pressure wash rinse to remove and soften stuck on grim. Let dwell for 5 minutes
2) Repeat step 1
3) Work wheel by wheel - Spray & cover wheel with same soap used to wash the car. I prefer Griots products, but there is a lot of quality soap available. Let soap dwell for 2-5 minutes.
4) Hand wash in order - Face of wheel with microfiber towel then spokes and barrels with a wheel wooly or similar soft brush. Respray soap as needed. I frequently rinse my cleaning towels/brushes to remove grime during and in-between wheels.
5) Rinse with pressure washer and dry with a leaf blower.
My 6 year old wheels are still looking near showroom condition.

[aremmell]

Thanks for the feedback, fellas. Very helpful indeed.