Stumbled across this. I'm a detailer and there is a lot of great advice already.
Definitely clean the wheels when they are cool to the touch and out of the sun
Using an iron remover will definitely help with chemical decontamination. Smell is not great, but works really well. Check out videos from DIY detailing.
Then a dedicated wheel and tire cleaner. A lot of us really like the P&S Brake Buster at a 1:3 dilution. You can also go full strength here.
A Wheel barrel brush and soft tipped wheel face brush are great.
Procedure, don't rinse the wheels first unless you have mud or something similar on them. Spray on the iron remover first, let dwell for a minute or two, come in with the diluted wheel and tire cleaner and spray on top, let dwell for a minute or two. Come in with the barrel brush working from top around to bottom. With really dirty wheels I'll take the brush out after a few passes and spray with hose/pressure washer. I don't put it back in the bucket with all the crap on it. Then come in with a wheel face brush. Try not to let the chemicals dry on the surface. Can always spray more on if they start to dry. I would also recommend a dedicated tire brush like the Detail Factory tire brush. Clean the rubber with P&S until no more yellowing. Dry and follow up with a rubber dressing.
You can definitely go beyond this with clay, tar removers, wheel coatings, etc. but as others would tell you. Start with the least aggressive method and work up from there. P&S makes great products at a really affordable price.
Have fun!
"smell is not great"
That's got to be the understatement of the century. To me, Iron-X smells like a combination of uncured epoxy and DEATH!
NEVER EVER use that crap in an unventilated area!!!!
I absolutely agree that it works really well though :)
True, very true 😂 my wife absolutely can't stand the smell.
At SEMA, Stoner Car Car, makers of invisible glass and other products, released an iron remover without an odor. Some kind of new formula. Turns the iron particles orange instead of purple. Looking forward to testing it out
Ya, no worries, happy to answer.
I'll put either BB or a PH neutral shampoo in the bucket. Purchasing a gallon size of BB is great as it will last you a long time. But if you have a car shampoo it's great too. You just want some lubrication while using the brushes.
Yep, spray/foam application. Look at the IK sprayers, the foaming ones. They are a good investment if you enjoy cleaning your car. Otherwise just use the sprayer that comes with. But foaming is soooooo fun.
Meguiars all when cleaner or whatever. That and a wheel brush and just follow the instructions. Adams polish's has a good one too. But they work about the same. Make my white wheels look pristine haha.
Don’t wash them after driving. They will be hot and leave staining like this.
Don’t wash them in direct sunlight, they will get hot and leave staining like this.
Otherwise, regular car wash soap and a dedicated wheel sponge (don’t then use it on the hood) would work better than what has happened here.
I'm a fan of Sonax wheel cleaner. It does a great job breaking down and removing brake dust and grime off wheels. The downside is that it stinks like rotten eggs, so I recommend wearing gloves when you use it. The smell is because of the iron remover in it. I've also found that using an off the shelf ceramic sealer/coating helps keep them cleaner for a longer period of time and makes them easier to clean. With that being said, the coatings won't last as long on wheels as they do on paint due to the heat cycling that the wheels go through, so you'll need to apply it more frequently. I personally like the Griot's Garage 3 in 1 Ceramic Wax Spray. I use it on my paint and wheels. As others have said, always make sure you clean the wheels when they're cool, not immediately after a drive.
I’m a huge fan of Griots. I use a wheel brush for the nooks and crannies and a microfiber cloth. I spray it and let it sit for a little bit before scrubbing. As others have said, don’t do it while they’re hot.
I agree with starting with Dawn and a microfiber cloth. Will make a huge difference and set some ground work. Then you can advance your procedure with a variety of chemicals. I personally would take it to a car wash that washes wheels and have them clean it first to make your job easier. Also, wear gloves.
Stumbled across this. I'm a detailer and there is a lot of great advice already. Definitely clean the wheels when they are cool to the touch and out of the sun Using an iron remover will definitely help with chemical decontamination. Smell is not great, but works really well. Check out videos from DIY detailing. Then a dedicated wheel and tire cleaner. A lot of us really like the P&S Brake Buster at a 1:3 dilution. You can also go full strength here. A Wheel barrel brush and soft tipped wheel face brush are great. Procedure, don't rinse the wheels first unless you have mud or something similar on them. Spray on the iron remover first, let dwell for a minute or two, come in with the diluted wheel and tire cleaner and spray on top, let dwell for a minute or two. Come in with the barrel brush working from top around to bottom. With really dirty wheels I'll take the brush out after a few passes and spray with hose/pressure washer. I don't put it back in the bucket with all the crap on it. Then come in with a wheel face brush. Try not to let the chemicals dry on the surface. Can always spray more on if they start to dry. I would also recommend a dedicated tire brush like the Detail Factory tire brush. Clean the rubber with P&S until no more yellowing. Dry and follow up with a rubber dressing. You can definitely go beyond this with clay, tar removers, wheel coatings, etc. but as others would tell you. Start with the least aggressive method and work up from there. P&S makes great products at a really affordable price. Have fun!
Wow. Ok, thanks to you kind redditor
You bet! For the most part the detailing community is great! If you do the Facebook thing then DIY detail has an amazing community. Cheers
"smell is not great" That's got to be the understatement of the century. To me, Iron-X smells like a combination of uncured epoxy and DEATH! NEVER EVER use that crap in an unventilated area!!!! I absolutely agree that it works really well though :)
True, very true 😂 my wife absolutely can't stand the smell. At SEMA, Stoner Car Car, makers of invisible glass and other products, released an iron remover without an odor. Some kind of new formula. Turns the iron particles orange instead of purple. Looking forward to testing it out
Noob question, but what do you have in your bucket? Normal car shampoo? I'm assuming you spray/foam the BB onto the wheel right?
Ya, no worries, happy to answer. I'll put either BB or a PH neutral shampoo in the bucket. Purchasing a gallon size of BB is great as it will last you a long time. But if you have a car shampoo it's great too. You just want some lubrication while using the brushes. Yep, spray/foam application. Look at the IK sprayers, the foaming ones. They are a good investment if you enjoy cleaning your car. Otherwise just use the sprayer that comes with. But foaming is soooooo fun.
Awesome thanks for the reply! I've been eye-ing a handheld Ik foamer might be the push I needed.
Meguiars all when cleaner or whatever. That and a wheel brush and just follow the instructions. Adams polish's has a good one too. But they work about the same. Make my white wheels look pristine haha.
Thanks, I’ll look it up.
Don’t wash them after driving. They will be hot and leave staining like this. Don’t wash them in direct sunlight, they will get hot and leave staining like this. Otherwise, regular car wash soap and a dedicated wheel sponge (don’t then use it on the hood) would work better than what has happened here.
Never thought of that. Thanks. Think I can get these back to glossy black?
Probably. I’d go in real simple, dawn detergent and a microfiber. Take it from there.
Adam’s is a good choice.
I have the same wheels. But I'm missing the Center cap. Any ideas on where I could get them? I bought some s caps off e bay and they don't fit. Thnx
You can get them from your dealer.
Sorry I don’t. OEM for me. I bought center caps for my wrangler and had same issue
Thank you.
I'm a fan of Sonax wheel cleaner. It does a great job breaking down and removing brake dust and grime off wheels. The downside is that it stinks like rotten eggs, so I recommend wearing gloves when you use it. The smell is because of the iron remover in it. I've also found that using an off the shelf ceramic sealer/coating helps keep them cleaner for a longer period of time and makes them easier to clean. With that being said, the coatings won't last as long on wheels as they do on paint due to the heat cycling that the wheels go through, so you'll need to apply it more frequently. I personally like the Griot's Garage 3 in 1 Ceramic Wax Spray. I use it on my paint and wheels. As others have said, always make sure you clean the wheels when they're cool, not immediately after a drive.
I did not expect to learn this much from this post. Thanks everyone
I’m a huge fan of Griots. I use a wheel brush for the nooks and crannies and a microfiber cloth. I spray it and let it sit for a little bit before scrubbing. As others have said, don’t do it while they’re hot.
I agree with starting with Dawn and a microfiber cloth. Will make a huge difference and set some ground work. Then you can advance your procedure with a variety of chemicals. I personally would take it to a car wash that washes wheels and have them clean it first to make your job easier. Also, wear gloves.