Cleaning Alloys

[Christophe]

What ddo you guys use to clean your alloys? any special products. Next time i get a car i WONT be buying multi spokes!! Takes me ages to clean and is pain in the arse.

 

[Sash]

If alloys are mega dirty i use wonder wheels then auto glym super resin polish

 

[Rich]

Nothing more than Car Shampoo and Water here. They are well polished and sealed so the brake dust washes off without the need for anything more.

 

[MRBILLYUK]

Fairy power spray then pressure wash them . Even if they are polished , sealed and waxed if you do enough miles the brake dust still sticks .

 

[scala]

If your wheels take hours to clean like mine do, then it's definetly worth using AutoGlym Super Resin Polish and Extra Gloss protection products (thanks for the recommendation Rich). One you're done, the brake dust washes off without the need for anything else, as Rich confirmed above.

 

[Christophe]

o right so you use srp then egp once and never need to do it again

 

[Christophe]

it just because i got so many spokes and its really hard and long to do. i need some sort of scrubing brush wich has really long brissels

 

[MRBILLYUK]

o right so you use srp then egp once and never need to do it again

In your dreams , lol . Mine are srp'd , egp'd and waxed and they still need a brush and wax regularly . Have a look at Halfords for a suitable brush for your wheels . They only cost a couple of quid .

 

[Rich]

o right so you use srp then egp once and never need to do it again

I apply the SRP and EGP once a year, and then maintain inbetween with Poorboys or Swissvax Wheel Sealants. I use a Blue and Black Halfords Wheel Brush to do the inners.

 

[Steve]

Just buy new ones

 

[FiDoDiDo]

Going to use Jetseal on mine soon as that's just arrived and it's supposed to be good, so I'm going to give that a go.

 

[JamieITR]

I apply the SRP and EGP once a year, and then maintain inbetween with Poorboys or Swissvax Wheel Sealants. I use a Blue and Black Halfords Wheel Brush to do the inners.

Is that the Autobahn wheel wax? If so how durable have you found it to be as i applied some of that at the weekend?

 

[Rich]

Thats the one, hard to tell as it has an EGP base, I have been applying it once a month and water is still beading and brake dust washes off with just with the hose alone.

 

[john.med]

^rich do you ever find time to drive your car?

 

[JamieITR]

Thats the one, hard to tell as it has an EGP base, I have been applying it once a month and water is still beading and brake dust washes off with just with the hose alone.

Cool. i didn't realise from the images from the site i got it from just how tiny the tub is, luckily don't seem to need to apply too much so should last a fair while still. Have to say the strawberry mousse smell and look of the Poorboys wheel sealant is a lot more appealing tho!

 

[MRBILLYUK]

^rich do you ever find time to drive your car?

Pmsl . Its the only time his wheels get wet , when he hoses em down :quiet:

 

[Rich]

Thats the one, hard to tell as it has an EGP base, I have been applying it once a month and water is still beading and brake dust washes off with just with the hose alone.

Cool. i didn't realise from the images from the site i got it from just how tiny the tub is, luckily don't seem to need to apply too much so should last a fair while still. Have to say the strawberry mousse smell and look of the Poorboys wheel sealant is a lot more appealing tho!

It is tiny, it is said to be the same stuff as the Shield, but 80 quid seems alot for a pot of wax just for wheels. You need very little though as you say. I am still using the Poorboys in the inside of the wheels as I can see I would easily get through a pot of Autobahn quickly other wise !

 

[JR]

do you have a link for the autobahn and the poorboys rich ?

would the poorboys help with brake dust not sticking , my wheels currently have a egp base too but i find it still sticks to them

 

[JamieITR]

It is tiny, it is said to be the same stuff as the Shield, but 80 quid seems alot for a pot of wax just for wheels. You need very little though as you say. I am still using the Poorboys in the inside of the wheels as I can see I would easily get through a pot of Autobahn quickly other wise !

Saying that, a pot of Shield is four times the size in ml (just checked) as the Autobahn and four times the price, so i suppose it all works out. Slight thread hi-jack but out of interest what do you use to get rid of the baked on brake dust, i tried claying but some of it just wouldn't shift?

 

[Rich]

do you have a link for the autobahn and the poorboys rich ?

would the poorboys help with brake dust not sticking , my wheels currently have a egp base too but i find it still sticks to them

Both should be on here http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/

The brake dust still sticks to both though.

 

[Rich]

It is tiny, it is said to be the same stuff as the Shield, but 80 quid seems alot for a pot of wax just for wheels. You need very little though as you say. I am still using the Poorboys in the inside of the wheels as I can see I would easily get through a pot of Autobahn quickly other wise !

Saying that, a pot of Shield is four times the size in ml (just checked) as the Autobahn and four times the price, so i suppose it all works out. Slight thread hi-jack but out of interest what do you use to get rid of the baked on brake dust, i tried claying but some of it just wouldn't shift?

Yeah works out at the same price, though I can justify 20 quid for Autobahn, 80 quid for something just for wheels then starts to sound expensive !

If I come across something really baked on that clay, Megs APC or AG Engine and Machine Cleaner won't touch I have to use the AG Wheel Cleaner, don't really like using acid based wheel cleaners unless I really have to.

 

[JR]

would adding either of the two help do you think ?

 

[Rich]

would adding either of the two help do you think ?

As said - No neither will stop the dust sticking I have the Autobahn on the outers and Poorboys on the inners over EGP and the Brake dust will still stick. Though most rinses off just with a hose.

 

[JamieITR]

Yeah works out at the same price, though I can justify 20 quid for Autobahn, 80 quid for something just for wheels then starts to sound expensive !

If I come across something really baked on that clay, Megs APC or AG Engine and Machine Cleaner won't touch I have to use the AG Wheel Cleaner, don't really like using acid based wheel cleaners unless I really have to.

Ok, i haven't tried AG Engine and Machine Cleaner, and i've got some Megs APC on order so i'll give those two a try and see if i have any luck. What sort of dilution would the APC need to be put on at?

 

[JR]

would adding either of the two help do you think ?

As said - No neither will stop the dust sticking I have the Autobahn on the outers and Poorboys on the inners over EGP and the Brake dust will still stick. Though most rinses off just with a hose.

That certainly sounds like an improvement on what is happening with mine at the moment. Will look into it, many thanks.

 

[Rich]

As said - No neither will stop the dust sticking I have the Autobahn on the outers and Poorboys on the inners over EGP and the Brake dust will still stick. Though most rinses off just with a hose.

That certainly sounds like an improvement on what is happening with mine at the moment. Will look into it, many thanks.

Main advantage is both are quicker than a coat of EGP and in the case of the Autobahn it will add to the gloss/finish of the wheels in the same way as topping EGP with a wax like you would on the body work. Though on silver wheels I am not sure as to how noticeable this will be.

Yeah works out at the same price, though I can justify 20 quid for Autobahn, 80 quid for something just for wheels then starts to sound expensive !

If I come across something really baked on that clay, Megs APC or AG Engine and Machine Cleaner won't touch I have to use the AG Wheel Cleaner, don't really like using acid based wheel cleaners unless I really have to.

Ok, i haven't tried AG Engine and Machine Cleaner, and i've got some Megs APC on order so i'll give those two a try and see if i have any luck. What sort of dilution would the APC need to be put on at?

I have two bottles of APC Mixed up, 1 at 10:1 for most jobs, the other 4:1 for grubby jobs, both those rations are marked on the APC bottle. Neither will have much effect on really bad brake dust, but may loosen it enough for there clay to be more effective.

 

[JamieITR]

I have two bottles of APC Mixed up, 1 at 10:1 for most jobs, the other 4:1 for grubby jobs, both those rations are marked on the APC bottle. Neither will have much effect on really bad brake dust, but may loosen it enough for there clay to be more effective.

Ok, thanks. Slightly off the original topic, but is the APC generally safe anywhere on the car, inside and out as long as the right ratio is used?

 

[Rich]

Yeap - It is non acid based so can be used anywhere pretty safely.

 

[JamieITR]

Yeap - It is non acid based so can be used anywhere pretty safely.

Excellent, cheers for all your help Rich.

Jamie

 

[Rich]

No Probs - it is a very versatile product, will be spraying some on the 306 daily drives bodywork tomorrow !!!! - it has not been cleaned in months and I have finally decided it needs doing now as I have some time off work.