Charlie
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- May 16, 2015
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- Auto Sleeper Kemerton.
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- Im a newbie
This thread is not just about cleaning wheels its in a way a cautionary thread .
The thread has been prompted by me seeing yet another set of wheels with the finishes destroyed by improper use of the wheel cleaners we can buy off the shelf.
Used properly they are great. Get it wrong and the finish on your wheels or wheel covers/trims will be ruined.
But its not only the wheels that suffer. The brake calipers and backing plates and all the mechanical components behind the wheels will corrode faster than believable if either the wrong type of cleaner is used or is used in the wrong way .
There are two basic types of wheel cleaner. One is the Acidic type, The other is the Non Acidic type.
Lets deal with the Acidics first.
Acidic wheel cleaners obviously contain acids. These are powerful ingredients and care must be taken when handling them. Eye protection and gloves must be worn and all skin should be protected.
There are tow common brands available. Wonder wheels is one. Auto Smart "Smart wheels" is another. These acidic types should only really be used on wheels which are deeply embedded with hard grime which is really stuck/bonded to the surface. Do not use on moderately dirty wheels is just far to strong. If you do use them Never ever let them dry on the surfaces. This can will and often does ruin the finishes on all types of wheel. Use them by all means but rinsing with Huge amounts of water MUST follow. Power washing is best.
Non acidics are still a volatile product. They may not contain acids but caustic solutions replace the acids. These cleaners are nowhere near as aggressive as acidics but the same precautions mentioned above MUST be employed.
The big thing to remember is when we are spraying these products on is to make sure of the following.
Wear protective gear.
Do not get the stuff on the vehicles paintwork
Never allow the products to dry. This is an absolute no no.
Once the solution has been allowed to work or has been agitated with a brush Rinse immediately. Again I stress do not allow to dry.
All the components behind the wheels get some solution on them so pay huge attention to washing it off when rinsing. If its not rinsed off it can ruin and corrode everything it touches.
We can deal with treating / sealing wheels later on if folk are interested.
One wheels are cleaned and sealed there should be no further use of these cleaners as long as they are washed on a regular basis.
I use Auto Smart Smart wheels for wheels that are really heavily soiled. For less dirty wheels I use Valet Pro Bilbury wheel cleaner.
HTH....
Charlie.
The thread has been prompted by me seeing yet another set of wheels with the finishes destroyed by improper use of the wheel cleaners we can buy off the shelf.
Used properly they are great. Get it wrong and the finish on your wheels or wheel covers/trims will be ruined.
But its not only the wheels that suffer. The brake calipers and backing plates and all the mechanical components behind the wheels will corrode faster than believable if either the wrong type of cleaner is used or is used in the wrong way .
There are two basic types of wheel cleaner. One is the Acidic type, The other is the Non Acidic type.
Lets deal with the Acidics first.
Acidic wheel cleaners obviously contain acids. These are powerful ingredients and care must be taken when handling them. Eye protection and gloves must be worn and all skin should be protected.
There are tow common brands available. Wonder wheels is one. Auto Smart "Smart wheels" is another. These acidic types should only really be used on wheels which are deeply embedded with hard grime which is really stuck/bonded to the surface. Do not use on moderately dirty wheels is just far to strong. If you do use them Never ever let them dry on the surfaces. This can will and often does ruin the finishes on all types of wheel. Use them by all means but rinsing with Huge amounts of water MUST follow. Power washing is best.
Non acidics are still a volatile product. They may not contain acids but caustic solutions replace the acids. These cleaners are nowhere near as aggressive as acidics but the same precautions mentioned above MUST be employed.
The big thing to remember is when we are spraying these products on is to make sure of the following.
Wear protective gear.
Do not get the stuff on the vehicles paintwork
Never allow the products to dry. This is an absolute no no.
Once the solution has been allowed to work or has been agitated with a brush Rinse immediately. Again I stress do not allow to dry.
All the components behind the wheels get some solution on them so pay huge attention to washing it off when rinsing. If its not rinsed off it can ruin and corrode everything it touches.
We can deal with treating / sealing wheels later on if folk are interested.
One wheels are cleaned and sealed there should be no further use of these cleaners as long as they are washed on a regular basis.
I use Auto Smart Smart wheels for wheels that are really heavily soiled. For less dirty wheels I use Valet Pro Bilbury wheel cleaner.
HTH....
Charlie.