richy
09-19-2016, 11:50 AM
My friend bought a Ford Transit van. He loves the big brute but one thing that he has discovered is that the brake dust this van creates is nothing short of evil. It is so bad that even after he has cleaned it, the wheels (and for some reason the rears are worse than the fronts, which makes no sense to me?) will become black after only going through 1/2 tank of fuel.
He brought it to me to see if I could thoroughly clean them and apply one of my "magic potions" as he calls them, to the wheels to see if it could help. The process I used to clean them was as follows:
I first removed each wheel one at a time in the driveway (no way it's going to fit in my garage!). The wheel barrel and face were aggressively cleaned with Malco Brake Off which is the strongest tool I've got in my wheel cleaning tool box. I followed that with BAM wheel acid to neutralize the alkaline Malco product. That was followed up with Zep Citrus. These wheels took a ton of work to get clean, even with very powerful cleaners.
Once clean, I coated the wheel face and barrel with CQ DLux by hand via a suede mf. I laid it on thickly.
I did not take any shots whatsoever for this project due to it only being a small job but the reason I am posting it today is to share an email and pics that my friend sent as a follow up to this job. I wanted to share it. Please see the email below:
"Well I ordered up a 2015 Ford Transit including Factory Aluminum Rims with High Roof, about 1 year ago.
Where do I start. The high roof means it doesn't fit in a car wash or my garage. It's all black and beautiful "When Clean". When clean is an oxi-moron - it's never clean, besides driving it 50,000km a year and running a couple of business's plus a couple of very active kids, throw in a busy personal life - all this ads up to: 1 constantly dirty van, continuously waiting for daddy to break out the pressure washer and cleaning utensils.
Now the toughest part of cleaning this baby you might think is the high roof - NOT!
Its the factory aluminum rims. The rear rims turn jet black from break dust with just 1/2 tank of diesel used. As black as the windows and pearl black paint. The back brakes must use a completely different compound in the pads than the front or someone reversed the braking percentage to a rear bias, cause plan and simple the fronts stay way cleaner.
So here were my cleaning attempts....
The 3000 lb pressure washer doesn't touch it. Chemicals, brushes, cleaners, the most recommended you tube solution, spray on highly caustic foaming dollar store oven cleaner ( I gotta wear a mask when applying, it burns my nose, throat and lungs with the overspray) Nothing made those babies clean. Black was meant to be the new fashion statement, beautiful aluminum paint out!!!
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/2.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/2.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/1.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/1.jpg.html)
Idea.....
Richard - what about you clean and coat those babies with one of your Majic Potions.
He cleaned, he scrubbed, he bitched, he felt my pain, but gave me back the van with spotless rims and some magical elixir coating so clear, I thought to myself - this ain't gonna work.
3 maybe 4 tanks of diesel burned with a crazy busy 2ish weeks lapse, I drag myself to pull start the pressure washer thinking WHAT'S THE POINT- I left them too long, I'm F*@ked!!
I hit them with the cold spray too lazy to change the weak fan nozzle from my wife's last spray down. No pre chemical soak, just water. It's already dark out too!
Richard, baby, I want to kiss you!!!
Same "rears" shown below after pressure spray
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/3.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/3.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/4.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/4.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/5.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/5.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/6.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/6.jpg.html)
Richard you dog of coating concoctions. No chemicals, and no scrubbing my wheels are clean with no effort. You Da Man!!
Thank you for your experience and excellent work. Chalk up one to Richard while black brake dust can go to hell!
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/7.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/7.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/8.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/8.jpg.html)
" {End of email}
I knew these wheels would be the ultimate challenge to DLux. I think I can safely say that it has passed with flying colours! I did this job for him at least a month ago. Thanks for looking.
He brought it to me to see if I could thoroughly clean them and apply one of my "magic potions" as he calls them, to the wheels to see if it could help. The process I used to clean them was as follows:
I first removed each wheel one at a time in the driveway (no way it's going to fit in my garage!). The wheel barrel and face were aggressively cleaned with Malco Brake Off which is the strongest tool I've got in my wheel cleaning tool box. I followed that with BAM wheel acid to neutralize the alkaline Malco product. That was followed up with Zep Citrus. These wheels took a ton of work to get clean, even with very powerful cleaners.
Once clean, I coated the wheel face and barrel with CQ DLux by hand via a suede mf. I laid it on thickly.
I did not take any shots whatsoever for this project due to it only being a small job but the reason I am posting it today is to share an email and pics that my friend sent as a follow up to this job. I wanted to share it. Please see the email below:
"Well I ordered up a 2015 Ford Transit including Factory Aluminum Rims with High Roof, about 1 year ago.
Where do I start. The high roof means it doesn't fit in a car wash or my garage. It's all black and beautiful "When Clean". When clean is an oxi-moron - it's never clean, besides driving it 50,000km a year and running a couple of business's plus a couple of very active kids, throw in a busy personal life - all this ads up to: 1 constantly dirty van, continuously waiting for daddy to break out the pressure washer and cleaning utensils.
Now the toughest part of cleaning this baby you might think is the high roof - NOT!
Its the factory aluminum rims. The rear rims turn jet black from break dust with just 1/2 tank of diesel used. As black as the windows and pearl black paint. The back brakes must use a completely different compound in the pads than the front or someone reversed the braking percentage to a rear bias, cause plan and simple the fronts stay way cleaner.
So here were my cleaning attempts....
The 3000 lb pressure washer doesn't touch it. Chemicals, brushes, cleaners, the most recommended you tube solution, spray on highly caustic foaming dollar store oven cleaner ( I gotta wear a mask when applying, it burns my nose, throat and lungs with the overspray) Nothing made those babies clean. Black was meant to be the new fashion statement, beautiful aluminum paint out!!!
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/2.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/2.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/1.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/1.jpg.html)
Idea.....
Richard - what about you clean and coat those babies with one of your Majic Potions.
He cleaned, he scrubbed, he bitched, he felt my pain, but gave me back the van with spotless rims and some magical elixir coating so clear, I thought to myself - this ain't gonna work.
3 maybe 4 tanks of diesel burned with a crazy busy 2ish weeks lapse, I drag myself to pull start the pressure washer thinking WHAT'S THE POINT- I left them too long, I'm F*@ked!!
I hit them with the cold spray too lazy to change the weak fan nozzle from my wife's last spray down. No pre chemical soak, just water. It's already dark out too!
Richard, baby, I want to kiss you!!!
Same "rears" shown below after pressure spray
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/3.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/3.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/4.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/4.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/5.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/5.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/6.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/6.jpg.html)
Richard you dog of coating concoctions. No chemicals, and no scrubbing my wheels are clean with no effort. You Da Man!!
Thank you for your experience and excellent work. Chalk up one to Richard while black brake dust can go to hell!
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/7.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/7.jpg.html)
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t12/rhowitt/Detailing%20Shots/8.jpg (http://s156.photobucket.com/user/rhowitt/media/Detailing%20Shots/8.jpg.html)
" {End of email}
I knew these wheels would be the ultimate challenge to DLux. I think I can safely say that it has passed with flying colours! I did this job for him at least a month ago. Thanks for looking.