cleaning wheels

[raswank]

My brother has never cleaned his wheels. They are clear coated, but have yellowish, brownish caked on stuff. I have tried scrubbing them. But nothing, what can I do?

[Chip]

What kind of wheels are they? OEM, aftermarket, chrome, polished? etc.

[raswank]

oem aluminum clearcoated honda wheels

[Chip]

If you've tried all the "safe for clear coat" cleaners, you could try wet sanding. Is damage on the face in the spoke area or inside the barrel? Worst case, remove clear, repaint/re-clear. Best case, try one of the wheel cleaners recommended here first. Harsh or not.

[raswank]

like what p21s gel or??????

[Chip]

Yes, those are safe, but it doesn't sound like either of those (gel, spray) are going to be effective on that kind of damage. I know there are some other more aggressive wheel cleaners you can try. Got any pics of the damage?

[raswank]

No I don't this stuff is just baked on. what is some good aggresive stuff? And will it remove the clear coat?

[Chip]

I don't know of any in particular. Sorry. Search function would be your best bet. If the cleaner has got to be aggressive enough to remove "baked in" stains, then it's probably in the clear coat, and it's damaged already. If you're wanting to "save" the clear, start with a mild and move to aggressive gels/sprays to see if you get any kind of satisfactory results. That can get expensive though. Try the wet sand, worse case, remove clear, protect with wax or sealant and tell your brother to take care of his wheels!:D:righton::D

[tempter927]

Raswank, how old are the wheels/car?
Any idea what the yellowish brown stuff is?
I'm assuming road grime/tar/brake dust.

Explain your process/products that you used to scrub so far?

After very thoroughly cleaning my aluminum clearcoated wheels this weekend,I can tell you that even when using a quality product like p21s gel you still need a good brush and some elbow grease to get the wheels clean.

[raswank]

it is a 2006 accord so it has been that long since they have been cleaned. I would say it is road grime,tar, and brake dust. He has never even washed the car. Now he sees my new 08 accord and the work I put into it, and wants the same. I told him to look on ebay for new oem wheels and tires. But he would like to clean these. I have tried generic stuff but with brushes.

[ScottB]

Poorboys Spray and Rinse Wheel Cleaner ..... follow the directions exactly as offered. Spray liberally !

[Blackthorn One]

I don't know of any in particular. Sorry. Search function would be your best bet. If the cleaner has got to be aggressive enough to remove "baked in" stains, then it's probably in the clear coat, and it's damaged already. If you're wanting to "save" the clear, start with a mild and move to aggressive gels/sprays to see if you get any kind of satisfactory results. That can get expensive though. Try the wet sand, worse case, remove clear, protect with wax or sealant and tell your brother to take care of his wheels!:D:righton::D
It seems to me that if wax is a dust magnet, it would attract and collect brake dust. Because of this, I would only use sealant on wheels, because sealant leaves things slick.