Wheels still not clean

[Largebore]

So far I have used on my BMW wheels.

Megs Hot Rims
DP Wheel Cleaner
Eagle One
Iron X

As you can see the wheels still look bad.
I have some Megs Wheel Cleaner [ the stuff with acid ] coming tomorrow and I will see what it does ...
Anyone have any advice ?
http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/BMW31.jpg (http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/47447)

[rider9195]

Have you tried using a polish on a corner of a MF towel? Or even clay?

[Largebore]

Have you tried using a polish on a corner of a MF towel? Or even clay?

Have not tried clay, that may be a good idea. I will give it a shot.

[Meticulous-Detail]

Def. clay, then try polish or a paint cleaner. If that doesn't work try a compound.

Megs WB is great stuff just follow the directions carefully.

[swanicyouth]

That looks like baked on BMW brake dust from factory pads. Be careful on what you use to clean close wheels because the clear coat on them is very fragile in my experience. I would definitely NOT use any harsh acid or base wheel cleaners on BMW wheels. IMHO the excessive baked on brake dust BMWs get on there wheels acts as an above surface contaminate and is eventually responsible for damaging the clear coat if not cleaned off frequently and carefully. I would use clay and possibly IronX to remove that. IMHO polishing with any type of machine is
not a safe way to remove these contaminants. Clay should do it. Also, I would recommend changing your brake pads ( wether they are worn or not ) to a low dust alternative such as AXXIS Deluxe pads. Te difference is night and day. Also, Opti Coating them will make them easier to clean

[timaishu]

Do your wheels have ANY curb rash at all? If they do, you have to be very careful to not get on it. It will lift the clear.

I had spots like that on my wheel and it was bad. I couldnt remove it with wb. They actually etched into it clear and the wb penetrated and made the clear flake in that area.

[Largebore]

OMG! I lubed up the clay bar and the dirt literally jumped off the wheels. After all of that spraying and scrubbing the clay bar took the embedded dirt off like soft butter.
Now I know why you pro's get the big bucks! Knowledge is a beautiful thing.

Re: The Meg WB. Thanks for the note. With the clay bar I will not even need it. I get it tomorrow and I think I will donate it to a local detailer. It is probably safer in his hands rather than mine.

Again, thanks guys.. you made me a happy camper tonight.

[TS656577]

I'm glad you got it figured out! For the future, something else I have done that has worked great is the bug sponges that are used for the front bumpers/hood/mirrors/etc. It's coarse enough to remove particles on the wheels but dont hurt the wheels (I mean you use it on your paint anyway)

[Largebore]

I'm glad you got it figured out! For the future, something else I have done that has worked great is the bug sponges that are used for the front bumpers/hood/mirrors/etc. It's coarse enough to remove particles on the wheels but dont hurt the wheels (I mean you use it on your paint anyway)

Agh that will be for tomorrow.. Makes a lot of sense. Will add that to my cleaning arsenal of tricks.

Thanks

[TimmyG]

Iron X paste also tends to work very well of those sort of deposits on coated wheels.

Glad you got it removed regardless.

[Meticulous-Detail]

OMG! I lubed up the clay bar and the dirt literally jumped off the wheels. After all of that spraying and scrubbing the clay bar took the embedded dirt off like soft butter.
Now I know why you pro's get the big bucks! Knowledge is a beautiful thing.

Re: The Meg WB. Thanks for the note. With the clay bar I will not even need it. I get it tomorrow and I think I will donate it to a local detailer. It is probably safer in his hands rather than mine.

Again, thanks guys.. you made me a happy camper tonight.

Glad to see it worked, now you want to coat the wheels with a sealant to protect the finish and make cleaning easier. If you don't have any coatings, try Collonite 845 or any other durable sealant you may have.

[BobbyG]

Re: The Meg WB. Thanks for the note. With the clay bar I will not even need it. I get it tomorrow and I think I will donate it to a local detailer. It is probably safer in his hands rather than mine.


Any detailing product is safe to use providing you follow it's instructions and use simple precautions. If you've used CarPro Iron-X you can easily use Meguiar's Wheel Brightener....Personally, I don't think Meguiar's Wheel Brightener is any stronger than CarPro Iron-X.

[RMM]

Any detailing product is safe to use providing you follow it's instructions and use simple precautions.

I do agree with this sentence but...


If you've used CarPro Iron-X you can easily useMeguiar's Wheel Brightener....Personally, I don't think Meguiar's Wheel Brightener is any stronger than CarPro Iron-X.

On this one I must respectfully disagree :dblthumb2:

IronX is pH balanced and clear coat safe but Meguiar's Wheel Brightener has a pH of 3 and it requires protective gear and neutralizing agents (for Ammonium Biflouride) that most detailers don't have (even the pros). And as swanicyouth said, it can be too agressive for BMW wheels (even if they don't have the occasional curb rash).

As for the spots that remained even after IronX, I think they were not ferrous: they must have been petroleum derived and probably TarX would have eliminated them.

I am glad the clay bar took care of them :xyxthumbs: