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has anyone got any good ideas from removing the dust on wheeltrims? ive tried scrubbing them with washing up liquid and a brush but it still wont come off. I think they havnt been cleaned by the previous owner for ages so it has set and is baked on!
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try meths and the back of a washing up sponge , the abrasive side
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>>the abrasive side<<
Yeah, if you want to scratch them.
www.autosmart.co.uk/Exterior%20Cleaners.html
Id try something like their Ali Shine - you can use the standard Ali if you dilute it though.
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>>the abrasive side<< Yeah if you want to scratch them
cant see washing up sponge scratching aluminium alloy... mohs law would probably prove that one
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>>cant see washing up sponge scratching aluminium alloy... mohs law would probably prove that one<<
Ive only been cleaning cars professionally for ten years, what would I know anyway. May aswell go for sandpaper too, really make a job of it lol.
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Ive only been cleaning cars professionally for ten years what would I know anyway. May aswell go for sandpaper too really make a job of it lol.
sorry stu i wasnt trying to demean your profession in any way , after all i flip burgers for a living and i know how tough it is
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>>the abrasive side<< Yeah if you want to scratch them.
The white nylon side of a washing up sponge will not scratch a wheel trim, you can use it on paint work.
A green scourer however is a different matter.
Edited by cheddar on 22/10/2008 at 21:04
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T-cut or the like - if you don't mind a bit of elbow-work ...
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Unless the trims are immaculate I should leave the brake dust on. You will only have to clean them again anyway.
I hate huge plastic wheel-disc trims with a passion. I like chromed metal hubcaps. I am surprised no car manufacturer makes a point of easy-to-clean wheels - I suppose those very smooth-contoured three-spoke alloys would be as easy as any, but they look so carp - but they all seem to outdo each other in sharp-edged, elaborate complexity.
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Spray with truckwash or traffic film remover.
Scrub with scrubbing brush.
Jetwash.
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Wasn't there a Citroen in reasonably living memory which had perfectly plain wheel cover things ? I want to think there was. Perhaps I am thinking of a toy one......Swoopy large thing, possibly the one before the XM ?
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Have you got a dishwasher?
The down side is SWMBO gave me hell when she found out about all the dirty motoring bits that it had cleaned up.
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ive just tried them on a 'potwash' in the dishwasher - still not that clean!
im going to stick them back on. Maybe in next year il invest in some new ones...
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I think it was a Citroen cx now I come to think a bit harder. Big chrome plain hubcaps which covered the whole wheel. No holes in them for brake dust to escape. Sure it was that one.
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 22/10/2008 at 20:04
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What about using old fashioned brake cleaner to remove brake dust ?
Isn't that what it was made for ?
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Jif, or Cif or whatever it is called.
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Or just buy a new set and keep them clean?
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That shouty Barry Scott bloke would know what to do. Bang and it's gone or something.
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I've used Gunk engine degreaser for just this and it works a treat.
JS
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What size wheels are they going on ?
There is a new set of Audi trims (not OE) 15" wheels for £34 for a set of four. Not really worth the faff of cleaning the old ones, just keep them for winter use and put the new ones on in spring.
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Adding the link would help...tinyurl.com/62ebko
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Bilberry wheel cleaner:
tinyurl.com/5eqpep
Then use a wheel sealant to stop it caking on again:
tinyurl.com/5v972n
Cheaper than a wheel refurb, and will give amazing results.
(Mods - links are to a mail-order car care company with which I have no connection, other than that they are highly recommended on detailingworld.com)
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Oops - that advice is for alloys NOT wheel trims..... sorry.
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If they're that bad, and you're that bothered, buy a new set of trims.
Edited by L'escargot on 23/10/2008 at 08:28
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...and once you've got them clean, spend a bit extra on dustless brake pads. I used to, when I gave a wotsit about how my car looked, and they worked very well. Green Stuff was a brand I used.
Edited by smokie on 23/10/2008 at 10:04
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There are lots of ways to make an easy job hard, expensive or both it seems.
Cif cream on the white nylon side of a washing up sponge, it will not scratch a wheel trim and works a treat, you can even have lemon fresh variety if it takes your fancy!
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Yes, the CX had smooth full wheel covers. The BX also had full wheel covers but not smooth - still kept the dust at bay, although I wouldn't fancy being a tyre monkey changing a tyre on a car thus equiped.
Back to the OPs question, Wonder Wheels is what he wants. It may take a few applications but it will shift even hard baked on brake grime - I had the same problem with a Pug 406 alloy that hadn't been cleaned for ages.
I'm sure StuNorthants may know of some professional cleaning solution that does a better job, but it seems to be a balance between gently cleaning, or overdoing it with chemicals and damaging the lacquer on the alloys.
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>>some professional cleaning solution that does a better job>>
Yes Cif!
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What happened to a good old bath of hot Carbon Tetrochloride -- got my Bonniville cylinder head spotless
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What happened to a good old bath of hot Carbon Tetrachloride .......
It needs to be handled very carefully. Read the safety data sheet, especially the part which says ....
"Personal protection
Safety glasses. Good ventilation. Handle as a carcinogen. Consider an alternative chemical if possible. (Note that, because of health risks, large-scale production of this chemical is being ended; in many countries it is now be impossible to buy it without a permit.)"
tinyurl.com/5rggqj
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>a good old bath of hot Carbon Tetrachloride<
I thought it became almost impossible to get CCl4 years ago, for H&S reasons? And I hate to think what it might do to plastic trims, which is what the OP was asking about (many answers here refer to alloys).
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>>I'm sure StuNorthants may know of some professional cleaning solution that does a better job, but it seems to be a balance between gently cleaning, or overdoing it with chemicals and damaging the lacquer on the alloys<<
In my experience, Audi wheel trims have a hardy finish that can withstand alot of acid cleaning ( unlike their alloys ).
The way I clean them is for both speed, ease and minimal potential damage - cant be damaging a customers car by ruining their trims, but still need a hard working product to get the job done.
I tend to use the Autosmart Ali in a 10-15% Ali/water mix which makes it weak enough to not hurt the surface but strong enough to cut through stuff. I tried Wonder Wheels years ago and it is, er, lightweight to say the least on baked on dust.
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I just use ordinary washing-up-liquid and an old washing-up brush. Does the job fine, on the rare occasions I bother doing it
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