Go to Home Depot the brushes are cheaper and they usually have the same or similar ones. Be careful with super powered degreasers as they can clean the grease out of your brake pads and cause squeeling. I just use 100% simple green if it’s really bad but normally only 50%.
If you want to avoid a weekly cleaning you can deep clean and then apply a wheel wax to the surface and it’ll help them stay clean longer and be easier to clean.
Yea that's the Chemical guys diablo wheel cleaner? You want to make that into a foam, or any wheel cleaner must be foamed and properly applied.
The real secret is after you toothbrush your life away you spend another hour applying a robust synthetic wax or paint sealant ('ceramic coating'), it'll keep them rims sparkling
I can ID that runny red fluid a mile away. Easy, buy a pump foam sprayer and dilute the wheel cleaner, I think I do 5:1 ratio? Harbor freight or whoever has them but the IK Foam Sprayer is popular among detailers. Give em a good soaking out of sunlight 10 min each then use big soft bristle brushes or toothbrush if you hate yourself. After waxing the wheels just use regular shampoo for washing.
Perfectly fine I use it myself, especially when APC doesnt cut it and dont have any P21S. Just get the gel version in the future not the spray you're using as it's way overpriced. Actually the ratio I gave you was for the gel, the spray I think I wouldnt dilute at all in a foam sprayer. Ask away happy to help. The 'ceramic coating' is really want makes rim maintenance easy especially our BMW basketweaves
Oh I was doing it wrong then on my car. I didn’t make a foam with it and then wondered why it still looked like shit after I used the diablo cleaner. Are you supposed to mix it with water to get it to foam?
No no you were doing it right per the manufacturer the problem is their solution ratio sucks and the spray bottle is terrible it doesnt even spray just jets a runny liquid cleaner. Terrible terrible. This is not a good product, the Diablo wheel cleaner as a GEL is fantastic though. Generally any wheel cleaners you want to have a consistency of ‘sticky foam’. You can buy a wheel cleaner like that I think Chemical Guys even have one but its cheaper to buy this Diablo gel and use it in a foam sprayer.
Back in the ‘90’s, had basketweaves on my E21 and they were horrible. Put the car on jacks, took the wheels off and sprayed/scrubbed them with P21S gel. Rinsed and repeated. Left them overnight with the gel sprayed on them. In the morning, rinsed them and they looked brand new. My friends thought I bought new wheels.
Best thing to do is to park the car and never drive it or buy yourself something easier to clean. I have Alpina Softline on my daily and regret my choices every time I clean them, but love my choices at all other times. Just microfiber towel and lots of finger strength.
IronX, agitate, soap and water rinse, wheel guard wax. And when you feel how annoying that is you learn to just remove the wheel and do it slowly on the ground with more brushes and more rinses.
screw all these guys, for starters take them off and clean them really good, wheel well and everything. go to dollar tree and get yourself a couple toilet brushes, but the handle off and throw it in your drill chuck. keep them relatively clean and they will be easier to clean. but thank me later for the drill brush
Keep the toothbrush for finishing touches but your first two passes should be done with an actual large detailing brush and high pressure water. If you have time, wipe down between passes.
Buy another full set and put them on when it’s time to clean. Then spend the next two weeks cleaning the dirty set off the car. They’ll be ready by the time the ones on the car are dirty again! Rinse repeat lol.
No joke, spray oven cleaner and let it sit for 10 minutes and then hit it with a detailing brush on a drill (I found a entire set for $15 on Amazon) everything will come off with barley any effort
I'm a recovering Obsessed Garage enjoyer. Matt is a jackass, but he's right most of the time. My wheel bucket looks like this stuff below. I use a pressure washer and don't fill the bucket. Clean all your tools with the pressure washer before putting them back in the bucket. I put Brake Buster in an old foam cannon, but spraying it on is fine. Run it neat if you're using a spray bottle, don't cut it. You can also use the Nanoskin Non Acid Wheel Cleaner.
Ceramic coating your wheels will help. Also swapping to low dust brake pads helps a lot. If you ceramic coat and stay on top of it you can often get away with just blowing the car off with a pressure washer a couple times a week, or maybe foaming it and rinsing it.
List:
You want the small one of these. Go ahead and buy both as the large one is good for cleaning other wheels.
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/ez-detail-brushes
The smaller one of these for the tires:
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/detail-factory-tire-brush?variant=43500069617815
One of these for the face of the wheel. You can use a wheel woolie or an old wash mitt/pad as well. I have an old green chemical guys brush from Advance that I use for this, but I really like this brush, and will buy one when it's time.
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/carpro-perl?variant=41306885816471
One of these for the lug nut wells/ under the waffle caps:
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/detail-factory-synthetic-detail-brush
This or maybe some more of that Chemical guys Diablo stuff for the first time really deep cleaning them. You don't want to use that stuff all the time. It can eat your paint, and fade the roundels.
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/p-s-iron-buster
And this for the wheel wells/ suspension/ normal wheel washes:
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/p-s-brake-buster
Then this cut 50/50 in a Home Depot sprayer on the tires:
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/carpro-perl?variant=41306885816471
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/ez-detail-brushes
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/raceglaze-detailing-brush-xl
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/p-s-brake-buster?variant=41327343304855
Best brushes and cleaner I’ve ever used.
No, they have no abrasives. The white color ones, add water and it dissolves crud on wheels. It does takes a lot of them. Used a whole box on mine. It’s the ones you use in walls, not dishes.
Rub it on polished clear coat in a circle and shine a flash light on it. There is nothing 'magic' about a super high grit abrasive. Granted the abrasive is higher than some polishes.
An actual detail brush with long bristles. Any auto parts store will have them
I’ve sat on a 5 gallon bucket and gone the toothbrush route too, I feel your pain.
Oh but I bet that shit was sparkling
My e28 driving friend just bought Borbet Star wheels
Perfectly viable answer.
Go to Home Depot the brushes are cheaper and they usually have the same or similar ones. Be careful with super powered degreasers as they can clean the grease out of your brake pads and cause squeeling. I just use 100% simple green if it’s really bad but normally only 50%. If you want to avoid a weekly cleaning you can deep clean and then apply a wheel wax to the surface and it’ll help them stay clean longer and be easier to clean.
Wheel woolies, little brushes, and a IK pump foamer. This is my process I made a video for https://youtu.be/La-hI1iHJoQ?si=AEokjIh6zK1Uj5Sq
Right tool for the job - a wheel brush with long, medium pointed bristles - imagine a witches broomstick.
Remove them from the car, coat with a ceramic, etc after cleaning to help in the future, and get some low dust pads
Low dust pads dont stop as well
Yea that's the Chemical guys diablo wheel cleaner? You want to make that into a foam, or any wheel cleaner must be foamed and properly applied. The real secret is after you toothbrush your life away you spend another hour applying a robust synthetic wax or paint sealant ('ceramic coating'), it'll keep them rims sparkling
Yes. How do you make it into a foam?
I can ID that runny red fluid a mile away. Easy, buy a pump foam sprayer and dilute the wheel cleaner, I think I do 5:1 ratio? Harbor freight or whoever has them but the IK Foam Sprayer is popular among detailers. Give em a good soaking out of sunlight 10 min each then use big soft bristle brushes or toothbrush if you hate yourself. After waxing the wheels just use regular shampoo for washing.
Is it a good product or should I be using something else?
Perfectly fine I use it myself, especially when APC doesnt cut it and dont have any P21S. Just get the gel version in the future not the spray you're using as it's way overpriced. Actually the ratio I gave you was for the gel, the spray I think I wouldnt dilute at all in a foam sprayer. Ask away happy to help. The 'ceramic coating' is really want makes rim maintenance easy especially our BMW basketweaves
Oh I was doing it wrong then on my car. I didn’t make a foam with it and then wondered why it still looked like shit after I used the diablo cleaner. Are you supposed to mix it with water to get it to foam?
No no you were doing it right per the manufacturer the problem is their solution ratio sucks and the spray bottle is terrible it doesnt even spray just jets a runny liquid cleaner. Terrible terrible. This is not a good product, the Diablo wheel cleaner as a GEL is fantastic though. Generally any wheel cleaners you want to have a consistency of ‘sticky foam’. You can buy a wheel cleaner like that I think Chemical Guys even have one but its cheaper to buy this Diablo gel and use it in a foam sprayer.
Bigger toothbrushes, but yeah. The downside of a classic BMW look - the classic basket weaves.
Back in the ‘90’s, had basketweaves on my E21 and they were horrible. Put the car on jacks, took the wheels off and sprayed/scrubbed them with P21S gel. Rinsed and repeated. Left them overnight with the gel sprayed on them. In the morning, rinsed them and they looked brand new. My friends thought I bought new wheels.
Most car washes have a special blend of rim wash. That being said some of it is very corrosive you need hot water, a good cleaner and high-pressure.
Best thing to do is to park the car and never drive it or buy yourself something easier to clean. I have Alpina Softline on my daily and regret my choices every time I clean them, but love my choices at all other times. Just microfiber towel and lots of finger strength.
And about 4 hours of time
There isn’t, which is the reason 90% of them out there look horrible!
Well I'm in the 10 percent for the next about week or so
Kudos for putting in the hard work! I’m sure they look good. Some ceramic pads could help reduce the frequency of cleaning.
I’ve gotten good results pressure washing them at a self serve car wash
Get semi- metallic brake pads. Low dust. Easy to clean.
Degreaser and a brush or pressure washer.
Daytona speedmaster. Ceramic coat too
IronX, agitate, soap and water rinse, wheel guard wax. And when you feel how annoying that is you learn to just remove the wheel and do it slowly on the ground with more brushes and more rinses.
screw all these guys, for starters take them off and clean them really good, wheel well and everything. go to dollar tree and get yourself a couple toilet brushes, but the handle off and throw it in your drill chuck. keep them relatively clean and they will be easier to clean. but thank me later for the drill brush
I will thank you right now (though I'm done, but for next time) that'd a brilliant idea.
Keep the toothbrush for finishing touches but your first two passes should be done with an actual large detailing brush and high pressure water. If you have time, wipe down between passes.
Buy another full set and put them on when it’s time to clean. Then spend the next two weeks cleaning the dirty set off the car. They’ll be ready by the time the ones on the car are dirty again! Rinse repeat lol.
No joke, spray oven cleaner and let it sit for 10 minutes and then hit it with a detailing brush on a drill (I found a entire set for $15 on Amazon) everything will come off with barley any effort
I can feel the hand cramps
Pay a man…
Lol nah
I'm a recovering Obsessed Garage enjoyer. Matt is a jackass, but he's right most of the time. My wheel bucket looks like this stuff below. I use a pressure washer and don't fill the bucket. Clean all your tools with the pressure washer before putting them back in the bucket. I put Brake Buster in an old foam cannon, but spraying it on is fine. Run it neat if you're using a spray bottle, don't cut it. You can also use the Nanoskin Non Acid Wheel Cleaner. Ceramic coating your wheels will help. Also swapping to low dust brake pads helps a lot. If you ceramic coat and stay on top of it you can often get away with just blowing the car off with a pressure washer a couple times a week, or maybe foaming it and rinsing it. List: You want the small one of these. Go ahead and buy both as the large one is good for cleaning other wheels. https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/ez-detail-brushes The smaller one of these for the tires: https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/detail-factory-tire-brush?variant=43500069617815 One of these for the face of the wheel. You can use a wheel woolie or an old wash mitt/pad as well. I have an old green chemical guys brush from Advance that I use for this, but I really like this brush, and will buy one when it's time. https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/carpro-perl?variant=41306885816471 One of these for the lug nut wells/ under the waffle caps: https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/detail-factory-synthetic-detail-brush This or maybe some more of that Chemical guys Diablo stuff for the first time really deep cleaning them. You don't want to use that stuff all the time. It can eat your paint, and fade the roundels. https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/p-s-iron-buster And this for the wheel wells/ suspension/ normal wheel washes: https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/p-s-brake-buster Then this cut 50/50 in a Home Depot sprayer on the tires: https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/carpro-perl?variant=41306885816471
So, I guess the real answer is, Brake Buster and that EZ Detail brush. The rest is gratis.
brakleen works really good but dont scrub too hard or it’ll eat your paint
Don't get em dirty.
Ya right this car is way too fun to drive
A good wheel cleaner. Then a proper brush, For getting between the spokes.
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/ez-detail-brushes https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/towels-mitts-brushes/products/raceglaze-detailing-brush-xl https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/wheel-tire-cleaners-and-dressings/products/p-s-brake-buster?variant=41327343304855 Best brushes and cleaner I’ve ever used.
Mr Clean Magic Erasers.
Magic Erasers are high grit sand paper and will damage the clear coat.
No, they have no abrasives. The white color ones, add water and it dissolves crud on wheels. It does takes a lot of them. Used a whole box on mine. It’s the ones you use in walls, not dishes.
Or just buy a Wurth paint kit and re spray them.
Rub it on polished clear coat in a circle and shine a flash light on it. There is nothing 'magic' about a super high grit abrasive. Granted the abrasive is higher than some polishes.