Once again, more info as to the proper care of your rims after the car wash is complete! 
(From Zymol - not a forum endorsement, just mentioning where I got the info, from personal use over the years!!
)
Tools you will need:
3 gallon clean bucket
water hose capable of reaching around the car
non-silicone wash sponge
soft, non-metal brush with a heavy populated leading edge.
medium size (hand) terry towels or Microwipes for washing or drying.
very mild, non-acidic, non-alkaline spray-on wheel cleaner.
---With our cars washed properly, we now turn to the second most loved, and the most feared, service program performed by the enthusiast...washing the wheels. Our love for our automobiles is only exceeded by the love and deep inner contempt we have for our wheels. The thought of crouching down to labor in exacting detail at each corner of our automobile after completing a car wash is more than any mortal can bear.
When, what and how you wash your wheels is only part of the job. Protecting your wheels completes this all important cleaning regimen. Keep in mind, brake dust can and will permanently damage the finish of your wheels.
Before you can find a solution, you must understand the problem. Lets look at what makes your wheels so dirty. Brake pads are composed of asbestos, mono-filament carbon fibre, metal filings and adhesive. The adhesive used to mold brake pads is the problem, not the carbon fibre or asbestos. Brake pad adhesive will etch and pit if the dust is allowed to remain in contact with the heated wheel surface.
Most wheels will average a running temperature of 190oF on warm summer days. A running wheel also sets up a small negative static charge that attracts brake dust and unfortunately the adhesive used to create the brake pad. The magnetic charge and heat is the perfect environment for collecting and holding this menace.
Wheel cleaner? When strolling the aisles of your favorite auto or department store you are attacked by an army of Madison Avenue-labeled wheel cleaners that either claim or promise to embrace your wheels in gentle care while removing unsightly brake dust and staining.
But to our surprise, the label also contains a caution or warning about exposure to the contents. Would you wash your car's paint with these products? Probably not, but aren't your wheels 'Painted Alloys'?
Until 1991 most car manufacturers were using Acrylic Enamels with urethane hardeners to coat and protect your alloy wheels. Those paints are replaced today by simple acrylics with flex agents that have much softer surfaces and are susceptible to more damage.
Always purchase non-acidic, non-phosphoric, low PH ( 7- 8 ) wheel wash designed to break the cohesive bond between brake pad dust and chrome, painted, coated alloy, aluminum or steel wheels. To be safe, stay with known accepted brands of wheel cleaner that provide full instructions and do not carry exposure cautions.
Choose a wheel cleaner concentrate that can be used at the strength you need for your particular wheel condition and cleaning regimen. Apply the wheel cleaner to dry or damp wheels for best results and brush the wheel with a very soft, heavily populated, non-metal ferrule brush before rinsing thoroughly with cool water. Be sure to turn the spray tip of the spray bottle of your wheel cleaner to a full close position to prevent leaks.
----The basic wheel wash steps are as follows:
---Do not wash or rinse any wheel
directly after vehicle operation.
---Use your wheel cleaner according to directions. Start by spraying your wheel evenly one at a time to prevent the wheel cleaner from drying on the wheel, and let stand for 2-3 minutes.
---Brush your wheels gently being careful of wheel weights and taped wheel weights. Do not scrub the finish.
Note: Do not use brushes with metal handles as these brushes will scratch your wheels.
---Rinse in and around your wheel wells to remove dirt and excess wheel cleaner. Do not let the surface dry. Washing a second time may be required if the wheels are extremely soiled.
---Rinse all wheels again and dry each wheel gently. Start the car and back up with a slight pressure on the brake pedal to squeegee off the rotors.
--Now, wax your wheels.
---Apply a non abrasive quality Wheel Coat or Wax to your wheels. Waxing your wheels provides definitive protection against brake pad adhesive damage by sacrificing the wax not your wheel finish. Yes, you will have to wax after every wheel wash but this is a small price to pay for insuring perfect wheels.
---As before, towels or Microwipes used for washing and drying should be washed in hot water with a small amount of mild, non-phosphate based laundry detergent. Rinse the towels twice in hot water (removes all soap) and machine dry (no pollutant exposure) without fabric softener. Keep wheel towels separate from paint work towels.
(From Zymol - not a forum endorsement, just mentioning where I got the info, from personal use over the years!! )Tools you will need:
3 gallon clean bucket
water hose capable of reaching around the car
non-silicone wash sponge
soft, non-metal brush with a heavy populated leading edge.
medium size (hand) terry towels or Microwipes for washing or drying.
very mild, non-acidic, non-alkaline spray-on wheel cleaner.
---With our cars washed properly, we now turn to the second most loved, and the most feared, service program performed by the enthusiast...washing the wheels. Our love for our automobiles is only exceeded by the love and deep inner contempt we have for our wheels. The thought of crouching down to labor in exacting detail at each corner of our automobile after completing a car wash is more than any mortal can bear.
When, what and how you wash your wheels is only part of the job. Protecting your wheels completes this all important cleaning regimen. Keep in mind, brake dust can and will permanently damage the finish of your wheels.
Before you can find a solution, you must understand the problem. Lets look at what makes your wheels so dirty. Brake pads are composed of asbestos, mono-filament carbon fibre, metal filings and adhesive. The adhesive used to mold brake pads is the problem, not the carbon fibre or asbestos. Brake pad adhesive will etch and pit if the dust is allowed to remain in contact with the heated wheel surface.
Most wheels will average a running temperature of 190oF on warm summer days. A running wheel also sets up a small negative static charge that attracts brake dust and unfortunately the adhesive used to create the brake pad. The magnetic charge and heat is the perfect environment for collecting and holding this menace.
Wheel cleaner? When strolling the aisles of your favorite auto or department store you are attacked by an army of Madison Avenue-labeled wheel cleaners that either claim or promise to embrace your wheels in gentle care while removing unsightly brake dust and staining.
But to our surprise, the label also contains a caution or warning about exposure to the contents. Would you wash your car's paint with these products? Probably not, but aren't your wheels 'Painted Alloys'?
Until 1991 most car manufacturers were using Acrylic Enamels with urethane hardeners to coat and protect your alloy wheels. Those paints are replaced today by simple acrylics with flex agents that have much softer surfaces and are susceptible to more damage.
Always purchase non-acidic, non-phosphoric, low PH ( 7- 8 ) wheel wash designed to break the cohesive bond between brake pad dust and chrome, painted, coated alloy, aluminum or steel wheels. To be safe, stay with known accepted brands of wheel cleaner that provide full instructions and do not carry exposure cautions.
Choose a wheel cleaner concentrate that can be used at the strength you need for your particular wheel condition and cleaning regimen. Apply the wheel cleaner to dry or damp wheels for best results and brush the wheel with a very soft, heavily populated, non-metal ferrule brush before rinsing thoroughly with cool water. Be sure to turn the spray tip of the spray bottle of your wheel cleaner to a full close position to prevent leaks.
----The basic wheel wash steps are as follows:
---Do not wash or rinse any wheel
directly after vehicle operation.
---Use your wheel cleaner according to directions. Start by spraying your wheel evenly one at a time to prevent the wheel cleaner from drying on the wheel, and let stand for 2-3 minutes.
---Brush your wheels gently being careful of wheel weights and taped wheel weights. Do not scrub the finish.
Note: Do not use brushes with metal handles as these brushes will scratch your wheels.
---Rinse in and around your wheel wells to remove dirt and excess wheel cleaner. Do not let the surface dry. Washing a second time may be required if the wheels are extremely soiled.
---Rinse all wheels again and dry each wheel gently. Start the car and back up with a slight pressure on the brake pedal to squeegee off the rotors.
--Now, wax your wheels.
---Apply a non abrasive quality Wheel Coat or Wax to your wheels. Waxing your wheels provides definitive protection against brake pad adhesive damage by sacrificing the wax not your wheel finish. Yes, you will have to wax after every wheel wash but this is a small price to pay for insuring perfect wheels.
---As before, towels or Microwipes used for washing and drying should be washed in hot water with a small amount of mild, non-phosphate based laundry detergent. Rinse the towels twice in hot water (removes all soap) and machine dry (no pollutant exposure) without fabric softener. Keep wheel towels separate from paint work towels.
-Edge
Changing the world, one Santa Fe at a time!!
Changing the world, one Santa Fe at a time!!
