How long to let wheel cleaners "dwell"

jtuds

jtuds

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I just got some Adams Deep Wheel Cleaner and the instructions say not to pre-spray the wheel, just apply the cleaner liberally and let it dwell.

But how long do I let it dwell?

Do I just leave it until in changes colour completely and isn't changing colour anymore?

I don't want to let it dry on the wheel but I also don't want to start at it with the brush before it is done working.

Any advice?

And should I expect this stuff to be able to remove the stubborn brake dust that gets stuck in the corner where the spokes meet the drum?

If I get it all off I might Zaino the rims and see if that helps keep the dust from sticking, especially in the crevasses.

Thanks!
 
Let it dwell until there is a color change. It will remove all metallic particles but not grease, tar, or anything similar. Adam's also has an instructional video on their YouTube channel for it.
 
SYMAWD said:
Let it dwell until there is a color change. It will remove all metallic particles but not grease, tar, or anything similar. Adam's also has an instructional video on their YouTube channel for it.
Click to expand...

Didn't know about this specific video, thanks
 
The wheel should look something like this before you agitate.
If you have a German car or something that makes a lot of brake dust, wait until it looks like this. Adam's is on the right half. Something else in on the left.


If you have a low brake dusting car, only expect it to get to about this color.
 
Thanks guys, very helpful.

And one wheel at a time or spray all 4 at once?
 
One wheel spray on, agitate then rinse off and wipe down.
 
Like SYMAWD said, allow it to change colors so that you know its working properly. Do one wheel at a time and be sure to thoroughly rinse out the wheel when you're done.
 
SYMAWD said:
The wheel should look something like this before you agitate.
If you have a German car or something that makes a lot of brake dust, wait until it looks like this. Adam's is on the right half. Something else in on the left.


If you have a low brake dusting car, only expect it to get to about this color.
Click to expand...

Do you give your wheels a blast with a pressure washer first? I would almost never get that much bleed from a wheel after you rinse off the loose stuff. If you can, this is a really good idea because these colour changers react one part product to one bit of iron. This means that if you use it on easy to remover material, there may well not be anything left to deal with the more stubborn brake dust.

To the OK, I would say that a lot depends on how dirty your wheels are because, if they are cleaned regularly and you pre-spray them just with a pressure washer, you might really not see very much colour change. A general rule of thumb on dwell time is that the max. time is when the product starts drying out - high electrolyte level products (which is almost every water based automotive cleaner) should not be allowed to dry out. The reason is that the concentration increases as the water evaporates away - so when it starts drying out, you will have a very high concentration and that is the time when problems occur.
 
PiPUK said:
Do you give your wheels a blast with a pressure washer first? I would almost never get that much bleed from a wheel after you rinse off the loose stuff. If you can, this is a really good idea because these colour changers react one part product to one bit of iron. This means that if you use it on easy to remover material, there may well not be anything left to deal with the more stubborn brake dust.

To the OK, I would say that a lot depends on how dirty your wheels are because, if they are cleaned regularly and you pre-spray them just with a pressure washer, you might really not see very much colour change. A general rule of thumb on dwell time is that the max. time is when the product starts drying out - high electrolyte level products (which is almost every water based automotive cleaner) should not be allowed to dry out. The reason is that the concentration increases as the water evaporates away - so when it starts drying out, you will have a very high concentration and that is the time when problems occur.
Click to expand...

I spray it on dry but I almost always just use soap and water as I usually clean my wheels weekly.
 
It worked pretty well. My wheels are pretty new so there wasn't a lot of work to do but the Adam's stuff was able to get off some of the caked on brake dust that the Chem Guys Wheel Cleaning Gel wouldn't touch.

My wife's wheels are in rough shape and it cleaned them up really well, but it still cleaned them better than anything else I have tried. There's still some staining on them but that could be taken care of with clay bar and maybe more wheel cleaner.

The stuff gives off a smell as it is workgin that some may not like.

My criticism is that it comes in a pretty small bottle, and after using it to clean my 4 wheels and the 2 front wheels on my wife's car, about 1/4 of the bottle is left. I hear it can be diluted but if you use it as it comes, it's a pricey product.
 
jtuds said:
It worked pretty well. My wheels are pretty new so there wasn't a lot of work to do but the Adam's stuff was able to get off some of the caked on brake dust that the Chem Guys Wheel Cleaning Gel wouldn't touch.

My wife's wheels are in rough shape and it cleaned them up really well, but it still cleaned them better than anything else I have tried. There's still some staining on them but that could be taken care of with clay bar and maybe more wheel cleaner.

The stuff gives off a smell as it is workgin that some may not like.

My criticism is that it comes in a pretty small bottle, and after using it to clean my 4 wheels and the 2 front wheels on my wife's car, about 1/4 of the bottle is left. I hear it can be diluted but if you use it as it comes, it's a pricey product.
Click to expand...

It smells better than any other iron eating products believe it or not. Yes, it is pricey unless you buy it in gallons which makes it almost half price compared to the 16oz.
 
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