How To: Clean Your Wheels and Tires

[sullysdetailing]

How To: Clean Wheels and Tires



When you are cleaning your wheels and tires you want to make sure you use a product that is safe for all wheels. You do not want to use a wheel cleaner that has harsh cleaners or acid in them. You also want to read the instructions on the bottle and make sure you use the product the right way.

Products used:

· DP Gel Wheel Cleaner

· DP Wheel Glaze

· Foam Applicator

· Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush

· Clean Wheel Lug Nut Brush

· Long Handle Tire/Wheel Brush

· 5 gallon bucket

· Microfiber Towels



Process:

· Always Start cleaning your wheels before the rest of your vehicle

· Fill a 5 gallon bucket with 3-4 gallons of water and 1-2 oz of auto soap.

· Make sure the wheel is cool to touch, and then spray the wheel, tire, and wheel well with DP Gel Wheel Cleaner. Let the product dull for 30 seconds to 1 minute (If the wheel is really dirty you can let it dwell a little longer)

· Now dip the Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush into the 5 gallon bucket and start cleaning the inside of the wheel.

· Then dip the Long Handle Tire/Wheel Brush and clean the face of the wheel and get as much as you can with the brush

· Now take theClean Wheel Lug Nut Brush and finish cleaning the wheels making sure you get all the spots that you could not clean with the Long Handle Tire/Wheel Brush.

· You can use the Clean Wheel Lug Nut Brush and Daytona Speed Brush the clean your brake calipers

· Once you have finished cleaning the wheels grab the Long Handle Tire/Wheel Brush and dip it into the 5 gallon bucket and the clean the wheel well and tires. For hard to reach areas in the wheel well you can use the Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush

· Once you have finished cleaning the wheels, tires, and wheel wells rinse off the tires and continue the process on the other wheels.

· Once you have finished cleaning your vehicle go back and dry your wheels and tires with an old Micro Fiber Towel.

· Now take the DP Wheel Glaze and Foam Applicator and apply a thin layer on your wheels.

· Once you have applied DP Wheel Glaze on all the wheels go back and buff of the residue with a microfiber towel (one you don’t use on your paint)

· Now apply your favorite tire dressing to your tires.

All products mentioned in the how to section is available at Tires & Wheels cleaning products

 

[Slava]

Thanks for the write up.

 

[elk42]

sully what product(s) would you recommend for shinier wheels such as that on a Jeep? i would maybe categorize them as uncoated? ive used Poorboys S&R but even diluted, that stuff can be quite harsh to shinier wheels. thanks. Elk

 

[sullysdetailing]

sully what product(s) would you recommend for shinier wheels such as that on a Jeep? i would maybe categorize them as uncoated? ive used Poorboys S&R but even diluted, that stuff can be quite harsh to shinier wheels. thanks. Elk

If they are Chrome you are fine with DP, If they are aluminum (uncoated) I would just use Soap and Water. But if you need to Dp would be fine, You might have to polish a little after. But if you have uncaoted aluminum wheels I would seal them pretty good so washing them is easier.

 

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

Why do you always have to clean your wheels first, where is this written in stone?

 

[sullysdetailing]

Dana, I said start with the wheels because if you wash you car then move to the wheels. By the time you dry the car it will already have started to dry because of the sun and heat causing water spots. So to avoid this you start with the wheels.

 

[08krewkab]

Why do you always have to clean your wheels first, where is this written in stone?

Not in stone....but more of common sense

 

[ScottB]

sully what product(s) would you recommend for shinier wheels such as that on a Jeep? i would maybe categorize them as uncoated? ive used Poorboys S&R but even diluted, that stuff can be quite harsh to shinier wheels. thanks. Elk

most factory OEM wheels are clearcoat to avoid the damages (and likely warranty repairs) associated with them. Some do look milky and not much you can do. For best results clean weel (with a safe wheel cleaner), polish with a paint polish (unless metal is uncoated), and then seal as desired. Often times a spray wax or booster can make painted wheels look more desirable, like FK425 for instance.

 

[JonMiles]

That process is a very reliable one for getting the wheels looking good, but what do you do to get rid of water etching on clear coated wheels? Would it be best to use a small pad and some polish like I would with the paint? Or would rubbing them out by hand with some compound be better?

 

[sullysdetailing]

That process is a very reliable one for getting the wheels looking good, but what do you do to get rid of water etching on clear coated wheels? Would it be best to use a small pad and some polish like I would with the paint? Or would rubbing them out by hand with some compound be better?

Small pad like a 5.5'' or 4'' pad and a DA, Polish them like paint if they are cleared. Start with the less aggressive method first. Then seal them

 

[Grizzly]

I always start with cleaning the wheels, tires, and wheelwells.

If you did them after washing the actual car, the water will sit on the paint and maybe even completly air dry. As stated already.

 

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

Dana, I said start with the wheels because if you wash you car then move to the wheels. By the time you dry the car it will already have started to dry because of the sun and heat causing water spots. So to avoid this you start with the wheels.

I would hope you would dry the vehicle off before starting on the wheels if you do them second. I would state if you decide to do the wheels second make sure the vehicle is dried before moving on to clean them.

Not in stone....but more of common sense

I guess I have no common sense since I have been doing the wheels last after all these years and the vehicles always seem to just fine when I am finished detailing them.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Why do you always have to clean your wheels first, where is this written in stone?

Personal preference Dana, everyone's free to find their own way that makes them happy...

I guess I have no common sense since I have been doing the wheels last after all these years and the vehicles always seem to just fine when I am finished detailing them.

I always wash wheels and tires first and then start at the top of the car and work downward. In fact, I explained why and demonstrated this approach in my car wash video made back in 2006

Just because this approach works for me doesn't mean everyone has to use it...



:xyxthumbs:

 

[Grizzly]

I would hope you would dry the vehicle off before starting on the wheels if you do them second. I would state if you decide to do the wheels second make sure the vehicle is dried before moving on to clean them.



I guess I have no common sense since I have been doing the wheels last after all these years and the vehicles always seem to just fine when I am finished detailing them.

Yes, but when you go to wash the wheels and tires after washing and drying the whole car you will probably end up getting the paint wet again when spraying down the wheels and tires, so you will have to dry off parts of the car again.

There is also a chance that when spraying off the wheels and tires that any sort of dirt or debris may land on the freshly washed and dried paint, then you have to go back and wash certain areas of the paint again.

 

[ASPHALT ROCKET]

Personal preference Dana, everyone's free to find their own way that makes them happy...



I always wash wheels and tires first and then start at the top of the car and work downward. In fact, I explained why and demonstrated this approach in my car wash video made back in 2006

Just because this approach works for me doesn't mean everyone has to use it...



:xyxthumbs:

Agreed Mike, that is why I made my first post. You do not have to start with the wheels.

Yes, but when you go to wash the wheels and tires after washing and drying the whole car you will probably end up getting the paint wet again when spraying down the wheels and tires, so you will have to dry off parts of the car again.

There is also a chance that when spraying off the wheels and tires that any sort of dirt or debris may land on the freshly washed and dried paint, then you have to go back and wash certain areas of the paint again.

Very little water gets on the paint by wheels and just takes a second to remove. No need to rewash those areas, just rinse of with the water hose. Sounds like you are going to town with the hose. I am very neat when cleaning a car.

 

[Mirror Detailing]

Hell I never do the wheels first. Always seemed stupid, because if you wash the wheels and all the dirt from the paint runs downward it runs onto the already clean rims.

 

[Bunky]

I usually do wheels last after I have dried the paint since I want to use the same wash / rinse bucket and do not want to mess up rinse bucket with any wheel mess.

 

[rohnramirez]

Just to share, i start with soaking the wheels then give it a brisk cleaning and a rinse without drying. I then move to the body from top to bottom, then rinse the entire car with the wheels. Dry the car then work on the wheels again, but this time in detail.

I always wanna apply protection when i don't need to use water anymore.

 

[sullysdetailing]

Here are some pictures to go with the How To:
The Wheels where cleaned with DP
Before

During

Notice even after the wheels were cleaned and dried there was still dirt on the wheels. They needed to be clayed so I grabbed some DP clay and Pinnacle Clay lub and clayed all the wheels
Before Clay

Claying

After Clay

After DP Wheels Glaze was applied

Final Product

 

[A4 1.8tqm]

Nice write up.

I'm a "wheels first" guy. I do wheels first mostly because I just don't feel like crouching down and messing with the wheels after washing the car. Is that lazy? or efficient use of energy? Also I don't want dirty wheel soap to splash on the paint after I've washed it.