How to remove heavy stuck on dirt off rims

Carpro TRIX or even Optimum power clean at full-strength works well. Poorboy's spray and rinse is another one of the good ones I have used as well.
 
Get yourself a wheel brush like the ones they sell on AutoGeek and a good cleaner. For really bad wheels I've always liked Brown Royal.

Without pics I'm assuming the worst which means you will have to do a lot of good old fashion scrubbing. There is no magic cleaner that does all the work for you.

I've also found steam will help loosen up some of the nastier stuff too.
 
Meg's Wheel Brightner. It's an acid, so use caution when using.
 
My favorite to use on stuck on dirt and grim is purple power with a brush (sold at any auto parts store or walmart) It works great. Just leave it to soak for 1 minitue then agitate for really stuck on grime. Rinse well. For delicate wheels dilute 1:1. Anything lets over will be embeded in the surface and will require clay bar. Then a sealent.
 
Rsurfer said:
Meg's Wheel Brightner. It's an acid, so use caution when using.
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:iagree:Wheel Brightener is some hazardous stuff but it does what it needs to do. If used correctly and safely it will remove most of the old brake dust and road grime in one application after sufficent dwell time.
 
flamed03vert said:
:iagree:Wheel Brightener is some hazardous stuff but it does what it needs to do. If used correctly and safely it will remove most of the old brake dust and road grime in one application after sufficent dwell time.
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Wheel brightener is a powerful product that does work on cruddy wheels, but has the potential to be a dangerous product as well. The MSDS is misleading IMO. It says it contains ammonium bifluoride which is the misleading part. In simple terms, ammonium bifluoride is a crystalline salt that decomposes in water to form ammonium fluoride and hydrofluoric acid.

Hydrofluoric acid is one of the nastier acids out there because it penetrates tissue very rapidly and it can start to attack bone and the nervous system. People in my industry have been burned by HF and not even known it until they started having major complications.

That being said, Wheel Brightener does not contain a huge amount of hydrofluoric acid and is buffered. I believe it is a safe product if handled correctly, but you have to know what you are actually working with before you can take the appropriate measures. Sometimes I think people are too cavalier when they throw out the words acid and use caution. It is more important to know what acid and what kind of caution.

On a practical level, I don't use Wheel Brightener. I'm not concerned about the safety aspect, I just found that it will start to etch the wheel hubs and calipers after awhile. I had a BMW 5 Series where the wheels looked great but everything around them was pitted and etched.
 
Tinwhiskers said:
On a practical level, I don't use Wheel Brightener. I'm not concerned about the safety aspect, I just found that it will start to etch the wheel hubs and calipers after awhile. I had a BMW 5 Series where the wheels looked great but everything around them was pitted and etched.
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The idea of using WB is to get the wheel clean, seal it (OC) and keep it clean without using an acid, that imo is being practical.
 
I would go with Royal Brown or OPC first. Those would be my first choice because of price, dillution ratio and safety.
Iron X is pricey but it can work. Meg's WB is strong stuff and it can damage a rim if your not careful.
Purple Power. Dirt cheap and I use it on everything.
 
Rsurfer said:
The idea of using WB is to get the wheel clean, seal it (OC) and keep it clean without using an acid, that imo is being practical.
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I agree with your point, but not everyone might realize that. Some newbie might use WB and because it cleaned the wheels well, might keep using it and eventually have problems.

I know because I was once that noob. Back then I thought I was special because I was using products that weren't off the shelf and "professional" grade.
OC wasn't invented back when I used it and people who let their wheels get bad enough to warrent a product like WB probably aren't the ones who will take the time to seal them.

If my words can save one brake caliper or one poor wheel hub, then I did my job. :xyxthumbs:
 
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