Pulling wheels off during a detail?

J

jta98z

New member
Joined
Nov 5, 2013
Messages
60
Reaction score
0
Hey guys. I'm doing a bit of research for growing my business. I thought of something the other day. Every (most) detail jobs I see guys posting on here, YouTube , etc I always see just using a wheel brush to clean the inside of the wheel. Why not pop the wheels off for a more thorough cleaning? I know some of my friends and family's cars that have driven 100k miles without a thorough wheel cleaning and gunk is caked on the inner wheel so bad there's no WAY a simple little pass with a wheel brush will clean it. Heck, my 06 Trailblazer SS has 30k miles and if I let it go too long between wheel washes, that inner brake dust is on for the long haul. I'm just asking from my own personal experience, stating that for me, a swift pass of a wheel brush does nothing for the inner wheel of a daily driver.

What's your input?
 
Some people will pull it off, but for some people that do this for a living. They feel there is a risk of pulling them off since you could be at fault if something bad happens. Particularly something like a loose lug nut or even lugs that loosen as a result of not being properly torqued.

Overall it's your choice on whether or not you feel its necessary and worth it. Personally I will do it on my own vehicle about twice a year. But mine stay clean since I maintain the barrels weekly with a Daytona Speed Master.
 
I would only do it if specifically asked, new car prep where you may be opti-coating them.

Make sure you have a good torque wrench and research the correct tightness for the lugs.
 
Depends on the car. For neglected wheels that couldn't be cleaned properly while on the car this is a good option. If you are applying a coating to the wheels this is also a good option. Do you have experience jacking up cars? Do you know where the lift plates are located? Last thing you want to do is jack a car up on its side skirt and crack it.

I would charge an extra $30 dollars to remove all 4 wheels and $25 a piece to coat them. It's really not that much extra work although it may seem like it and most people will pass if you price it to high.

I would target mostly german car owners for this service. They already understand how annoying brake dust is. :xyxthumbs:
 
I do pull wheels off for Opti-Coat jobs but non-coating jobs are usually just cleaned on the car. Depending on wheels design, you can usually clean them pretty well on the car with a little creativity. ;)

Having a lift helps immensely, but even with one it's still an 60+ minute job to pull of the wheels, clean, coat, and reinstall. Definitely a service you want to charge accordingly for.



Wheels are always torqued back to factory specs and I suggest my clients have them checked and re-torqued after 50 miles.



These were cleaned and coated on the car being center lock wheels. The design is fairly open but they were also wider than most so I lifted the car up high and cleaned the rest by reaching in from the back side. (Tip I got from Robert Willis)


I also have a label maker that I occasionally use to make sure each wheel goes back where it belongs. Usually only when I have to polish them on the bench though.




Rasky
 
I once was asked to remove the wheels from a car I once did, the wheels weren't cheap, I told the guy I didn't feel comfortable in doing that, the risk factor and all.
He understood so he removed them his self and I did the rest.
We put the car on jack stands, after I was done he put the wheels back on for me, no extra charge on my part, both of us were happy. :dblthumb2:

For those who do this for a living I can see how they would benifit from doing such a job.
IMO it would show the customer how anal the detailer was and how much pride he takes, plus the extra money in the pocket helps. :dblthumb2:
 
For those that want a rehab-resto on a vehicle, I can understand that one needs to yank the wheels, and do whatever's needed.

Whether cleaning, painting, etc etc etc. And of course those tire's insides are often in much worse shape than the outsides, cracking, and all sorts of nasties setting in, which prove difficult at best to bring back.

Could be a 458 Italia, but if the rims are filthy, and shot, that really takes away from a vehicle's look, any vehicle.

Sure wish they had these fancy coatings years ago! Would've saved me some countless hours of back breaking work, tearing off wheels to detail.
 
Another +1 to torquing to factory spec and informing the customer that the wheels were off. Not a step to skip. You know how you'd be mortified if someone took your car through the automatic car wash? Well, that's how a lot of gear heads will feel if you just tighten the wheels back down with a lug nut wrench, without torquing to spec!
 
I did it for a customers crossfire. Benz brake pads had them super filthy. I was going to do it on a Vette, but wasn't 100% sure where the jack went so I just did the best I could and rolled the car around to get them clean. I like to use sealant on the inside of wheels so brake dust is easier to remove with just hose pressure. I also torques to factory specs.

Side note: I have aftermarket wheels on my car, with Ti lug nuts. If some jackhole told me he removed my wheels and torqued them to 90Lbs I would be very upset. Probably to the tune of him replacing the lug nuts if I could get it out of him. Luckily, I'm a former dealership line tech so there isn't much anyone else will be doing on my vehicles. Just food for thought if you have a customer with aftermarket wheels/lug nuts.
 
100,000+ miles, never been cleaned sounds like severely neglected.
Most times these barrels look better filthy than "resurrected".

What's your expectations of end results OP?
 
Vegas Transplant said:
100,000+ miles, never been cleaned sounds like severely neglected.
Most times these barrels look better filthy than "resurrected".

What's your expectations of end results OP?
Click to expand...

Well, I don't expect a show car finish. But atleast get them back to a smooth, clean surface that actually looks like aluminum and not brown caked on junk.
 
Make sure you have some wheel brightener on hand. Stuff is magical on caked brake dust. I ONLY bring it out of the garage for that occasion as its way too strong for most wheels. I would pick up a pack of plastic razor blades also and a long reach razor blade so that your hand doesn't start cramping. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out!

Oh, and coat them! when brake dust sits for a long time it eats the finish off the wheel so your hard work will go to waste very quickly if not coated.
 
jta98z said:
Well, I don't expect a show car finish. But atleast get them back to a smooth, clean surface that actually looks like aluminum and not brown caked on junk.
Click to expand...

Like this?





Thanks for the reply.

Under promise and over deliver and you'll see more customers that truly could not give a rat's behind when it comes to wheel barrels.
 
If I had a lift I would take wheels off. It would make it a lot easier to clean wheels.
 
jta98z said:
Hey guys. I'm doing a bit of research for growing my business. Why not pop the wheels off for a more thorough cleaning?
What's your input?
Click to expand...


if you plan growing your business , you are on the wrong path....
agree on offering extra services and add-ons packages. removing wheels will not bring you a lot , and it increase the risk you take. the only tool i will put on a clients car is a buffer , not any wrench , screwdriver drill etc...
if the client removes the wheels , i clean them every day...
i have clients where if i put a floor jack to get the wheel off i screw the floor is how fancy is....deal with that! , or let the helper Joe to torque the wheels for you....
if you don`t have the insurance to cover wheel-parts removal , tools and proper training than stay away, accidents happen.
there are more other ways to grow your business without putting your liability out there...
 
Cosmin said:
if you plan growing your business , you are on the wrong path....
agree on offering extra services and add-ons packages. removing wheels will not bring you a lot , and it increase the risk you take. the only tool i will put on a clients car is a buffer , not any wrench , screwdriver drill etc...
if the client removes the wheels , i clean them every day...
i have clients where if i put a floor jack to get the wheel off i screw the floor is how fancy is....deal with that! , or let the helper Joe to torque the wheels for you....
if you don`t have the insurance to cover wheel-parts removal , tools and proper training than stay away, accidents happen.
there are more other ways to grow your business without putting your liability out there...
Click to expand...

Well, I didn't necessarily mean that this was a growth idea. It's just been on my mind. Just couldn't imagine someone being pleased with their inner wheel still looking gunky after they just paid you for a 7 hour detail.
 
I offer it as an option for $15 per wheel. The service includes iron removal (Sonax FE), clay, polish, and seal. I also clean the tires with Tuf Shine on this option. I think it is a good option to get a thorough cleaning and put a sealant on to help with brake dust and grime going forward. I do my personal vehicles twice per year this way. But for a customer with a DD, it may just be a one time deal to get them cleaned up so they can be maintained going forward. Good opportunity to upsell ongoing maintenance details. I wouldn't do this if you don't have a torque wrench though. And after you torque the lugs, always ALWAYS go around the car one more time and check the torque on every single nut (maybe even do that with the customer and have them initial that the lugs were torqued). I would also put on any receipt that they need to have the lugs re-torqued after 25 miles (tell them they can come back to you if they want). You need some language to limit your liability if they don't get them re-torqued.
 
jta98z said:
...Just couldn't imagine someone being pleased with their inner wheel still looking gunky after they just paid you for a 7 hour detail.
Click to expand...

Dude. You must not have been in this game long.

I'm willing to bet that you abandon this idea after playing Quixote long enough.
Probably will settle on a happy medium after finding that complete turnarounds on wheels as you describe in your OP are few and far between.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top