The Power of Wheel Brightener

[SYMAWD]

So I'll start with Wheel Brightener is hazardous to your health and should be used with proper PPE. It is also not safe for all wheel, brake, and suspension components. However, say you are doing production washing or detailing, it can be useful.

Here are some nasty BMW X5 wheels:




After spraying on wheel brightener and rinsing with a pressure washer:




Sure it is not 100% perfect and the barrel would require agitation as you can't really get a stream of water back there and heavily embedded brake dust will not be completely removed.

To recap, exercise caution when using this product and I am not necessarily recommending you use it. I am just sharing the results and would personally recommend that you normally use something safer for both you and the car, but wheel brightener can be useful if you need dirty wheels cleaned quickly.

 

[jamesboyy]

Nice results on those BMW wheel, and while you are correct wheel brighter is most helpful when time is limited it's also something to consider when you do have time, and don't want to take the wheels to the wheel shop cause there is some stubborn contamination, and you don't have the array of wheel/iron removing products on hand like Sonax, Iron, x etc

 

[allenk4]

Helpful Megs WB tip to avoid streaks from dripping product....

Start spraying at the bottom of the wheel and work your way up

Tremendous product!

 

[Audios S6]

Another helpful, efficiency tip: spray on you acid wheel cleaner and clean as normal, then rinse. Then immediately clean the tire with an alkaline APC and spray the wheel at the same time to neutralize any remaining acid.

 

[SameGuy]

What he said! I've been doing this since I got WB and read all the warnings here. Thanks again.

 

[af90]

Have you compared this to Poorboy's Spray and Rinse by chance?

 

[SYMAWD]

Have you compared this to Poorboy's Spray and Rinse by chance?

No, but I should mention I did not use Meguiar's in the example above. I used what my dealership buys in bulk, but it's the same type of ammonium-bifluoride based cleaner and is pretty much identical even down to the color.

 

[allenk4]

rops:

Another helpful, efficiency tip: spray on you acid wheel cleaner and clean as normal, then rinse. Then immediately clean the tire with an alkaline APC and spray the wheel at the same time to neutralize any remaining acid.

Smart

Never thought of that

 

[FUNX650]

A Chrysler TSB states:

"Any of the “DO NOT USE” items listed below can damage or stain wheels and wheel trim.

DO NOT USE:
• Wheel cleaners that contain hydroflouric acid, biflouride compounds, sulfuric acid, or phosphoric acid.
• Any abrasive type cleaner
• Any abrasive cleaning pad (such as steel wool) or abrasive brush
• Any oven cleaner.
• A car wash that has carbide tipped wheel-cleaning brushes.

CAUTION: Many commercial wheel cleaners contain acids that may harm the wheel surface. Avoid all "wheel acid" type cleaners.

CAUTION: Any facility found using acid based wheel cleaners will void all wheel warranties, and all damage to customer wheels will be the facility's responsibility.
________________________________________________

OEM, as well as aftermarket, wheels have undergone quite a few Material Science changes over the past few years.
So has the thought processes towards the Safety & Health issues of Humans and the environment.

Unfortunately...IMHO:
"The detailing industry", as a whole, has not changed with the times.
{Many vehicle dealerships, detail shops/businesses, consumers, etc., are still demanding "acids"---so the distributors and manufactures are still filling the demand. Money still talks}

And to think:
I'm the one that's often accused of being "Old School"!!


Bob

 

[EVOlved]

A Chrysler TSB states:

"Any of the “DO NOT USE” items listed below can damage or stain wheels and wheel trim.

DO NOT USE:
• Wheel cleaners that contain hydroflouric acid, biflouride compounds, sulfuric acid, or phosphoric acid.
• Any abrasive type cleaner
• Any abrasive cleaning pad (such as steel wool) or abrasive brush
• Any oven cleaner.
• A car wash that has carbide tipped wheel-cleaning brushes.

CAUTION: Many commercial wheel cleaners contain acids that may harm the wheel surface. Avoid all "wheel acid" type cleaners.

CAUTION: Any facility found using acid based wheel cleaners will void all wheel warranties, and all damage to customer wheels will be the facility's responsibility.
________________________________________________

OEM, as well as aftermarket, wheels have undergone quite a few Material Science changes over the past few years.
So has the thought processes towards the Safety & Health issues of Humans and the environment.

Unfortunately...IMHO:
"The detailing industry", as a whole, has not changed with the times.
{Many vehicle dealerships, detail shops/businesses, consumers, etc., are still demanding "acids"---so the distributors and manufactures are still filling the demand. Money still talks}

And to think:
I'm the one that's often accused of being "Old School"!!


Bob

I'm with Bob on this one. These products will never see my arsenal, I'd rather spend hours polishing wheels if need be than risk my health and the wheel.

 

[TurboToys]

be sure the wheels can take it.

this is what a shop did to my volk gt-7 wheels when they let somebody clean the car after they were done with the bodywork.... all the work they did to the car and they completely destroyed the finish on a set of 3500 dollar wheels.

clear anodized rims should look like a pure polished surface.

 

[allenk4]

When you say "clear anodized rims", does that mean they are clear coated?

Were you able to polish the wheels out?

 

[Bill1234]

This stuff looks great for the German wheels, I like using brown royal at full strength. Its a bit safer and is economical. I have used it on fully covered audi rims which are decently maintained and it liquefied the brake dust. I usually wear a denim chemical guys apron, longer grease monkey rubber gauntlets and sometimes if they are really bad, proper eye protection. Again, this wb is good, just very dangerous to use.

 

[TurboToys]

When you say "clear anodized rims", does that mean they are clear coated?

Were you able to polish the wheels out?

no, you don't polish an anodized coating. anodized coatings are basically controlled oxidation.

the shop that did the damage told me they were going to polish them out for me. i told them go ahead and try, but two things.... one it's going to take forever to polish out anodized finished, and two, once you wear away that coating, i'm not going to accept my wheels back uncoated where i will have to polish them twice a week to maintain the shine that was sealed in before...


eventually after i came back a few times and told them i knew exactly how they ruined my wheels, and what product they used... they agreed to have them refinished professionally...... although the refinish was not amazing.... the wheels were old before for sure, but they looked decent... not ruined.. the finished product i got back was a 7/10, but having them redone OEM would have cost the same as a brand new set of wheels, and they weren't brand new to start. so i left it at being refinished decent enough to look good for wheels that were that old. and avoided a lengthy stay in court going through lawyers who want to drag stuff out to make money.