Best wheel cleaner

For non-Pros, seems simpler to just polish/LSP the wheels annually (or coat them even less often) and then just clean 'em with shampoo mix. Even my "tough brake dust German cars" are easy to do that way. Heh heh, if I didn't think it was easier, I'd go back to using Wheel Cleaners and just QDing them each time.

Iomcamaro said:
Brown Royal works really well, but it is not PH balanced. It is alkaline based. It can damage some wheel surfaces if you don't dilute it enough for the surface...
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I myself simply DO NOT USE any Wheel Cleaners that can do damage. First saw what alkaline ones can do back in the '70s...vowed that I would *NEVER* damage a wheel by cleaning with the wrong stuff and I haven't.

I personally prefer Griot's wheel cleaners. Both the regular and the HD. The smells of the cleaners don't cause me to have a headache and they don't last for days on my hands. They are also reasonably priced when purchased in gallons.
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Everybody defines "reasonably priced" differently, but yeah, Griot's is a good simple answer to "Wwat Wheel Cleaner". And yeah, stuff like Wheel Cleaners (let alone shamoo!) oughta always be bought in cost-effective sizes. Not like it ever goes bad...
 
Iomcamaro said:
I personally prefer Griot's wheel cleaners. Both the regular and the HD. The smells of the cleaners don't cause me to have a headache and they don't last for days on my hands. They are also reasonably priced when purchased in gallons.
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+1

What he said...B) HD is my favorite especially for heavy brake dust. It's pH-balanced, non-acidic, and non-caustic so it's safe but really does a good job on break dust. Even if the car is tracked or driven hard in the canyons.
 
I have been using wizards wheel cleaner lately with good results. The ones posted above are good also. Gave your wheels a thorough cleaning and seal or coat them then all you have to do is when finished washing use an old mitt and wipe off your wheels.
 
Why does Eagle One A2Z always get overlooked? Perhaps they should only sell online and hike up the price... lol

Wheel woolies and Eagle One A2Z have never failed me... if they do, some NAPA wheel brightener gets the job done (except on uncoated aluminum, DO NOT use it on uncoated aluminum and DO NOT do all four wheels then come back around, one wheel at a time.)
 
brownbob06- I once had a little sample bottle of the A2Z and it worked great on a new-to-me vehicle's nasty wheels. Never thought of it again as I don't need the potency, but I *thought* I heard it was reformulated and is now a lot milder...can you school me about it?
 
Mastercraft241 said:
You can send the wheels back and they will fix all four to new for $1,000. I actually traded my set in and got them chromed for $1,000 and they looked SICK.
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I've emailed DuraBrite & Chrysler/SRT and they advised me the coating can never be reapplied as it's done during the forging of the wheel, but your right for around $1000 I can have the wheels refinished / chrome plated.


DuraBrite also said not to use any wheel cleaners as they may cause the coating to fail (kinda got me nervous to use anything other than car soap and clay on them).


For now I just wash them weekly (car soap and water) and take them off for a clay and wax (Collinite 845) every 2-3 months.
 
Accumulator- honestly not sure, still works great for me, but if the reformulation was recent I wouldn't know and it would make a lot of sense. I recently ( last few months) was walking through my walmart when they had them on clearance for $2.00. I bought everything they had on the shelf and the next week bought everything back on the shelf from the restock.

Still worked great on both wheels and tires. But if they were on vlearance because the new formula was coming in that would explain why it still works for me.
 
4u2nvinmtl- I'd get tired of doing the wheels that often...I want 'em to stay nice enough that they only get redone every year at the most.
 
Accumulator said:
4u2nvinmtl- I'd get tired of doing the wheels that often...I want 'em to stay nice enough that they only get redone every year at the most.
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Well drag racing my SRT8 weekly (sometimes more) doesn't help, even with one of the lowest brake dust pads my wheels get caked/coated with brake dust weekly. Luckily thanks to that DuraBrite coating the brake dust washes off very easily just a quick spray of water gets them looking clean again. I recently started packing a few microfibers and a spray bottle of ONR/UWWP so I can clean the race paint off my window and give the wheels a quick wipe down before leaving the track (the longer the paint and the dust sits the harder it is to clean).


I've also tried rim protectant's that claim to repel brake dust (did do that well) but caused my coating to start failing after a week (luckily I did a test spot first). That's what prompted me to contact SRT/Chrysler/Alcoa/DuraBrite.


I gotta say when I get to the track I have one of the cleanest if not the cleanest ride there. It definitely turns heads and get endless compliments especially when people ask me to pop the hood and the whole engine bay is perfectly detailed. My favorite thing is when I see that glimmer in a kids eyes that I'm driving one of his dream cars!
 
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