I want to clean up my alloys. They have minor brake dust which is proving a pain to remove.....

Bought some wonder wheel cleaner from Halfords today but a friend has just warned me not to use it... Very toxic I've been told!!

Anyone used it?

What advice do you have for me?

Finally should i coat the wheels in wax after they are clean?

 

Well, you're not gonna drink it!

It's a tad acidic, I understand. So wash it off very promptly & yes, wax the wheels.

Next time, I'd recommend P21S. Amazingly effective and less tart.

I use Poorboy's wheel sealant, as a specific wheel wax.

 

It's quite effective, but I was warned off it for the reason Nick gives, about it being very acidic. So, yeah, rinse it off quick.

Or, alternatively, drink it, go blind, and not have to look at your dirty wheels anymore.

 

Next time get Meguiars Wheel Brightener. Comes in a big bottle, dilutes 4:1, and lasts forever. Very effective despite not being as acidic...

 

It is a tad caustic, but if you get it off quickly as suggested then it will be fine - always worth trying a small area with products like this first to be sure they won't damage.

RE the waxing, be careful with 'standard' car waxes on wheels, they tend to not last too long on the wheels themselves, as Nick does use a specific wheel sealant rather than a wax. Or use a very hard wearing, heat resistant wax like Collinite Insulator Wax #845 (designed for electrical pylons)

 

Can't remember the product but I once used wheel cleaner on the alloys of my old FTO and didn't rinse enough after - within a month I had large bits of lacur peeling off.

 

Clearcoated or chromed wheels: Do not use wheel cleaners!

I'm not sure what you're actually supposed to do. Drvie round with black wheels, I suppose.

 

Thanks for all the info...

I will apply it spoke by spoke and rinse continuously.

As for the 'Poorboy's wheel sealant'.... I've just put an order in for it!!

I will post some images with my results in a couple of days!

 

I've used wonder wheels a number of times with no detectable effect (other than removing brake dust!). I always work in and then rinse within a couple of minutes.

I once waxed a wheel with Collinite but I did not think that it either kept the wheel cleaner or made it easier to clean the next time.

 

I used to use WW on my 172 Clio wheels, which I believe were de-branded OZ Superleggera, powdercoated silver and it did a right good job too, with no corrosion problems. I am a big believer in the stuff and would recommend it for use on any powder coated or properly sealed rims...

BUT

I would really not reccommend using the stuff on the S2000. A very good friend of mine used to work as an independant valeter and was sub-contracted to the Honda dealer in Leicester. He was the one that introduced me to Wonder Wheels and hence he had loads of the stuff in his kit. He used it on an S2000 (pre 04) and completely knackered the alloys. Ultimately, he managed to dodge his way out of paying for his mistake, but the moral of the story is DON'T RISK IT!

Wonder Wheels is pretty concentrated Nitric acid (IIRC) and as such will chew through alloy wheels at a rate of knots. The design of the pre '04 alloy wheels is such that the thin lacquer is prone to small scratches/splits along the sharp edges of the spokes. This will allow the acid in and even v thorough rinsing will not get all of it out again. The acid that is trappped will either eat the wheels on its own, or will act as a better electrolyte than salt water in the formation of a galvanic cell (think GCSE chemistry). The area between lacquer and metal is perfect territory for crevice corrosion, evident as those powdery worm trails under the lacquer.

*IF* your lacquer is in *PERFECT* condition, Wonder Wheels will be fine. Even if not, you will probably get away with having used it once or twice. My best advice to you is to use the rest of the bottle to clean your patio or your barbecue and go buy one of the products recommended above. For now, I have ditched my bottle of the stuff and am just using the same car shampoo as I do on the rest of the car, using brake & clutch cleaning fluid (degreaser) to remove really stubborn brake dust residue.

Basically, my alloys are already a bit knackered and I am toying with the idea of having them blasted, blended and powder coated. There are a couple of threads out there comparing different firms, but I am somewhat strapped for cash ATM, due to my other gas guzzler project...