tips on cleaning rims????

[BMWjunkie]

have a 87 325is with the spoke type bmw rims. anyone have any tips on cleaning them (other than a soapy toothbrush!!!!),,,,and more importantly keeping them clean and free of brake dust. on my Q45 the rims are much easier to clean and i always put a coat of wax on them to keep the dust from sticking. the bmw rims would be a nightmare to wax!!!!!!
thanks! :)

[e6figueroa]

hey, i use my motorcycle wax on my rims to help keep brake dust off. go to any bike shop (hopefully bemmer or ducati) and ask for the sray wax. works wonders on my baby

[BMWjunkie]

do you have to buff it out, or just spray on??????

[Alex Baumann]

I'm moving this to the Detailing Forum.

Search the forum here, there are great tips and product recommandations :)

[TOGWT]

1. Road dirt / Tar should be removed with a solvent type cleaner and any bonded contaminants or over spray removed with Detailer's Clay, then clean surface with a chemical cleaner / polish (Klasse All-In-One) wash and dry wheel surface thoroughly.

2. Once the brake dust has been removed with a 100% acid-free wheel cleaner (P21S Wheel Cleaner) apply a citrus based cleaner (P21S Total Auto Wash) to the surface, agitate with a boar’s hair wheel brush and rinse off, dry thoroughly and then apply a polymer sealant for protection, this will also make future cleaning easier. A polymer is recommended (Klasse All-In-One or Zoopseal) as it has a higher melting temperature (350oF) compared to Carnauba wax (180oF) a wheel surface will reach a temperature in excess of 120oF due to rotor friction and in excess of 195oF when parked in the sun.

3. Stubborn brake dust- Power Wheel Cleaner (http://www.topoftheline.com/) even though it does not contain harsh acids, it dissolves the adhesive that is mixed with the brake dust. (This is why brake dust is so difficult to remove.) Just spray on wheels and tires, agitate with brush if needed, and hose-off. Don't worry if you accidentally spray your vehicle's body, it will not harm the paint.

Periodically remove the wheels (one at a time) to enable the back of the wheel, callipers and give better access to the wheel wells. Should the wheel surface have small scratches they can he removed with a mildly abrasive polish. The inner rims are usually unfinished aluminium, remove any road tar with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and then use detailer’s clay to remove any surface / imbedded contaminates. Dependant upon there condition clean with P21S Total Auto Wash and then spray P21S Wheel Cleaner (Regular or Gel) (http://www.autogeek.net) allow to dwell for five to ten minutes (5-10) and then use a stream of clean water to remove residue. If this doesn’t remove the imbedded brake dust (sequestered brake dust will etch aluminium over time) the surface will need to be levelled using fine grade (3000/2500/2000) sandpaper.

There are special brushes made to remove/ buff wax/sealant from wheel surfaces. If you use a spray on wax without buffing you'll leave a sticky surface for the brake dust to adhere to.
JonM