[cosimo]

For all the Speedline, Fikse type wheel owners. How do you clean your wheels?

Washed car yesterday, I have Fikse FM10s and have not found a method or cleaner that gets rid of all the brake dust. I use Armor All Wheel Cleaner, 3 different kinds of brushes (including toothbrush). I still can't get all the brake dust out of the nook and crannies (technical term). Is there a "secret" method or solvent out there? I love the Fikse's and just want to get them totally clean.

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[flash]

are they clear coated or just polished?

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[cosimo]

Clearcoat. I use 3M polishing compound or 3M Hand Glaze to get all the brake dust residue off, then Rejex. It's the brake dust in the nooks and crannies when doing a "routine" wash that drives me crazy. Also getting the polished lug nuts clean. Thought about using lacquer thinner. I would test it first on an inconspicuous spot but that stuff is a great solvent.

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[Greimann]

Brake dust is most effectively removed by products that are on the acidic side of the pH scale. Most clear coats can defend against this kind of product because they are essentially plastic and plastics are unaffected by acid. The problem is where you have bare metal or plated metals. The get attacked real fast.



Lacquer thinner might work on metals pretty well, but keep it away from clear coats!



An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Try Metal Master brake pads. No dust.

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[flash]

this stuff drives me crazy too - i end up removing my wheels every couple of weeks to get it right



ok - none of the following are for polished or bare metals



clear coat is like paint - you can use pretty much anything you would use on paint



simple green isn't bad - try it diluted first



p21s is really good, but the most caustic i've used, so i would go there as a last resort



WD-40 is also a pretty good solvent, but you will ahve a hard time getting it all out of there afterward (works great for making hamburgers look good on camera too)



once you are done with whatever you use, rinse thorougly - leftover chemicals will leave white residue



once you are done, rejex the crap out of the wheels - let the rejex stand for at least 15 minutes before polishing it off



then, a good car soap, like mcguiers, will remove the brake dust in subsequent washes, assuming you don't let it build up too much don't use dish soap or anything like that though - it will strip the rejex right off

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[RPM]

A 928 nut I know - whose 91 GT is immaculate at 150k and won the Parade Preservation top award two years ago - tells me he waxes his rims and as a result the dust comes off quite easily. I keep meaning to do this...

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[sasilverbullet]

I do the same, once a month or so I pull them off and re-wax with NXT. VERY easy to keep clean with the wax on it. And each wash I clean them thoroughly.

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[flash]

note to those who want to do this level of cleaning:



get new lugnuts if you are still using the original aluminum ones - spinning those things on and off a dozen times a year is very hard on the threads - they really aren't up to that task - they lose their ability to hold torque after a while - that's also why they aren't allowed in racing

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[cosimo]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I probably have not done a good job when I have applied the Rejex. I usually do the surface areas and not gotten in the nooks and crannies (now I feel like having an english muffin). So, I will try the lacquer thinner for now to get them dust free and spend the good part of a day waxing them. Heck, I'm retired anyway. I do use McQuiars car wash soap. I've found Armor All product better than P21, I guess more caustic. Next set of pads will be Metal MAsters. Anyone tried Wenol. I bought some but the label says not to use on anodized aluminum. I believe that's the base for the Fikse's.

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[94SilverCab]

Where does this group stand on Pressure washing?...especially after first getting rid of the heavy dirt with a basic wheel cleaner.



Jay

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[flash]

ok - whoa - if those wheels are anodized, all bets are off - any cleaners will affect anodizing - hre was very clear with me on this when i got mine



i am not a fan of thinner on clear coat - i have had the surface end up altered, as the thinnner worked into the clear - after all, it is designed to break down paint



on pressure washing, i do it all the time - however, closely inspect the areas for any signs of peeling or flaking - pressure washing will grab those and tear away

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[GuardsRedCoupe]

While we're on it, what's the best cleaning procedure for stock wheels? I have the C2 5-spoke wheels, and they've got some tough grime on them. Sorry, I don't know enough about these wheels to make the judgement. They don't have a clearcoat, do they?

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[Greimann]

[quote name='GuardsRedCoupe' date='Mar 11 2006, 06:17 AM']... They don't have a clearcoat, do they?

[right][post="17198"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

Yes they do have a clearcoat. All painted wheels and most polished wheels have clearcoat, which is really just another paint layer. Use a product that says it is compatible with painted wheels.

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[Dave]

Be really careful here. Fikse is pretty specific on cleaning. For example, they note that even on their clear-coated wheels the rims are usually just polished (no clear-coat).



Here's the link to their cleaning tips: http://www.fikse.com/wheelcare.html



Fikse can tell you the EXACT finish on your wheels if you call or write them with the S/N's on each of the 4 wheels.



I have black Mach V's and found that they are anodized centers AND anodized rims. In my case, all the products mentioned above are bad, bad, bad for the wheels.



I've been doing the "Simple Green & Agitate" method they recommend and never can/should let wax get anywhere near them.



Just my 2 cents, hope this helps.

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[cosimo]

So, Dave are you saying DO NOT wax Fikse wheels?

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[Mark]

From Dave's link to Fiske's instructions

Fifth, once your wheels are clean and dry, you may apply a very light coat of highest-grade wax to the wheels to help protect them between cleanings.

I'm actually surprised they use simple green as I find it to be too strong even diluted. I wonder if they changed the formula.



I use Griot's Wheel Cleaner, not cheap but seems to do a good job and seems fairly gentle. I then coat my wheels with Klasse All-in-One (similar to Rejex). I would not use a Carnauba Wax as it would wear off fairly quickly due to the heat.

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[cosimo]

Whew, I thought I might have been doing something wrong. They (Fikses) are too expensive to screw up. Anyway, tried lacquer on one wheel today and it got rid of all the acumlated brake dust and didn't affect the finish. I did small areas and wiped of the residue with a clean part of the rag. So, I'll clean them all up and put on a coat of Rejex.

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[Dave]

So, Dave are you saying DO NOT wax Fikse wheels?

No, just make sure you SHOULD wax them, depending upon finish. On my anodized wheels, no waxing is allowed per my conversation with the Fikse folks.

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[Jason Judd]

So, I just got a set of BBS monoblock forged magnesium race wheels for my car...Lightest rims I've EVER lifted in my life.



I got a deal from a Grand-Am team that couldn't use them on their Cup Car because of some rule they overlooked...9 X 18 and 11 X 18.



How they heck do I keep these clean...Wax-on, Wax-off...Rejex?



Jason

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[flash]

magnesium is great stuff - very light - VERY brittle - i believe that most classes limit use to 2 years, and require stickers on them though



cleaning follows the same procedures as other wheels - are they painted, clear coated, raw, etc?



as i remember though, raw magnesium oxidizes fast



lol - once you crack one or whatever, you can have a very nice little bonfire with them - magnesium burns great



they sure make the car go fast though

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