Wheel cleaning w/ brass brush. Good or Bad?
 

The wheels in question are the 14" phone dials. I was washing my car one day and decided to pay some special attention to the wheels. I found that no amount of scrubbing and sudsing would clean the crap off of these wheels.

http://webpages.charter.net/rotary/beforefull.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rotary/beforeclose1.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rotary/beforeclose2.jpg

So I took a brass brush a little bigger than a toothbrush, and brushed all the crap off and scrubbed some areas that had no black marks, but dingy anyway, and here is the result.

http://webpages.charter.net/rotary/afterfull.jpg
http://webpages.charter.net/rotary/afterclose.jpg

Would the brass brush scrape off any sort of protective finish off the wheel? I did this in May and it's now almost September and there is no sign of rust or anything bad, but Minnesota winters and salt can erode anything. Am I in danger this winter? I only performed this cleaning on one wheel.

Yes, any sort of metal brush can damage or remove the clear coat on wheels.

Icemark
So a brass brush wouldn't damage the aluminum wheels, but would remove clear coating. What should I do? Should I clean the other wheels in a similar fashion, and then spray a clear coat on them? What kind of clear coat? etc., etc.

Yeah I guess you could do that- but why don't you just get some wheel cleaner or even simple green???

and clear coat would just be clear automotive paint found at most auto parts stores.

or repaint them

I used simple green last June, they are just starting to show brake dust now. works really good.

I have a bottle of Simple green spray, (looks like green windex). Are you all saying that, that would be the best route to go? What would I use to scrap the crap off? Just a rag? Scouring Pad? Sponge? Thanks for the replies.

Yeah the "green windex", I used a green Scotch Brite pad. Works awesome.

What's a Scotch Brite Pad? Is it a Scouring pad? Brillo pad?

It's a thin green scouring pad. Looks kinda like mini-golf grass.

Use some simple green and coat the wheel after you've cleaned the tires. Go over the whole wheel with a firm brush(almost anything will do) and then rinse. Afterwards remove the rim and wax it with car wax. This prevents nasty buildup on the rims and when you do start to see brake dust, you can take a PAPER TOWEL and whipe it off and thats it! One coat of wax on my wheels has lasted me the whole summer!

I say hit them with the brass wheel and the drill. Whats the worst that can happen? They are 14' phone dials. The brass wheel will get all crap off and get them ready to polish. I would hit them and then paint them.

So once the wheels are cleaned with 'Simple Green' or 'Brass brush', I can just use car wax as sort of a clear coat? Or is there some sort of special wheel wax I should use. These rims are Aluminum correct?

I don't think I want to paint my rims or anything. Unless I have to with a clear coat of some sort. I want to keep my rims the color they are.

Please, no brass (or any metal) brushes or scotch-brite or brillo pads on your wheels unless you don't care about the clear-coat finish!

Use a nylon brush if you want to scrub harder!
The problem is that brake dust can "eat" into clear-coat finishes, and this is why it is very hard to get rid of some of the grim on the wheels.


-Ted

No metal brushes...wheel cleaners really tend to work on wheels with brake dust ON the surface, not baked into the surface.

For older stubborn wheels, try a solution of simple green and a terry cloth towel. A stiff toothbrush works well for the hard to reach areas. If you still have some staining, move to a solution of wheel acid like one that Eagle One offers. It should remove the staining and if used properly, won't harm the finish.

If wheel acid is used, you must be sure to neutralize the surface afterwards - simply scrub the wheels with a solution of any quality carwash as they are generally mild and PH balanced.

Coated wheels should be treated just like your paintwork for long lasting protection and ease of cleaning at the next wash. When all the grime is taken off your wheels, try the following for a nice finish:

-Clay will remove imbedded particles and smooth the surface
-Cleaner polish and sealant will remove oxidation and light marring (Klasse all-in-one, available @ Acura dealers)

When your car gets it's next wash, the brake dust will come off with just soap and water instantly.