The Detailing Hand Book

 

Nothing says “bling-bling” like really well detailed wheels and nothing detracts from bling-bling wheels like brown tires.  One of the most common car modifications is to put on aftermarket wheels.  It’s a shame to spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on aftermarket wheels and to have them constantly caked with brake dust or dulled by oxidation.

 

 

 

Keep in mind when detailing OEM S2000 wheels that they are painted.  No surfaces of the OEM wheel are bare metal even if they look to be.  So, treat your wheels as you would the paint on your car and never use metal polish on your OEM wheels.

 

 

 

Some wheel cleaners such as Meguiar’s Wheel Brightener and Poorboy’s Spray & Rinse are acid based meaning the active ingredient is some type of acid like citric acid, hydrofluoric acid, or ammonium bi-fluoride.  These types of cleaner are extremely powerful.  Professional strength cleaners such as these should only be used by those trained in their use as many of them are potentially hazardous to your health or to the finish of your wheels when used improperly.  These cleaners should be used only when absolutely necessary.

 

What you’ll need . . .

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• Water – you’ll need a water source with a hose and a spray nozzle attached.

• Assorted wheel brushes – Griot’s Garage Wheel Scrubbers and the Meguiar’s Wheel Face Versa-Angle Brush are both great wheel brushes.  Alternatives to these brushes include old toothbrushes or a parts cleaning brush.  Be sure when choosing a brush that it is gentle enough not to scratch paint.  Almost all wheels are at least painted with a clear coat so abrasive brushes will create scratches in the finish.

• Tire brush – Some detailers use a nylon bristled tire brush while others use a brass bristled tire brush.  Both types of brush work well, but if you’re using a brass bristled brush be careful around the edge of the wheel or the brush will scratch the wheels.

• Wheel cleaner – Meguiar’s Wheel Brightener is an extremely powerful acid based cleaner which works well on clear coated and chromed wheels.  Acid based wheel cleaners should not be used on polished wheels.  P21S Wheel Cleaner Gel, Menzerna Wheel Cleaner, and Detailer’s Pride Wheel & Tire Cleaner are excellent wheel cleaners suitable for all types of wheels.  Alternatively, well detailed wheels can be cleaned with car wash solution.

• Wheel sealant – a sealant with cleaners in it is most suitable for sealing wheels as it will polish the wheel at the same time.  Wheel Wax is a very good wheel sealant and Klasse All-in-One Polish is also very popular.  Poorboy’s Wheel Sealant and Detailer’s Pride Wheel Glaze also are highly recommended.  If you’re wheels have a polished finish then a metal polish should be applied to the wheel prior to sealing.

• Wheel sealant applicator – applying your wheel sealant using a Mother’s Mini Powerball will save you some time.  Application of wheel sealant can also be done with a foam wax applicator, a folded microfiber towel, or a microfiber applicator.

• Tire cleaner – Meguiar’s Safe D-Greaser does an excellent job cleaning tires without turning the rubber grey or brown.  Whestley’s Bleche-White Tire Cleaner also does an excellent job and so does Detailer’s Pride Wheel & Tire Cleaner.

• Tire dressing – your choice of tire dressing.  Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel is highly recommended and can be had in either high gloss or a matte version.

• Tire dressing applicator – Eagle One Tire Swipes are excellent for applying an even coat of tire dressing to your tires.  Alternatively, you could use an old towel or a foam wax applicator.

• Microfiber towels – cheap microfiber towels from a wholesale club like Costco are a great tool for wheel detailing.  They’re cheap enough so that you won’t mind getting them really dirty, but they are absorbent and soft like more expensive microfiber towels.  Make sure they are clean and that all tags have been removed before use.

• Cotton towels – cotton towels were once a staple of the detailing arsenal.  However, they have been replaced by microfiber towels which are more absorbent and cause less scratching.  Most people have old towels around the house which are great for drying areas of the car like the tires where scratching is not a concern and which are really dirty.

• Rubber gloves – using rubber gloves will help to keep dirt and cleaning chemicals off your skin.