Wonder Wheels - Yay or Nay?

[crockers]

And no I do not have a dish washer.

I tried but couldnt get mine in the dish washer.....

 

[vijilants]

Just bloody heavy.

And so damn awkward.......its a real pain to line up the bolt holes on Merc wheels whilst trying to hold the heavy wheel in position and getting a bolt through a recessed hole.

Surely they could have made the task easier

 

[television]

They have made it easy by giving you the screw. Just screw in the the hub and the wheel slides onto it,,its in the tool kit

Thats the alli peg with a thread on the end

 

[jaymanek]

i agree that wonder wheels can mark and corrode wheels... i wouldnt go near polished rims with the stuff.. but on normal painted wheels its fine to shift stubborn marks once in a while..

 

[tromppost]

I have BLACK areas of dust/tar etc stuck solid to the inner of my alloys. Previous owner didn't show any love for them

Fortunately, I'm giving the car some TLC, it's appearance improving all the time. Just got some dark grey leather Dye to help with the scuff areas too inside.

My attention will turn to the alloys. Had a search through the threads, but there are approximately a gazillion.

Try Autoglym alloy wheel cleaner (the new one in the blue bottle no acid) and Autoglym tar remover or WD40 for the tar spots. Let them soak for a few mins.

 

[nigel cross]

Try this site for Meguiars Wheel
It comes in a US gallon and costs £17.99,but you dilute it 10:1
Its a UK site good for all detailing work on your car, post and packaging not too bad too.
http://www.elitecarcare.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=25_30&products_id=251

 

[Wezzel]

I agree with Jaymanek. Don't use it more than you have to. Maybe just once or twice a year and don't leave it on for more than a minute or so.

When the wheels are clean give them several coats of wheel wax for protection. I have EBC pads which don't make so much dust but I will probably still have to give them a quick squirt of wonder wheels as part of the big spring clean and polish.

Incidentally, I often wonder what stuff the Polish boys use at the local car wash. They always squirt the wheels with some sort of acid before washing.

 

[RichardM]

I've found that using the Autoglym wheel protector stuff occasionally then means the brake dust comes off really easily with a sponge, but they do get washed every weekend.

 

[Chris_J]

Just wash them weekly/ every other week and they'll be fine. I like wheel wax or some paint sealant on my wheels.

Claying is supposed to help with a lot too, but I've found it hard work on thos little bits that won't shift.

I wouldn't used Wonder Wheels if you have any little nicks in the paint on your wheels. This stuff is meant to be excellent http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/autosmart-tardis-clean.html

A lot of people suggest doing the wheels first, as you may spray the mucky water from the wheels onto the clean paint, which you would then need to wash off again and remove the contaminants.

 

[Flash]

Wonder Wheels is awful stuff!

It damaged and ruined a set of alloys on my S Class and made the wheel nuts rust and this was only from very moderate use!

Trick is to always regularly wash your alloys once a week with shampoo and apply apply wax on them every now and then and that way brake dust does not bake and tar does not stick.

If funds let you then you may as well go for a full professional refurb and then give your alloys all the TLC.

 

[peppernick]

I use Wonder Wheels only to shift stubborn dirt and grime (ie. after purchansing a set of used wheels for example). I don't advise to use it on a regular basis.

Make sure you irrigate the wheel with plenty of water to get rid of the potent chemical, especially 2-piece wheels where the chemical can remain inside the seams and cause corrosion.

 

[Roger Jones]

If you're nervous about using any of the popular products, first consider how nervous the manufacturers would be if they were faced with claim after claim for damage; then simply dilute the stuff and perhaps clean the wheels a bit more frequently. It helps for start off with a good dose of warm water too. Seems to me that wheel-cleaning products are formulated specifically to clean wheels, and if they don't do that properly then they won't sell.

Also, I wonder about this "acid is bad, alkali is good" thing. Don't dip your finger in an undiluted alkali. Perhaps the new Autoglym alkali wheel cleaner is more of a response to the public's perception of acid vs alkali rather than chemical reality. But I'm on thin ground here and would welcome any well informed views.