sallydrive

I have the 07 IS250 with the factory clear coated silver rims. Include the rims over time has begun to collect baked on brake dust and dirt! I've tired using a wheel cleaner but it doesn't work.

Whats something else i can try? Simple Green? Steel Wool?

Any help would be appreciated!

jfelbab

Once a year I remove the wheels from the vehicle and do a thorough cleaning, polishing and sealing. I find this is a good time to inspect the tires and remove any embedded stones, look for cuts, and measure tread depth across each tire. If you are experiencing uneven tread wear you can have the suspension looked at before you ruin your of tires. If you do this, be sure to retighten the lugs using a torque wrench and take a spin and recheck the torque settings.

Once cleaned and sealed, the wheels are relatively easy to keep clean by using car wash soap and a wheel brush like this one:
.
This brush has a wire frame that is bendable so you can get behind the spokes. Using stronger wheel cleaners would compromise the sealant so I don't use them.

Brian@Vossen

Good post!, or put the car on some ramps and clean it that way. That is one advantage of the CV3 wheel we sell, its such an open design you can clean the entire wheel from the outside.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

Gorgeous wheels Mike....

wyee99

iTrader: (6)

^^ looks so clean!!

eyezack87

iTrader: (4)

I'd actually recommend the Wheel Woolies instead since they don't splatter at all unlike the one Jim posted. Here is my review on them:

Review: Cleaning Rims w/Wheel Woolies

detailersdomain

iTrader: (3)

here you go.

EZ detail brush
Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner

It would be good to throw a good wheel sealant on them as well, this will reduce the cleaning time and protect the wheels.

Jetfire

iTrader: (3)

I myself use the ez detail brush but according to eyezack's review, the wheel woolie is the brush to get for cleaning the inner barrels.

i also take the wheels off once a year for a thorough cleaning and coating with sealant on the inner barrels. there's less brake dust build up that way.

LexyISF

Do not use steel wool! Don't use anything that will scratch them up!

For the initial clean, I find it is easier to remove the wheels off the car to clean them properly. Use a good wheel cleaner like the Sonax extreme or P21S wheel gel as directed, and you'll have sparkling clean wheels very easily!

Use a sealant on them once clean, it gives them a non-stick effect to keep them cleaner, and make cleaning far more easier afterwards. I'm using a glass coating on mine, C.Quartz. I highly recommend!

After they have been coated/sealed, you just have to use car shampoo to clean them! The brake dust that manages to stick, comes off extremely easily!

sallydrive

I tried using a wheel cleaner, doesn't work? Any other ideas?

And I was thinking about a wax, but wax will just melt off after 5 minutes due to the heat in there..So can a synthetic wax be applied, like Meguires Ultimate Wax? Topped by rainx?

LexyISF

Get hold of some Iron-X. YouTube it for an idea what it does. Might take multiple hits if your wheels have never been cleaned before, or in real bad shape. If you have black spots on your rims as well, that is in most instances tar. You can remove this with a rag soaked in white or mineral spirits, gently rubbed over until the tar dissolves and disappears.

Durable wheel waxes/sealants to look at are any of the Collinites, FK1000P, and any of the coatings like C.Quartz and Opti-Coat 2.0. Coatings will last eons longer. Your megs ultimate wax will work, but don't put anything else over the top. IIRC it's a sealant.

jfelbab

Baked on brake dust can often be difficult to remove. The strongest wheel cleaner I've used is Meguiars Wheel Brightner Concentrate. It is made for professionals and is a bit hazardous. It needs to be used with gloves, goggles and adequate ventilation. It cuts through stubborn brake dust like a hot knife through butter.

AMGWNAB

It's not that difficult to take them off...

-Will

HAYSTACK

^This

User 41924

I would sure trust Phil on this one!!! I'm thinking he's cleaned his share of wheels and knows what works!