What's the Best Way to clean inside of rims?

[04MRADR]

:cool: I love my MM and it has 184 K on it and it runs like new. The only frustrating thing to me is trying to clean the pitting off the inside that goes around the rims but is especially bad behind the spokes. I've tried all kinds of waxes and cleaners over the years and last week used MeGuirer's Ultimate Compound but to no good. My neighbor has a Camaro and they get the rims sand blasted evry year and then polish them real good. Our wheels are aluminum as I recall. Any suggestions short of taking them to a wheen place and getting them refinished ?:cool:

[Timw286]

I have that same issue too, but car is in storage for the winter so it will have to wait. However, I was told here don't use anything on your rims you wouldn't use on your paint.

[guspech750]

I take my wheels off once a year and I just use simple green and steel wool to clean the back side of my rims.

I know, I know. Some peeps will say OMG steel wool. Nooooo. What ever. Christ. It's just the backside of the rims. BFD. They come out super clean. And I wipe the backsides down a couple of times during the year. And they look great.


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DTR + 4.10's + Eaton swap = Wreeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom

[Accumulator]

Meguiar's Wheel Brightener can pretty much work miracles, but you gotta be careful as it's nasty stuff. That, agitated with a soft ScotchBrite pad, oughta get things decent as long as they're not too far gone.

There are bristle brushes you can put on a Dremel to get even more aggressive (I wouldn't use the metal-bristle ones, if things are that bad I'd get 'em refinished).

If you do get them refinished, note that you usually have to tell them that you care as much about the back sides as you do about the faces.

Once they're clean, coating with something like Optimum's OptiCoat will make it easy to keep 'em that way. Mine have stayed nice for well over a year with that stuff on them, I just reach in there and give them a quick cleaning at every wash; regular car shampoo usually does the trick as nothing really sticks to OptiCoat. Very, very different from just using wax (though FinishKare's FK1000P will last a few months and is what I use on the wheels of the garage-queens).

[Blk Mamba]

I got tired of cleaning mine every few weeks, so I had the inside powder coated black, now it's no problem.

[guspech750]

I got tired of cleaning mine every few weeks, so I had the inside powder coated black, now it's no problem.

Nice!!!


Sent from my iPhone 4S

DTR + 4.10's + Eaton swap = Wreeeeeeeeeeeeeeedom

[tbone]

Soap, water, goof off or tar and bug remover, light sanding, prime and paint black ftw.

[boatmangc]

I use fine steel wool and CRC 6-56.
Then wash them with car shampoo and coat them. I have been using Zaino on them and it worked really well for the 6K or so miles I put on the car each year but this time around I tried Poorboys World wheel sealant, 3 coats as prescribed.
Then put 1000 miles on them through Sandy with new Wilwoods on the front.
They cleaned up easily with ONR. (Optimum No Rinse)
Time will tell.
With widened wheels I used the steel wool when I 1st got the car to give the added part a brushed finish like the rest of the wheel, even the welds.
Using CRC keeps the steel wool from rusting and leaving rusty particles on your wheels.

[Spectragod]

Soap & water, occasionally bug & tar remover, followed by a coat of wax.

[DOOM]

Soap & water, occasionally bug & tar remover, followed by a coat of wax.

This is basically what I do! My rims look brand new. And let me tell you those wilwoods make alot of dust!


http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad47/DOOMIE/DSC00167.jpg

http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad47/DOOMIE/1308d175.jpg

[blkZooM]

I used something that a member on Svtperformance put up on a thread about cleaning his wheels "eagle one aluminum wheel cleaner" was the name of what I used for the back of tire.

Completely dirty wheel
http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k622/blckrada/IMG_20120621_184220.jpg

Outer ring cleaned



http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k622/blckrada/IMG_20120621_184931.jpg

[blkZooM]

and this is it completely cleaned
http://i1119.photobucket.com/albums/k622/blckrada/IMG_20120621_190446.jpg forgot grit sandpaper also

[Mr. Man]

This is basically what I do! My rims look brand new. And let me tell you those wilwoods make alot of dust!


http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad47/DOOMIE/DSC00167.jpg

http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad47/DOOMIE/1308d175.jpgThought you bought new wheels each week for the car shows ;)

[hugojax]

I used some orange cleaner and bar keepers friend and one of those 2 sided scotch brite sponges and rinsed with water. Worked out pretty good.

[DOOM]

Thought you bought new wheels each week for the car shows ;)

No just tires! :burn: :burnout: :burnout:

[ctrlraven]

I clean mine when I take them off going from my summer to winter tires which will be this week so I'll probably brake out the Simple Green and brush on Friday.

[Curless]

We use Purple Power here at the shop, it works great! Just rinse really well so none stays in or around the beads.

[H_M_T_81]

Castrol Super Clean...period.

[Trevor M]

Easiest thing i do is rinse and clean the loose dirt, then take some mag/aluminum polish and a buffing wheel, rinse, dry, wax it and you are good to go for a while. Just some water every couple days in the summer and that will ride you of the loose dirt.

[Cobra25]

I clean mine when I take them off going from my summer to winter tires which will be this week so I'll probably brake out the Simple Green and brush on Friday.I also use Simple green and a thin soft bush . I do it on the car and rinse with a hose. Cleans up nicely on my car.