Brock Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Am I the only one who thinks they spend more time cleaning alloy wheels on the motorhome than washing the van itself? I know alloy wheels save weight and I know of numerous other [debatable] claims for them. However, nobody seems to mention the negatives and keeping them looking good is one of those negatives. If you do make an effort with your alloy, I'd be interested in what you use. Currently I use an alloy cleaner from AutoBrite Direct which works but I find I have to either clean the wheels more frequently than I wash the van or spend more time on the wheels when giving the van a wash. Cleaning the shiny bit in the middle is easy, its cleaning the rims that is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesspark Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 sorry i have no positive answer but i am fed up also with trying to keep my alloys on car and m,h,clean, you cant beat the old days steel and discs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Now that Horace is the proud owner of some refurbished alloys B-) ......... I have discovered that brake dust is their bête noir *-) ......... So after every trip of consequence I find myself cleaning the alloys :-| ......... Progress eh? :D ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinlizzie Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 But they do look very pretty! My hubby uses Astonish alloy wheel cleaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithM Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 No connection with company in any way whatsoever. There may be other makes out there. https://www.kleenwheels.com/ should reduce the number of times they need cleaning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 I have never had any problem keeping alloy wheels clean and just use car shampoo and car wax every now and again. I have never used those wheel specialist cleaners. The trick is not to let brake dust and dirt build up so I clean the wheels every time I use the van. When on the road I use a spray waterless wash and wipe the wheels over. Takes minutes and keeps them looking like new. Do the same for my cars and in winter I often just wash the wheels not the body as this makes the car look cleaner than it really is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Tinlizzie - 2016-08-07 6:23 PM But they do look very pretty! My hubby uses Astonish alloy wheel cleaner. I was once told by a car designer that they have found that wheels are very important to make the car look attractive and help sales. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildebus Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Don636 - 2016-08-07 10:36 PM I have never had any problem keeping alloy wheels clean and just use car shampoo and car wax every now and again. I have never used those wheel specialist cleaners. The trick is not to let brake dust and dirt build up so I clean the wheels every time I use the van. When on the road I use a spray waterless wash and wipe the wheels over. Takes minutes and keeps them looking like new. Do the same for my cars and in winter I often just wash the wheels not the body as this makes the car look cleaner than it really is. And the reply above hits the nail on the head :-D If you have let the alloys slide a bit in terms of cleaning, then the specialist wheel cleaners can be very effective BUT they are also aggressive cleaners, so must not be allowed to dwell for long and should not be used on damaged (kerbed/scraped) wheels as they can promote additional corrosion, and never, ever on diamond cut or polished wheels 8-) FWIW, I usually use G101 from AutoSmart, diluted to either 5:1 or 10:1 on wheels - spray on, leave for a couple of minutes and wash off with hose and cloth. And maybe twice a year they are off and get a full clean and wax with collinite 476S wax which helps keep them clean - and easier to clean - for longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thewad Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 KeithM - 2016-08-07 8:36 PM No connection with company in any way whatsoever. There may be other makes out there. https://www.kleenwheels.com/ should reduce the number of times they need cleaning. Quite like the idea of these but am I the only one that can't find a uk site for them ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Usually the alloys on our previous IH cleaned fairly easily with whatever shampoo/wax wash I used but gradually stubborn black bits collected in the hard to get at areas and would not wash off. However, this also occurred on the Volvo but once, after a service at the Volvo dealership, I noticed they had washed the car and cleaned the wheels including the stubborn black bits so I asked the service guy what they use. He didn't give me a brand name but said they use a specialist alloy wheel cleaner that is corrosive and poisonous. He generously offered me a bottle full of the pinkish liquid but advised that I decant some into a jar and water it down to about 1:5 with water, apply using something like an old toothbrush and then wash off with clean water but always wear rubber gloves. It does work a treat but the Chausson doesn't have alloys and I have decided not to fit them either as the steel wheels with trims still look ok if kept nice. Only have to do the car wheels now. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 I've just spent far too long cleaning just the front wheels!....I hate them with a passion. This is the 2nd van we've had with them and will be the last.....never again. Life is far too short for cleaning bloody alloy wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMS Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Alloy wheels are too troublesome. Easily scratched and corroded, for a vehicle that generally has a lifespan of decades they are not really practical. The alloy wheels will often corrode at the bead no matter how they are cleaned/polished often giving the effect of a slow puncture. Bead corrosion can be overcome by wheel renovation, but this is not cheap compared to a wire brush and spray can of paint for a steel wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiseller Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 KeithM - 2016-08-07 8:36 PM No connection with company in any way whatsoever. There may be other makes out there. https://www.kleenwheels.com/ should reduce the number of times they need cleaning. Used this product or similar many years ago and seriously affected the brake cooling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithM Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Thewad - 2016-08-18 1:53 PM KeithM - 2016-08-07 8:36 PM No connection with company in any way whatsoever. There may be other makes out there. https://www.kleenwheels.com/ should reduce the number of times they need cleaning. Quite like the idea of these but am I the only one that can't find a uk site for them ? No I could not find one either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithM Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 audiseller - 2016-08-19 7:17 PM KeithM - 2016-08-07 8:36 PM No connection with company in any way whatsoever. There may be other makes out there. https://www.kleenwheels.com/ should reduce the number of times they need cleaning. Used this product or similar many years ago and seriously affected the brake cooling. Yes did some further research and found this mentioned. I did not recommend them, just a suggestion and perhaps naively expected people to do some research themselves. In future will try to make posts foolproof but idiot proof may be a little more difficult. ;-) :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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