cleaning wheels

[robertd33]

evidently the previous owner didn't think you needed to clean the inside of the wheels. took me 3 hours each. got the rears cleaned today, hope to do the fronts tomorrow.

ended up using a wheel cleaner & green dishwashing scotch-brite pad. tried 7 different chemicals rubbing with a rag & none worked. applied a heavy coat of wax afterward. don't want to do this again anytime soon!

[paris1]

Always looks better when you take the time to do that. I have to admit, I don't do it often enough. Those damned calipers get in the way! BTW, you need to post smaller pics.

[robertd33]

Originally Posted by paris1

Always looks better when you take the time to do that. I have to admit, I don't do it often enough. Those damned calipers get in the way! BTW, you need to post smaller pics.

looks ok to me. get a bigger monitor

[robertd33]

fronts done today... this sucked.
but does look tons better!

[sjeupie]

The fun gets even better with style 293 rims.... :\
Btw, I noticed my rear wheels get dirty much faster than the fronts. Remarkable since my understanding of basic physics would make the front brakes work harder...? You guys got that too?
Could be that there are different pads mounted at the rear, that the rear is set up to brake harder to balance for the front, that traction control kicks in continuosly....but it al seems a bit odd to me?

[jts1981]

The rear get a lot if dust due to the e-diff which pretty much applies brake to one wheel to maintain traction, as opposed to traditional mechanical different which use clutch packs or gears.

In fact I had my rear pads replaced not too long ago, but the fronts are still original...

[porshah]

Nice job! It is a pain in the ass, but cleaning them well each time you wash the car is a big help. I use wheel woolies (different sizes) to reach all the way through. Usually about twice a year I completely remove them and clean them on the inside as well, and then a coat of Wheel Wax.

[Tangent]

Originally Posted by sjeupie

The fun gets even better with style 293 rims.... :\
Btw, I noticed my rear wheels get dirty much faster than the fronts. Remarkable since my understanding of basic physics would make the front brakes work harder...? You guys got that too?
Could be that there are different pads mounted at the rear, that the rear is set up to brake harder to balance for the front, that traction control kicks in continuosly....but it al seems a bit odd to me?

I'd guess you're right about the pads. A few years ago I installed a set of ceramic front pads on my 330i and left OE on the rear. It pretty much only gets the rear wheels dirty at all now...

[yt851128]

for some reason, on the rear pads, there arent any ceramic ones for sale from the auto part store. only the semi metalic ones which are more expensive then the front ceramic ones. (I changed the pads myself)


as to cleaning, it would kill me to go through it like you did. too lazy to do it.
but i have the wheels off and plasti-dipped them in carbon black color. so it doesnt really show that it is covered by brake dust.
you should try it too. if dont like it, it peels right off.

[Raf83]

wish i had a pressure washer, doing it by hand is a weekly job tedious and time consuming

[fmorelli]

Pressure washer won't help - tar has high adhesion. I would not use any form of abrasive pad. The finish on factory BMW wheels are already pretty thin.

• Use a tooth brush on the face, and a fingernail brush on the back. Nothing more aggressive. Remember, brushes work because of their bristle tips, so use gently - don't deform the bristles by pushing the brush like it is a scraper.
• To dissolve the tar, buy some Naphtha, which is what is used to prep cars prior to painting. Naphtha will not damage paint, and will dissolve the tar.
  

  [Any sticky tar or bugs on the body, you can safely wipe with Naphtha. In fact, take a clean paper towel with a bit of Naphtha and wipe the rocker and body panel area behind the wheels - bet it doesn't come back clean :-) (make sure you wax after using Naphtha on any surface, as it removes wax and any other protectant). BTW on the body you can use the same gentle brushes for stubborn tar or bugs.]

• Alternatively Kerosene.
• If you have stubborn stuff, make a small paper towel pad, soak it, and sit it on the spot for a while. It will all soften and clean to new.
• Though more expensive in aerosol cans, if you can't get the above at a box store, Bug & Tar Remover will do about the same.

Obviously a coat of wax will help abate adhesion for some time after. Unfortunately the stock wheels "show through" so really the insides need cleaning. My 35i came with M-sport wheels (not 35is) and thankfully could be simply cleaned on the car, as they had not been abused. But they are in the garage now with PSS tires as I contemplate selling them.

Filippo

[kosd]

+1 on the wheel woolies. They really help get the inside of the wheels while on the vehicle. I have tried all kinds of wheel tools and the best combo I have found is a boars hair brush for the wheel face and the wheel woolies for the inside.

Still need to take them off periodically though for a deep clean.