Photo by Zach McGovern from Ask-a-Pro article: 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat – New Car Prep: Factory Sanding Marks, Scratches, Swirls
Wheels and tires can drastically change the appearance of any vehicle. No one likes to see beautiful paint with uncared for wheels and tires! Having wheels covered in brake dust or tires brown from improper care are complete eyesores and can take away from the overall look of your vehicle. If these areas are cared for and look brand new, can turn heads and really take your vehicle to the next level. Below are some quick recommendations on some cleaners, protectants and brushes to help you easily tackle wheel and tire care!
- Sonax Wheel Cleaner Full Effect – Easy to use, changes colors and removes a great deal of dirt, grime and brake dust.
- Meguiars D143 – Quickly removes oils and dirt from tires with the help of the Tuff Shine tire brush that has the perfect density and stiffness of bristles.
- Wheel Woolies are hands down the safest and easiest way to clean wheel barrels. No back spray and holds a lot of water for optimal lubrication on delicate finishes.
- Gyeon Tar is truly amazing. I’ve seen that product work wonders for me.
- Sonax Full Effect has been a favorite of mine for years. I recommend it to my customers as it makes it easy for them to clean wheels.
- Tires – I like the combination of the Tuf Shine Tire Brush and Gyeon Tire Cleaner. I spray the cleaner somewhat liberally over a wet tire. I like to wait 15 seconds than mildly massage the tire with the brush for entire coverage and agitation. Usually, after about 30 more seconds I will scrub and rinse.
- Wheels – I like the DI Boars Hair Brush for lug nuts and strongly bonded dirt. In addition Wheel Woolies are my workhorse for wheels. I will pair them with various all-purpose cleaners and sometimes iron removers. The all-purpose cleaner I have been using most frequently has been Gtechniq W5 Citrus All Purpose Cleaner.
- CarPro Iron X or similar for very dirty wheels or just a simple APC for maintenance washes on wheels that are coated.
- For tires, I use Tuf Shine Concentrate mixed at 1:1 which works great. As with most of the other guys Wheels Woolies are my workhorse for cleaning wheels.
- Gtechniq T2 Tyre Dressing is an easy to apply, durable product formulated to not sling. Tyre produces a satin finish as opposed to other glossy and greasy tire dressings.