# Advice to clean inside wheel



## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

I've just swapped my wheels to a winter set so thought I'd take the opportunity to give the wheel a thorough clean. I'm struggling to get the inside clean. I've use iron x, clay, but can't seem to get them clean. The main visible side is spot on.

Any suggestions


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## Puglife (Nov 6, 2015)

The brake dust may have just eaten into the finish, judging by your picture it's an s/x-type so wheels are probably not that new? I don't mean that in a rude way, just if they've not been maintained on the barrel before now it could be too late. 

I've always found the combination you've tried to have sorted my cars out 

Sorry I'm not of more help!


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

That looks really baked on, try Meguire's wheel brightener also Tardis.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Iron x on its own won't do much chum. You will need a strong dedicated alloy wheel cleaner and separate tar remover. 

Start with autosmart Smart Wheels or Malco brake off. If you need something stronger try treble x by autosmart. Great stuff. 

Then hit them with tardis to remove tar, and then iron x to remove iron particles. 

That'll make a world of a difference. Be patient as it will take a bit of work. 

Good luck and don't forget to post some pics when you're doing them. 

Cooks


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## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

Thanks for the replies so far.



Puglife said:


> The brake dust may have just eaten into the finish, judging by your picture it's an s/x-type so wheels are probably not that new? I don't mean that in a rude way, just if they've not been maintained on the barrel before now it could be too late.
> 
> I've always found the combination you've tried to have sorted my cars out
> 
> Sorry I'm not of more help!


I sold that car not so long back. Haven't updated my profile pic.



Cookies said:


> Iron x on its own won't do much chum. You will need a strong dedicated alloy wheel cleaner and separate tar remover.
> 
> Start with autosmart Smart Wheels or Malco brake off. If you need something stronger try treble x by autosmart. Great stuff.
> 
> ...


Looks like I should get tar remover and a dedicated wheel cleaner then, thanks.



Soul boy 68 said:


> That looks really baked on, try Meguire's wheel brightener also Tardis.
> View attachment 44836


It does, although the wheels were apparently re-furbished a few months back when I purchased the car, so I'm hoping it's not. Probably had no protection on them though.


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## bradleymarky (Nov 29, 2013)

KKD brakeaway could be a good shout


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## Hufty (Apr 27, 2015)

Soul boy 68 said:


> That looks really baked on, try Meguire's wheel brightener also Tardis.
> 
> View attachment 44836


+1 had same issue recently and Megs sorted it, rapid :thumb:


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## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

Hufty said:


> +1 had same issue recently and Megs sorted it, rapid :thumb:


Would Megs hot rims do the same thing or not as tough?


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## kabs (Apr 14, 2014)

It's the same story barrels hardly get the proper attention. Bought a set of cheap alloys, as they were slightly bubbling already and the intention was to give it a diy respray I went straight to Asda's oven cleaner, cheap and quick didn't seem to have any adverse effects.
Possibly a last resort for you as it would be an aggressive solution. Unless your alloys are fairly valuable you can go through a lot of product to see little result. Go with the advice already given then if still not working try the oven cleaner.


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## Hufty (Apr 27, 2015)

natjag said:


> Would Megs hot rims do the same thing or not as tough?


Never tried hot rims but the wheel brightener is up there with the powerful products not recommended you use every week. Just deep cleans, I was stuck with tar spots that tar X was not shifting but Megs just wiped them away.


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## Sp3no (Jan 4, 2009)

I have always found for really stubbon muck rubbing compound to be very good for the inside of wheels :doublesho


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## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

After an hour and half using bilberry wheel cleaner neat. Stopped for a few reason, one being the spray head stopped working. This is the best I've managed so far. I'm confident those tar spots will come off just fine with tar remover. Still struggling to get the wheel clean. Still got all 4 to do.


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## Hufty (Apr 27, 2015)

Soul boy 68 said:


> That looks really baked on, try Meguire's wheel brightener also Tardis.
> 
> View attachment 44836


+1 for Megs wheel brightener aggressive but effective:thumb:


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## captaintomo (Nov 20, 2014)

Try WD40


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## BaileyA3 (Jun 14, 2015)

I'm sure I read somewhere in the past week that someone removed marks like this using a magic sponge.


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

I always keep some Wonder Wheels in store for manky old alloys. It is terrific stuff and cheap as chips.


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## DrH (Oct 25, 2015)

I got some rusty marks off my alloy barrels with a magic eraser. They are 99p from B&M or 2 for £3 from Tescos. My Alloys were not that bad though but for the price worth a cheap shot


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## REVERSiN (Sep 28, 2015)

To be honest i jad my wheel look that way it seemed the wheel barrel hasnt been cleaned since day one which was an 06. I can recommend one thing depends on finish you seek but i say it works great.

Use a scotch brite and soak the wheel with a wheel cleaner or a degreaser. Scrub it back and forth it will be clean but as you might want them bling and not just clean you will have to compound them later on. 
Its either that or a respray your choice it is a long hard job and time consuming results are will great


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## robinh112 (Sep 2, 2014)

GleemSpray said:


> I always keep some Wonder Wheels in store for manky old alloys. It is terrific stuff and cheap as chips.


+1 as much as its hated on here it does well at cleaning really bad wheels


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## chefy (May 9, 2011)

Sonax Xtreme - and a stiff nylon bristle brush, I found one in Lakeland about a year and a half ago, Sonax did a far better job than Bilberry - not knocking Bilberry BTW ! but on really stubborn baked on sh1t like that I found a strong Sonax mix, IE - not too diluted, did it for me.


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## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

Thanks guys, I think I'll give sonax a try. I would go for the Meguiars wheel brightner, but don't really want a huge bottle of it. My past wheels I've managed to keep clean with minimal products such as basic shampoo and a wheel brush and some protectant even so often. These wheels are after 3 months on supposedly refurbished alloys, perhaps they only done the outside and I didn't check properly when I got the car.


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## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

After my latest attempt with stiffer brushes and the like and reading someone else's post about poorly dealer refurbished wheels; I've come to the following conclusion:-

From looking where the dirt is, that the wheels were only refurbished on the outside. Where the lacquer was sprayed onto the wheel this has also gone through the spoke gaps to the barrel coating and covering an unclean wheel. The dirt is under the coating. The only way to get this back to a clean wheel will be a fresh refurbish.

thanks for all your help and suggestions.


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## captaintomo (Nov 20, 2014)

That's interesting. Further proof that preparation is key.


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## GleemSpray (Jan 26, 2014)

A classic case of DIRFT


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## REVERSiN (Sep 28, 2015)

Are you sure about this most likely the wheel is cleared on the face side only elsewhere is powdered i did my wheel for the first time two days ago its a car i bought a week ago so was reasonably clean but not to me.
I used Sonax for wheels and a stiff brush works wonders two passes and gone 
















These are before sadly i dont have the pic of the inside after only the outside


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## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

REVERSiN said:


> Are you sure about this most likely the wheel is cleared on the face side only elsewhere is powdered i did my wheel for the first time two days ago its a car i bought a week ago so was reasonably clean but not to me.


Yes, I'm quite sure. The wheel was refurbished before I purchased the car by the dealership and were taken off after no more than 3 months of ownership. The first time I got into detailing (or for me cleaning my car better) I took the wheels of a car which had been on for 5 years of my ownership with no cleaning on the inside barrel, and came up much better with very little effort.

there is another thread of a member with a ford mondeo http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=4712715&postcount=72, the dealer seemed to have done the same thing, made the outside look new, not cared about the inside. Probably not masked the wheel off. The amount of wheel cleaner and scrubbing I've done I know I'm now just hitting a brick wall with it.


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## Hufty (Apr 27, 2015)

Natjag if you send me your addy I will happily post you a sample of the Megs I think it's worth a punt. I used all sorts on mine and nothing shifted the stubborn bits but by chance had bought 5l on a deal on europarts. Sprayed leave a few mins agitate gone


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## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

Hufty said:


> Natjag if you send me your addy I will happily post you a sample of the Megs I think it's worth a punt. I used all sorts on mine and nothing shifted the stubborn bits but by chance had bought 5l on a deal on europarts. Sprayed leave a few mins agitate gone


Many thanks PM sent.


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## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

Many thanks to Hufty who sent me a sample of Megs. I tried it today, sadly it didn't shift any extra dirt. I have looked at the wheels closely and it does look like, the lacquer has been sprayed over the inside where it hasn't been masked off. I would assume it was done by a mobile Alloy guy. I can see on the wheel clear dried drips. I tried to photograph but I couldn't get it don't very well.

Pre Cleaning wheels (other than car shampoo and iron remover)









Cleaning with bilberry cleaner









After Megs Wheel brightener (no difference really) and tar remover.









Trying to show a lacquer drip/run which suggests its covered over the brake dust.


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## Hufty (Apr 27, 2015)

Shame that bud, if the Megs can't shift it then looks like you are right about the botch job. Guessing you are left with live with it or refurb, maybe a colour change to help with justification. Or maybe you could rub down the barrels repainted and lacquer yourself ?


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## Hufty (Apr 27, 2015)

Or if they haven't been lacquered that long ago you could have a go at wiping down with thinners or a suitable solvent to remove the lacquer overspray to get to the dirt, clean then seal. Try back of a spoke as a test ?


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## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Or take back to the dealer who you bought it from and request that its done properly and not a bogg job


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## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

Bod42 said:


> Or take back to the dealer who you bought it from and request that its done properly and not a bogg job


If they were more local to me (250 mile round trip) I probably would do that at least to take it up with who ever they got in to to the job. However, from reading someone else's report with a ford dealership, they'd claim it was ok at the outside is ok.



Hufty said:


> Or if they haven't been lacquered that long ago you could have a go at wiping down with thinners or a suitable solvent to remove the lacquer overspray to get to the dirt, clean then seal. Try back of a spoke as a test ?


That is a thought. I'm going to leave it now. They'll be back on my car in a few weeks. I'll consider getting them refurbish next year when I put the winter set back on. The back of the spokes were Ok as no over spray was on that. Other then the brake dust on the dipped in bits, which I think would come up clean it I worked at those.


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## [email protected] (May 30, 2006)

PM sent


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