[SSport16]

Looking for a really good wheel cleaner product, I have used Sonax wheel cleaner which is pretty good, just looking for something better if there is one. I am really looking for a product that wprks well for wheels that are smaller and/or hard to get a hand through to clean the barrels. I have read some good reviews of the Blackfire wheel cleaner.

Just looking for some opinions before I venture out to purchase a few to sample. Thanks.

[SPARTAN sui]

I liked Adam's Wheel cleaner, though the smell is unpleasant it did work well and 1 gallon of the stuff is affordable. ~$60.

[MatthewAMEL]

2nd vote for Adams.

I have also used CarPro IronX and they all use the same active ingredient and they all smell terrible.

[FoCoCamaro]

There is no magic wheel cleaner that is spray on, hose off....especially with lots of break dust covering them like is common for the SS.

I've probably used about a dozen wheel specific cleaners and right now, for the price and performance, I'm using Chemical Guys Diablo Gel. I cut it at 3/1 and also use several different brushes to get all of the cracks and crevices. Pick up a Speed Master big and little brush if you don't have one.

I've also found the a good sealant on the wheel will help cleanup. I've never really noticed it cutting down on break dust sticking but it does make cleanup easier.

[Glen e]

Originally Posted by FoCoCamaro

There is no magic wheel cleaner that is spray on, hose off....especially with lots of break dust covering them like is common for the SS.

I've probably used about a dozen wheel specific cleaners and right now, for the price and performance, I'm using Chemical Guys Diablo Gel. I cut it at 3/1 and also use several different brushes to get all of the cracks and crevices. Pick up a Speed Master big and little brush if you don't have one.

I've also found the a good sealant on the wheel will help cleanup. I've never really noticed it cutting down on break dust sticking but it does make cleanup easier.

I agree… they are pretty much all the same. So I look for price. Duragloss all wheel cleaner is really a good value. And Hydro2 is what you're looking for as an easy ceramic sealant ......see the link in my signature.

The cleaning tool you use is almost important as the cleaner. Either a Daytona speed master brush or the wheel woollies, sold at autogeek work well

[camaromike77]

Originally Posted by FoCoCamaro

There is no magic wheel cleaner that is spray on, hose off....especially with lots of break dust covering them like is common for the SS.

I've probably used about a dozen wheel specific cleaners and right now, for the price and performance, I'm using Chemical Guys Diablo Gel. I cut it at 3/1 and also use several different brushes to get all of the cracks and crevices. Pick up a Speed Master big and little brush if you don't have one.

I've also found the a good sealant on the wheel will help cleanup. I've never really noticed it cutting down on break dust sticking but it does make cleanup easier.

I agree 100%. Just bought some Chemical Guys Diablo Gel a few weeks ago, along with a wheel brush. In the Winter I had applied several coats of polish to the barrels, which seems to help out a bit.

[MANNAXMAN]

Sledgehammer did a YouTube review on P&S Brake Buster. I haven't tried it YET myself, but I'm planning to purchase some soon.

[swizlstik]

Sonax works great!

[SSport16]

Ok thanks guys....not looking for a magic product, just looking for something that is pretty good to get most of the dirt, brake dust, etc. from smaller wheels that you can't get your hands inside the barrels to clean. I normally just like to get my hands inside the wheels and clean if I can, like my 20" wheels on my SS, but smaller wheels are tricky and without taking the actual wheels off the vehicle and unable to get brushes inside those smaller wheels it makes it real tough.

[drivingagain]

I really do not even use wheel cleaner any more. Not sure why it is necessary really. I used to use sonax on old rims that were hard to clean. Like GLen used Hydro2 on a clean rim then never needed sonax again. My recent new rims I coated them with CQuartz Dlux and Carpro reset soap with the speed master brush and they sparkle clean with hardly any scrubbing at all. Wheels come clean with just soap and a light scrub on all my vehicles really. When people ask for better rim cleaner is it because they do not want to lightly brush the wheels with soap?

[FlowForm_Wheels]

Only use the same soap/water mix that I use on the paint of the car. I would also suggest ceramic coating your wheels if you want to make it even easier to clean.

[toro1966]

I use Griots Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner - and I love it. Yes, I use a brush but there is really no scrubbing needed. I use a nice soft bristled brush from Wal Mart that works great. Like others have said, there are plenty of products out there that work, this is just the one that I like.

[SPARTAN sui]

Originally Posted by drivingagain

I really do not even use wheel cleaner any more. Not sure why it is necessary really. I used to use sonax on old rims that were hard to clean. Like GLen used Hydro2 on a clean rim then never needed sonax again. My recent new rims I coated them with CQuartz Dlux and Carpro reset soap with the speed master brush and they sparkle clean with hardly any scrubbing at all. Wheels come clean with just soap and a light scrub on all my vehicles really. When people ask for better rim cleaner is it because they do not want to lightly brush the wheels with soap?

A dedicated wheel cleaner helps to remove the iron deposits off the wheel. It's not necessary unless you have baked on brake dust, but it helps. It allows you to use as little agitation as necessary to clean the wheels. You don't want to scrub the brake dust into the finish of the wheels. Car shampoo/soap works just as well, but a dedicated cleaner does work noticeably better at lifting the deposits away from the finish. It comes at a price though, an actual monetary price, and the fact the stuff smells like death.

I don't need a dedicated cleaner anymore in my regimen because I switched to a ceramic brake pad, but I used to use a boars hair brush for the face of the wheel, a wheel woolie for the barrel, and lug nut brush for the lug nuts. I'm probably going to start using just a microfiber mitt now with car shampoo as the brushes aren't entirely necessary because I'm not worried about scrubbing abrasive brake dust into my wheel finish.

[SixgenSix]

I stopped using wheel cleaners years ago. Hose down the wheel knocks a majority of crap off anyway. Finish it off with a car soap and wash mitt/brush. I keep it simple.