There seems to be an ongoing argument about the best method to keep your car's wheels clean. There are a lot of wheel cleaning products on the market and many of them claim to be "safe" on any or all finishes. However, we have found that virtually all of them have chemicals that can damage your wheel's finish, especially if used improperly. In today's market and especially when it comes to custom wheels, there are a lot of different finishes to contend with. Most wheels have a liquid or powder-coated, painted finish. Nutek even offers a rare, but popular "ceramic" finish. There are also chrome and polished finishes to consider. Although there are many "finish specific" cleaners and protective products on the market, you the consumer must take great caution when using them. Improperly used, they can cause serious damage.

If you keep your car clean, then you probably don't have any issues with maintaining the finish of your wheels. Serious problems can arise when brake dust and road grime are allowed to collect on your wheels finish for a prolonged period of time. Brakes dust actually contains caustic substances and hot metal filings that are produced during the braking process. Left unchecked, these particles can actually etch the finish of your wheels, damaging it permanently. Waxing your wheels periodically creates a sacrificial surface that will act as a barrier and protect against many caustic or acidic byproducts and brake pad metal fillings by providing added protection of your wheel's finished surfaces.

Cleaning your wheels between car washes is easy too. Try using any good "microfiber" towel, dusting your wheels off every 2 or 3 days. It's quick and easy and the microfiber towels act like a dust magnet holding onto the brake dust without scratching your wheels finish. Other products are available as well for doing this job.

When washing your wheels, NEVER do it when the wheels are hot, caused by driving and braking. Allow them to cool off. NEVER use chemical wheel cleaners. They're not necessary. Use a detergent that is formulated specifically for your cars painted finish only. Don't use dish soap or some other detergent designed to clean other things. These types of detergents contain chemicals that can strip wax and even damage your automotive finishes. If your wheels are just a little dusty, then use water only. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Just use common sense, methods and products designed for this purpose and your wheels will look great for many years to come.

 

Good info. Only thing I would change is wiping the wheels after a few days. You're basically rubbing the metallic particles into the clear coat, chrome, or bare aluminum surface causing micro-scratches. Your best bet is using a product like P21S wheel cleaner that is non-acidic and pH balanced.

Thanks for the FYI.

 

I don't know about the chemical or long term implications, but I've used the P21S gel and the Sonax stuff, and I think the Sonax stuff works amazingly well (and much better than the P21S gel)... I've taken to waxing my wheels (currently using Rejex), which VERY GREATLY helps keep the wheels clean.

I've even considered buying a lift and a torque wrench to take the wheels off the car to REALLY clean them... Anyone do this and, if so, is there any tricks to taking the wheels off/on? FWIW, I've never even seen a torque wrench... But hey, I'm willing to learn

 

Wheel cleaners, IMHO, need to be effective and SAFE. The only problem we had with the Sonax wheel cleaner was the offensive smell and how aggressive it was. The product has many great highlights. I obviously like it's color changing characteristics and felt this is of good use to the user. It is effective of removing heavy brake dust that is embedded on the wheels.

Where this wheel cleaner falls short of our trusty P21S Wheel Cleaner is reliability. For over 3 years we've been using P21S Gel and Regular wheel cleaners on every wheel we work on. Not a single time have we had any wheel, or caliper, have etching or damage as a result of the wheel cleaner. P21S is a wheel cleaner that, if left on and forgotten for 15-20 minutes, won't damage anything.

I've used the Sonax wheel cleaner on 4 cars now. 2 of those 4 ended up having slight etching on the calipers. That to me showed how unpredictable the cleaner is. It does clean the wheels that are VERY VERY neglected and have heavy etched brake dust, very well. But, so does P21S Gel. If you have heavy brake dust, it may require two cleanings with the P21S, but you can count on the product to be SAFE.

Lastly, the smell the Sonax wheel cleaner has is a huge turnoff. Imagine rotten eggs to the 10th degree. It seems the worse the brake dust, the worse the smell. Sonax has improved the formulation to reduce this smell, but it's still there. The area where you have cleaned with the wheel cleaner has this smell for hours after the rinse. I personally had a headache for well over an hour after each use. That's my body's way of telling me this stuff isn't good for me.

We are both a P21S and Sonax distributor. So we're an ambassador to both companies and have a vested interest to both give honest AND factual information, even if it's negative. I am EXTREMELY impressed with the Sonax line and have tested all their products and decided to carry this line early this year. We will have formal writeups on their products soon. To be honest, I'm a little disappointed we didn't carry their products years ago. But when it comes to the wheel cleaner, I made the decision it won't be sold on our site for the above reasons. It doesn't matter how well a product works, if it doesn't meet ALL our standards, it will not be sold by Glistening Perfection.

 

I decided to try out the Sonax and hated it. It definitely messed up one of my wheels, and does smell terrible. I use Griot's wheel cleaner, which is endorsed by BBS and is much gentler. That being said, it requires a real cleaning, not just a spray on and rinse off like the Sonax.

 

Joe, taking your wheels off will not only allow you to clean them thoroughly, but to also do a good cleaning of the wheel wells. But before you do, make sure you get the products recommended by Moe and others in the thread I started :

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...eel-wells.html

With that said, taking the wheels off a Porsche is a little more involved than taking them off of a Chevrolet. You have a 996, right?

 

996TT, with aftermarket wheels.

 

Here's what you'll need in the way of equipment:

A) Floor jack - I recommend a "low profile" model;
B) Jack stands;
C) 19mm socket (if you want to protect your lug bolts from getting scratched, you can get a "soft socket" that has a rubber liner;
D) Torque wrench - most 19mm sockets are going to be 1/2" drive, so get a 1/2" drive model;
E) Anti-seize grease - for the lug bolts.

Optionally, you don't have to buy these, but they make the job easier:

F) Hockey pucks - use with the jack and jack stands to protect the underside of your car from damage;
G) Aluminum wheel hanger - since Porsche doesn't use lug nuts, screw this in after you take off the uppermost lug bolt to keep the wheel from falling after all the lug bolts are removed. Also supports the wheel during reassembly so you don't have to hold the wheel up while trying to screw in the first lug bolt;
H) 1/2" drive breaker bar - you don't want to use your torque wrench for unscrewing/screwing the lug bolts, just for tightening them to the required level of torque.

It seems like a lot but you could buy everything for around $200. There are some who will tell you your car will fall on your foot if you don't buy the most expensive floor jack or your wheels will come off if you don't buy the most expensive torque wrench, but I don't agree. I usually go with name brands and haven't had any problems.

If you're still interested, I can PM you some links for the parts and for some threads that explain the proper procedure.

 

Wow!!! Thanks for such great instructions.

If you could PM me the parts that you recommend and the threads that explain the proper procedure, I'd be very grateful!

Thanks again for the info.

 

All good info. But I've found that if you clean your wheels regularly, regular car wash soap works just fine. The problems start when you let them go for a while.

 

One handy item I might add....... And I've used on my Porsche painted wheels for years with zero scratches. Head to a CVS and find a shaving brush, typically badger hair. Very soft yet, firm enough to not fall apart when wet.

Spray some soap on the wheels (I use the same as on my car.....) and is excellent for the hard corners and such. (Then I'll use the microfiber on-a-stick for the broader areas).

All water comes out of the DIC20 unit....

Try it, you'll be suprised how well it works!

 

I have used P21S for 20 years now and I have to say I swore by it, its a great product. As well we are a reseller but I've got to say Sonax is far superior in my mind.

I have now tested and used Sonax for a full year now and I have to say I don't even pick up the P21S anymore. (over 200 wheels)

Sonax has changed the scent of the product, I believe all resellers have been notified of this. (currently available in the 5 liters) the smaller sizes still contain the old formula we should see these with the new scent by 3rd quarter 2011.

Either way probably the 2 safest /effective wheel cleaners on the market.

Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner
P2S Wheel Cleaner Gel

 

+1 to the above and I would also add C.Quartz IronX

 

When I bought my car a few months ago (Porsche 996 Turbo) I took off the wheels for a thorough wheel, caliper and wheel-well cleaning.

I used the jack supplied with the car (to verify it worked, and it did) and a Gorilla wrench (get on ebay, a solid product that extends to provide the torque needed to remove 90ft/lb bolts).

I used Sonax and various brushes and got everything clean, then applied wheel wax to the entire wheel (it ain't "tire" wax).

Since then I use this


Goofy looking product from Detailers Domain that really works well. Costs a bit but so far after 6 washings (X4 wheels) is holding up and still looks like new. I don't need the Sonax when using this so over time I'll break even on costs.

Of course I wash it at least weekly so major dust buildup is not an issue. If it is, I'll pretreat with a good spray such as Sonax or P21 (I have both and I use both).

Enjoy that new toy.