For you clean freaks like myself I'm trying to get a feel for Suspension Cleaning/Degreasing/Detailing - products/methods you have used which have been successful for you?

In the past year I have been using Meguiars All Purpose Cleaner Plus (diluted anywhere from 4:1 for heavy degreasing to 9:1 for lighter areas) with a terry cloth and heavy rubbing, then rinsing the area after with a spray bottle of clean water. This method has seemed to work pretty well, but I am sure there are better and more effective products/methods out there and products that will not damage any painted surfaces.

I just picked up a 911 that I plan to dive into cleaning the underside/suspension/bottom of engine area this week.

Any better products/methods please let me know.............appreciate it!

 

Meg's is good, but something I've found that's effective yet more paint-safe is P21S Total Auto Wash. That, along with a wheel-type scrub brush works pretty well on stubborn suspension parts. I'd use microfiber cloths or pads for painted parts.

Good luck! Envious on your 911 purchase.

 

“Undercarriage Cleaning and Care” - http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/137953-undercarriage-cleaning-care.html#post1465218

 

good stuff here. thanks. I ordered some P21s. can't wait to try it out next week.

 

You can't go wrong with P21S.

 

These are the products I use now:
1. Meguiar's All Purpose Cleaner Plus D103
2. 303 Aerospace Protectant
3. TUF SHINE Tire Brush
4. Boar's Hair Detailing Brush
5. Chemical Guys LAVA Luminous Glow Infusion Wax

I use the Megs APC because I can alter the strength as needed based on dilution. The 303 lasts a long time and I need different brushes to get into different areas. I use the Lava on the calipers as it has the ability to withstand 300F (may not sound like much as a rotor/caliper can get very hot, but it's better than most waxes out there when it comes to holding up to heat). I have not used wheel wax (can withstand much high temps) on the calipers, but I am getting some Migliore Wheel Seal that I will try soon. I am also going to try Migliore's Forza which is an APC.

 

DON'T be tempted to use simple green, even if diluted 50/50.
It will stain any anodized metal. Happened to me years ago and never got over it

 

Finally got my p21s in on Thursday. So the car went up on jacks for 1.5 days this weekend while I used the p21s to clean the crap out of the undercarriage, wheels and suspension. I used a combo of different mothers wheels/tire/detail brushes I ordered as well to scrub the heavily soiled and hard to reach areas (which were a huge help).

I did many rounds with the p21s and scrubbing and rinsing...repeating...which got slightly better results each time. Near the end though (after using a whole bottle of p21s....which i also used on our bmw's wheels full of heavy brake dust) I ended up going back to my 4:1 dilution combo of meguiars APC as i really think it works just as well as p21s and costs a lot less. Between the two I cannot really say one gets better results than the other but I know p21s is supposed to be safer on all surfaces (but it's also $17 a bottle).

I protected the rubber hoses/lines under the car after with aerospace and black on black products....I also sprayed some opti no rinse/water mix in the areas I wouldn't be able to reach and scrub.

I will post up some before/after pix this week. It's a huge improvement and really got the springs/sways and metal parts I could hit looking good.

My body is hating me for crawling around under the car the past two days....but I feel this type of cleaning is needed at least 1x a year.

Luckily the 911 isn't a daily driver so it will stay nice underneath for some time as I never will take it out in any inclement weather.

 

You sound like a DIYer like myself, but here's a new service you might like.