Quote:
Originally Posted by PropellerHead
I have *heard* but never experienced that Stoner's Tarminator works better than the stuff I tried. I found a 6 pack of the stuff for $25 shipped on Amazon. That is a better $ per can/ounce buy than I have found anywhere. It's usually ~$6/can. That price is $4/can. Tough to beat. Post whether you use it or the stuff I did. I am interested to hear from other folks on the Tarminator. |
You need to buy yourself some Tarminator. The first time you use it you will be blown away, I've been using it for a little over a year now.
Literally I did the inside of my wheels recently after a balancing job (had to get rid of all the old residue the shop left behind), used an old MF towel that was going to get thrown out (old Costco specials), with some Tarminator and some elbow grease, the inside of my wheels look like yours did after all the Sonax/Simple Green/Citrus/Sonax combo.
It also works great on getting off the "brown residue" if your tires haven't been cleaned regularly, whether on the inside of the tire (it always gets brown there since we don't normally dress the inside sidewall of the tire), or if the outside tire has been unprotected. Just spray on a microfiber and wipe the "brown gunk" away to reveal a clean rubber surface.
If I was you and had Tarminator I would have just soaped and sponged the inside of the wheel to get the easy stuff off, use Tarminator on the adhesive and the tough stuff. Its really great stuff.
And, no wheel wax/sealant for you? I understand there is no magic coating that will let you spray wheel cleaner and hose off the brake dust, but having a good sealant on the wheels keeps the finish better protected in my opinion. I am currently using the last DD wheel product offered from last year, which is Prima Wheel Armour sealant (not available from them anymore). I put a coat on twice a year and it honestly makes the wheels easier to clean when I wash, as I don't use Sonax, just soap and a sponge/mitt in a bucket.
Up until a year ago when I got Prima Wheel Armour, I actually used Nu Finish on my wheels believe it or not. It's an old trick from the VW forums but its basically a super durable polish/wax, great for high temp areas like alloy wheels. It worked great for years, sure the Prima is probably a bit better wheel coating than Nu Finish, but the principle is the same. Protected wheels are like protected paint, will be easier to clean, repel contaminants away from the paint better, and look "crisper".
You're right about using regular wax though, most stuff not built like a sealant is not as good for durability and would be a waste of time to apply to wheels (e.g. using carnauba wax on wheels is purely cosmetic and would be gone in 2 weeks)
Oh and x2 to what tmv said, first pic made me cringe, no towel under the wheel! Thank god for Michelins and the bulging sidewalls
Seeing as I've made this a detail thread carry on.....