It was sure as h3ll time for this..

[PropellerHead]

I had a CV go out and spin grease all over the place a month or so ago. Am I complaining ab X5 reliability? Nope. Even if it's not yet at 40K miles, it's 9 yrs old. CV joints fail. Spectacularly.

And besides, it provides the chance to spend a couple hours making it alll better!

[haumana]

nice!

What did you use?

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by haumana

nice!

What did you use?

Goodness. What *didn't* I use?

Lets see...

• Started out with Sonax wheel cleaner to get the easy stuff.
• Then, a citrus-based degreaser for the.. well, grease.
• Then, applied some pretty harsh petroleum based stuff to break down the sticky residue from the old wheel weights. Used a rag soaked in brake parts cleaner, carb cleaner, etc. (I know, I know... stick with me...)Applied to the sticky and allowed to soak, the sticky stuff would break down. (I wanted to use Stoner's Tarminator, but didn't find any on my quest today.)
• Follow up with Simple Green to clear the petroleum residue.
• Then, back to Sonax for the clean before mounting.
• Finally, a wisk of Sonax and a quick brush up once back on the car. They just sit there and glow with clean.

I did NOT wax the wheels. I've done it. In my experience, wax makes the wheels look awesome for just about 1/2 a day- or until you drive it out of the driveway- whichever comes first. I also did NOT apply a nano-seal something or other to it. I did some research on this and saw that in video's, a brush was still needed to clear the dust on a sealed wheel.

To my way of thinking- WTF? I am looking for the sealant that repels brake dust so completely that it washes off with a hose. Brushing the wheels has never required any real effort- whether they were waxed a week ago or a year ago. So far, the product I want doesn't appear to exist outside of the space program and RONCO space age cooking spray. So, I brush.

[tmv]

Wheels face down on concrete?

Clean up nicely. I use Sonax also.

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by tmv

Wheels face down on concrete?

Yes.. yes.. dagnabbit. But I was careful and layed them down gently. The spokes didn't hit concrete.

[mferek]

I'm currently in the process of changing my torn CV boot and my wheel is completely black. Haven't tried to clean it yet. Thanks for the post with the list of stuff that will definitely get it clean!

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by mferek

I'm currently in the process of changing my torn CV boot and my wheel is completely black. Haven't tried to clean it yet. Thanks for the post with the list of stuff that will definitely get it clean!

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.

[Ricky Bobby]

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.....

[motordavid]

I have used Tarminator several times, usually on the lower panels behind wheel wells, where road tar gets tossed up and stuck.

I use it sparingly, and rub very lightly, using an old all cotton sock: the 'foot end', over my fingertips.

Followed up by a Zaino 6 spritz and wipe, and maybe a layer of Zaino.

Works well on wheels themselves, too.
GL, mD

[TiAgX5]

I remove and clean the backside of my wheels every 10k miles (wheel cleaner, WD-40, Goo Gone and Simple Green or Fast Orange). Dirt, grime and tarballs will eventually effect wheel balance.

While they are removed I hit the axle nuts, shock/strut shaft top nuts and all the hub/suspension fasteners with a good rust preventitive, white grease the hub shoulder, light lube the lug bolts and clean/seal all the plastic/rubber panels/parts I can get at (airbags included). When the time comes for disassembly everything goes MUCH smoother if you do this.

Over 10 years and 170k miles and still running OE bags , but when they go I have a set of KW Variant 3s going on. And thus will end the days of tow duty for the X.