Wheel Cleaning - hey, it ain't cool if your chrome don't shine !!

[winddy1]

OK --

now, most of you know how dirty wheels can become when you drive it on the track for two days ....

braking hard - two people sharing it !!



One of the tricks is definitely to start out with a clean wheel ....

kind of like - these:

[winddy1]

OK -

I cheated...

that's not the car that we used .....

We used Tim's 99 coupe ...


here is a picture of how bad they looked:

[winddy1]

and,
here is a picture of how they look now:

[winddy1]

How did we do it ??

Well -

here is a picture of some of the products that we use

[winddy1]

definitely use those orange wipes -

and try to find a strong citrus degreaser from your local hardware store ..

If you cannot find it -
ask !! They should have it.

a generic brand is fine - just so it is a citrus degreaser.

Ofcourse, your going to wash the car first -
(we use Zaino car wash on the car itself)

however, if the wheels are exceptionally dirty get yourself something stronger that will help cut the grease. There are different car wash products out there that will work on your wheels.

However - use HOT water - I myself use a small (very small) - let me repeat, just a few drops of dawn into the bucket -
use this on the wheels/tires only. NOT ON THE CAR !! - it will remove your wax.

Wash the wheels/tires once. Wash them again.

Then, use the orange or "citrus" degreaser
Then scrub them with a scrub brush.
Depending upon how bad they are - you may need to keep reapplying the citrus degreaser. Keep scrubbing and be patient - it will come off.

The more layers that are on there - the longer it will take to get it off.

YOu can also use the GoJo wipes with a little bit of the citrus degreaser sprayed on and try wiping with that as well.

I will use these when I am simply wiping down my car after I used it a few times and it really isn't that dirty ..

here is a pictue of the wheels on my every day driver ...
I wipe them once or twice a week depending upon how bad they get.

[winddy1]

oops - heres the picture:


and yes - I'm demanding of this car -- (SVT Contour)

it is not babied !!

it works very hard for me - stop and go traffic - rush hour -

speeds between 20 mph and 80 mph depending upon traffic (I go with the flow) ....

30 miles (work)......

I didn't buy this car so that it could lolligag .....

She works hard - so, I gotta take care of her !!

[winddy1]

After they are clean ...

STOP !! Do not pass go



WAX THEM !!

WAX them before you go anywhere !!....

I usually apply two coats the first day ...

then another a few days later...

That way with three coats of wax/polish it is easier to remove the brake dust.

There are many brands out there - good ones !!

WE use Turtle Wax Chrome Polish for the chrome wheels ...

and Turtle Wax Hard Shell Wax for the silver wheels.

For touch up applications (before shows) I use one of the Zaino polish's to really make it shine !!

So that you can go from this:

[winddy1]

TO THIS:

[winddy1]

More suggestions and helpful hints will be appreciated !!

[Steve Treece]

Nice pics! You said you use Zaino on the wheels before going to a show and wax preceeding track days. A point to consider, all wax based products use an oil of some sort (often laced with silicone) as a delivery vehicle for the wax. It would seem that the oil would cause dirt/dust to adhere more readily to the surface and make cleaning the wheels more of a chore. Since Zaino polishes have no oils in them for the dirt/dust to adhere to, wouldn't that make them easier to clean?

Another point. How hot do you think your wheels get at track day? Wax based products have a low temperature tolerance, therefore less durability than synthetics. There is an interesting chart at www.autoint.com that addresses the thermal resistance characteristics of waxes and polymers. It is simply titled "Wax vs Polymer".

Not putting down what you're doing, but trying to give you another way of looking at it.

[winddy1]

Originally posted by Steve Treece
Nice pics! You said you use Zaino on the wheels before going to a show and wax preceeding track days. A point to consider, all wax based products use an oil of some sort (often laced with silicone) as a delivery vehicle for the wax. It would seem that the oil would cause dirt/dust to adhere more readily to the surface and make cleaning the wheels more of a chore. Since Zaino polishes have no oils in them for the dirt/dust to adhere to, wouldn't that make them easier to clean?

Another point. How hot do you think your wheels get at track day? Wax based products have a low temperature tolerance, therefore less durability than synthetics. There is an interesting chart at www.autoint.com that addresses the thermal resistance characteristics of waxes and polymers. It is simply titled "Wax vs Polymer".

Not putting down what you're doing, but trying to give you another way of looking at it.

==============================


that is interesting --

&
thank you !!!

thank you, thank you !!

My suggestion has always been to use Zaino on the wheels - in fact, the first few times that I did so, my husband became "upset" with me ..... I convinced him that it was o.k. and I have been using it on my chrome wheels ....

however, "wheels" have always been his "department" and that is his car. He is the one that makes those wheels look so good !! He has 10 work vehicles - 6 of them with polished/silver or chrome wheels. Several of them are very very old. However - the wheels look like brand new.


His '97 Expedition has 80K miles on it -
the wheels look like brand new ....

Hey - we tied for first place at the first SCMC show that was held the day after a track event at Road Atlanta ....

(he did the wheels)


How can I "question" that??

I use Zaino -
I am an assistant "distributor" in the Chicagoland area.

I love Zaino - there isn't anything better !!

However - until I see "problems" with what he uses -
and I don't, not for countless numbers of years


I'm not going to argue with him .....

Your suggestions are excellant ..
If anyone tries it - let me see a few pictures of the wheels after several two day track events, or some serious driving like we do. ... It's hard to fix something that isn't broke ....


Oh - and the answer to your question, how hot do you think the wheels get?

Hot enough to hurt your hands if you touch them !!
The brake calipers were painted red when we arrived-
they left "smoke" black ....

perhaps, well,
maybe I can convince him to do a "trial" ..... ?? using Zaino only??????? not, he isn't going to do so, not unless he sees actual "results" from someone else doing it.....

[winddy1]

Originally posted by Steve Treece
Nice pics! You said you use Zaino on the wheels before going to a show and wax preceeding track days. A point to consider, all wax based products use an oil of some sort (often laced with silicone) as a delivery vehicle for the wax. It would seem that the oil would cause dirt/dust to adhere more readily to the surface and make cleaning the wheels more of a chore. Since Zaino polishes have no oils in them for the dirt/dust to adhere to, wouldn't that make them easier to clean?

Another point. How hot do you think your wheels get at track day? Wax based products have a low temperature tolerance, therefore less durability than synthetics. There is an interesting chart at www.autoint.com that addresses the thermal resistance characteristics of waxes and polymers. It is simply titled "Wax vs Polymer".

Not putting down what you're doing, but trying to give you another way of looking at it.

===================


Steve --

here is another point for you to "consider"...

I don't think that it would've been very easy for my son to write in those wheels if the dirt/grime/rubber/BRAKE DUST adhered to the wheels if as you say - QUOTE
if it adhered to it "more readily".... UNQUOTE

just LOOK at the shine that is there under what he wrote .........

If you can provide evidence to my husband that Zaino will protect them wheels better than "hard wax" under that kind of stress -

he'll use it !!

[winddy1]

Originally posted by winddy1


===================


Steve --

here is another point for you to "consider"...

I don't think that it would've been very easy for my son to write in those wheels if the dirt/grime/rubber/BRAKE DUST adhered to the wheels if as you say - QUOTE
if it adhered to it "more readily".... UNQUOTE

just LOOK at the shine that is there under what he wrote .........



If you look at that picture of Flash on the track - the front wheels are "black" because of the smoke that came from the brake calipers when the red paint BURNT off !!
-- notice the back ones are not that bad .... we are going to have our calipers powder coated .. that will eliminate that.
However, when I saw that "smoke" I swore it would never come off them wheels ... but it did !!

If you can provide evidence to my husband that Zaino will protect them wheels better than "hard wax" under that kind of stress -

he'll use it !!

[blucobra03]

Hi there Winddy1 and you too Steve. I have been cleaning and sometimes showing various cars for years. I've always done pretty good for myself. However, I haven't been into it for about 4 years now. Whenever I clean a tire, I use comet with a scrub brush. I go over it several times until there is no dark color coming off. I always applied a good hard wax such as Turtle wax to the rims as well with several coats. My favorite car to clean was an 87 Grand National. I had the car repainted right away as the factory paint was terrible. Black is black. That thing was awesome when I was done. No swirls anywhere. I used a 3M product to remove all before applying the wax. And always with a 100% cotton diaper.
My question to you folks has to do with these Zaino products. I have never used them and only recently heard of them. I use Meguires for the most part these days. I have a new 03 Cobra (Sonic Blue) coming in a week or so. I plan on showing the car. Do you feel that most people who show cars today use the Zaino products ? I realize you both sell this stuff but I will take you at your word. I know you will tell it straight. To get a real good shine, what process would you use and what products ? Thanks for the time helping me

[winddy1]

wow -
I finally met someone else who uses 100% cotton diapers !!
nothing else will do !!

And honestly J.D. -
I wouldn't sell Zaino or any other product unless it works!
Seriously, I've just about tried them all. Meguires is good -
but Zaino is better!

You can go here to see an actual "test" that was taken:

http://www.nsxsc.com/nsexcitement/waxtest.html

As far as the correct procedure:

Go directly to Zaino's site - they have the best directions !! http://www.zainobros.com/files/tips.htm