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PP1 Wheel Cleaning Guide

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LOL my advice would be stay off youtube, all sorts of things you never knew you needed on there!
Oh, trust me, I know the dangers of youtube has on my bank balance. :facepalm:

These two video's will be of interest though, exactly what I have in mind.



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Kristian87

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Oh yes, I vaguely remember watching this one, but a long time ago. Will defo be re watching! Sandro has to be one of the best out there for detailing vids, long videos but very watchable. Learnt a lot from him.

There was a fairly recent 3 part Mustang vid, which I'm sure you will have seen, superb watch if you haven't
 
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Oh yes, I vaguely remember watching this one, but a long time ago. Will defo be re watching! Sandro has to be one of the best out there for detailing vids, long videos but very watchable. Learnt a lot from him.

There was a fairly recent 3 part Mustang vid, which I'm sure you will have seen, superb watch if you haven't
I not sure I am looking forward to polishing these wheels, cleaning them is one thing, spending hours and hours correcting one wheel is another. I think chasing perfection on a wheel is questionable. My main aim is to have them fully coated though.

Yes, I have watched the Mustang series. He was pretty critical of the paint quality, although his latest videos on a Camaro ZL1 were scathing in regards to GM's poor painting skills.


 

Kristian87

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Have the camaro one on my watch list. It's a good point regarding chasing perfection, I'm on the fence about whether or not to pursue a decent level of correction, but I do feel mine need it, just so time intensive. But I'd be happy with even a 50% correction I reckon.

Wouldn't suprise me if I decided to give it a go with a small rotary or by hand that I'd end up spending a whole day and get only one or two wheels done.
 

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Does the CarPro product help keep the brake dust off the wheels?
 

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Great write up OP!

I need to order myself that Microfiber Madness Flat Incredibrush someday.
 

MNstang

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Your wheel cleaning process puts mine to shame! I'll have to look into that coating though...
 
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Does the CarPro product help keep the brake dust off the wheels?
From the CarPro website -

https://carpro.global/catalog/cquartz-dlux/

"On painted, polished, or chromed wheels, CQUARTZ DLUX resists brake dust and road grime, eliminating the need for dedicated cleaners."

A product like this will make will allow the majority of brake dust/grime to be simply hosed away. I would still follow up with a contact wash though.
 

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Thank You for the write-up. :like:

You've given me some great insight on techniques to clean the brake caliper and the wheel barrel. :clap:
 

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I have commented before about this, but whoever designed these wheels must have a wicked sense of humor. Cleaning this wheel design takes some patience and determination. Throw in generous amounts of dust generated by the factory Brembo pads, cleaning and keeping them clean can be a chore with these wheels.


I am not a professional expert on detailing, more like a crazy obsessed hobbyist, but here is my little pictorial tutorial on maintaining S550 PP1 wheels.


The design of these wheels and the size of the Brembo caliper/disc on the front axle means a few different tools are required. Now you don’t need as much as I have here, I did say I was obsessed :crackup:, but a couple of brushes are needed to navigate around the calipers and around the back of the spokes.

I use a separate wash bucket with a grit guard for wheels, filed with the same wash solution I use for the bodywork. The brushes pictured are both large and small Speedmaster wheels brushes (red bristles), a Gyeon microfibre wheel brush, a microfibre wash pad and a detail brush.

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The first job involves a thorough rinse of the wheel, wheel arch and tyre.

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Tyre clean. Now this step is optional, and it doesn’t really need to be done at every wash, but is certainly a worthwhile task as clean tyres take new dressing much better. Spray the wheel, and wheel arch if required, with a tyre cleaner. Agitate with a stiff bristle brush, then rinse.

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Now onto the wheels. This where a wheel cleaner is often used. In my case, these wheels are detailed often and therefore don’t require the use of a strong chemical. I therefore use a small foamer to spray down the wheel and arch with my wash solution mixed at 10:1.

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Next, use the detail brush to clean the lug nuts and the calliper where possible.

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I then use the Gyeon brush to clean in between the spokes, using the same brush to clean the wheel arch. If the wheel arches are heavily soiled, use a separate brush and perhaps some of the tyre degreaser.

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Now use the large Speedmaster brush to clean the barrel of the wheel.

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To get behind the caliper, use the smaller Speedmaster. I also use the smaller brush, bent, to get behind the spokes.

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Whilst you have these brushes on hand, clean the exhaust tips.

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In terms of wheel protection, there are many options available today. From waxes and sealants to Ceramic coatings, everyone has their favorite. For me, lately I have been using CarPro Hydr02. This is something I do every couple of months. The wheel must be clean and well rinsed before the product is lightly sprayed onto the wheel face, barrel and caliper, then rinsed immediately. The great thing about these type of products is that it coats the entire wheel without removal. Like all types of protection, the wheels are easier to clean in the future, and easier to dry too.

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All clean and ready to be dried. Being coated, the use of a small blower makes drying easier.

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I then give the wheels a final wipe over with a microfibre and some quick detailer.

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And 15 million hours later, the final result after some new tyre dressing. Guaranteed to stay that way for less than one minute into the next journey. Ahhh, the things we do for our cars hey! :crackup:

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The wheel is not a huge problem for me, but I do have a problem with cleaning the wheel arches. Any suggestions on how to attack cleaning the arches without taking the wheels off?
 
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The wheel is not a huge problem for me, but I do have a problem with cleaning the wheel arches. Any suggestions on how to attack cleaning the arches without taking the wheels off?
When cleaning wheel arches, I use whatever brush I am using to clean the barrels, be that a microfiber or bristled brush. I will use the same wheel cleaner or soap as the wheels.

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I'm really liking this version of the EZ-Detail Brush for wheel arches at the moment -

Go EZ Detail Brush – EZ Detail Brush by EZ Products inc.

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Obviously, you will only be able to clean as far as the brush reaches into the arch with any of the above brushes.
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