ld63

Hello, do any 507 owners have a good rec for wheel cleaner for black 19" stock wheels?

I have just been using water and mild soap but would like to hear other (safe) options. Thanks!

austinauflick

So I'm gonna tell you this, and everyone's gonna freak out. I use spray detailer on them and they retain the same matte finish once fully wiped dried, just ultra clean. I've also experimented with using a polymer sealant to see how the characteristics of the matte finish vary. I found that the more product I put on them, the more awesome they look. It's crazy how a matte black wheel can oddly "pop" somehow, but this works. Lastly, in regards to safety, none of the aforementioned is permanent protection. If by chance you wanted to remove any of the superficial protection I just mentioned, just dawn dish soap and a clay bar is all one would need. I assure you though, you'll keep the new look. Don't forget the calipers - clean clean clean. Makes the wheels "explode" if you will.

doublebro

Spray detailer like Armor All?

tfthach13

Stay away from Armor All...some of their products are waaay too strong and may strip finishes. I know their tire cleaner aerosol spray tends to crack sidewalls of tires.

What austin said is actually pretty helpful. I know some people go as far as putting wax on their wheels for an added layer of protection. You just need to clean yhe wheel really well before applying the wax.

I personally like Meguiars Hot Rim wheel cleaner (magenta-colored bottle) for cleaning my wheels. I also heard Sonex's is really good as well!

EDIT: Opti-coat! I couldn't remember for the life of me what it was called, but this is suppose to be a permanent wax that adheres to the paint's clear coat. It may work for wheels as well!

austinauflick

Spray detailers -

Decent one found in any Autozone or O'reilly's


One of my personal faves...


And Tfthach13 brought up a good point too - you indeed must clean the wheel very well before doing all this and I highly recommend clay barring prior to as well since brake dust is inevitably embedded in the paint by now.

Ezec63

If they are really dirty from a lot of brake dust the product sonax is magic ! It reacts with the metal particles from brake dust and with a light scrub everything will come out even those stubborn black "dots" of built up iron ! When you spray it it's lime green and as it
Reacts it will turn a deep red like blood and you'll know it's ready to clean. It's pretty expensive but will work magic on dirty wheels all these other cleaners will just take out surface dust but not anything baked on. To make it cost effective only use it when it builds up and use the above products for maintenance

Ingenieur

I like P21S wheel cleaner, mild but effective
recommended by most German wheel mfgs
http://www.p21s.com/products/bis_wc1.html

are the wheels clear coated?
are they a matte finish? they require special care, no wax, scrubbing, etc., basically spray with cleaner and rinse

austinauflick

Yes, they're matte finish however the paint is quite strong and of great quality. Every spray detailer and wax/polymer/sealant I have applied comes off with nothing more than some dawn and a claybar. And after seeing the wheels nicely cleaned versus sealed/detailed, I prefer the look and protection of sealed. Just looks more clean.

coladin

I use Windex ammonia-free on them and they look great and streak free. I got the tip from my brother (1stamg) who saw a guy in a matte black Aventador, well this guy had 5 or 6 cars at a charity function and his team of guys were using this on his Aventador. Body, wheels, everything.

So if it is good enough for him, it is certainly good enough for my wheels! Just ensure that you spray a lot on.

austinauflick

^^^^ I believe this would work great for light cleanup/touch up as well.