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  #1  
Old 01-25-2007, 04:05 PM
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Carb. Cleaner & Alloy Wheels

Folks, anybody ever use carburetor cleaner to remove old, stubborn brake dust in the corners of OEM 18-hole w126 wheels? I have tried all of the wheel cleaners out there but can't seem to get them completely clean in these areas. If you have used carb cleaner what did you apply it with and how much elbow grease does it require (i.e. does it rank the most miserable of detailing projects?). Thanks.

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Old 01-26-2007, 04:07 AM
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Hans, try Meguiar's Cleaner/Wax on a felt polishing cone that fits a Dremel. Griot's Garage sells the felt polishing cones. It's likely carb cleaner would damage the wheel finish ... I know I'd never use it on wheels.
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Old 01-26-2007, 01:34 PM
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Hans 47

I use hot water /laundry soap and a paint brush , with cool brakes I was the pads and rotor from the back side . A lot of dust hides in the wheel /pad area . Polished aluminium wheels may not like carb. cleaners alkali or acids

I have run the wheel dust covers , I like them ,,, others say they ruin your rotor / cooling .

Schraube
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  #4  
Old 02-03-2007, 02:11 PM
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P21S wheel cleaner, the sponge that comes with it and some elbow grease. Also patience.
Remember the wheels are painted. So anything you would use on the paint of the car would be OK.

http://www.p21s.com/

Dave
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Old 02-05-2007, 08:22 PM
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Please, don't use Carb Cleaner on your wheels. (unless they are steel wheels off of a 70's chrysler product ). Seriously, I did it once, and it peeled the clear coat off of that wheel. (I've been running the spare instead of it, ever since.)
Good Luck, and God Bless,
Dave.
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Old 02-14-2007, 02:49 PM
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What's in the commercially available wheel cleaners? I've been using one of those for years and have not had any problems.

I think mine might be made by Turtle Wax or somebody like that. I spray it on two wheels at a time and them scrub the wheels after a minute or so with a long bristle brush. Then spray it off. My wheels look great.
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Old 02-14-2007, 05:37 PM
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P21 S is supposed to be the best stuff out there for wheels. I used it a wile back with great success, it was easy to work with too
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Old 02-19-2007, 01:46 PM
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Last summer I cleaned up a very dirty set of Bundts using a little elbow grease, a small fiber brush and "Sure Wonder White" the standard old whitewall tire cleaner. I thought it did a wonderful job.
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Old 02-20-2007, 01:01 AM
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FWIw, for the powder coated wheels on my 560SL and the painted wheels on my SL500, the strongest stuff I've used successfully is Simple Green diluted 1:5 (1 part SG to 5 parts water) Wet wheel, spray tire and wheel liberally, you'll see the brake dust start to run off; get to tougher spaces with small brush. It works for me. I personally would not use any acids, or petroleum based materials.

Bob
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Old 04-17-2007, 08:47 PM
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Never spray a wheel cleaner on a hot wheel as it can cause a chemical reaction and permanently stain the wheel. Rinse first or depending upon the chemical. Severely dirty wheels with plastic center caps should be removed first to avoid possible damage. Start spraying wheel cleaner from the bottom up to avoid streak runs. Wheel faces should be cleaned with a wash mitt or a soft brush. After washing, wheels should be polished and waxed. Regular washing also helps in maintaining the cleanliness of wheels and mercedes brake dust shield.
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Old 04-18-2007, 04:12 PM
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If you wouldn't use it on your paint, don't use it on your wheels.

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