What do you use? Right now I am debating on p21s gel or sonax.
which wheel cleaner?
- Thread starter mnewxcv
- Start date
Sonax is very popular to most and seems as the go-to, though it is on the expensive side for sure. Meg's wheel brightener is a great product, but is highly acidic and is an irritant to skin, as well as harmful to exposed bare aluminum. There are many choices out there, but to best give you advice answer these questions. Will this be for just personal use? And what kind of wheel will you be applying the product on? (coated, polished alumimum, chrome, etc.)
I want an all wheel cleaner for sure, since I will likely be washing/detailing multiple vehicles(my contour (coated wheels), my moms van(bare aluminum), dads milan (coated), dads miata(bare), dads pickup (bare), dads prius(plastic). I dont want something acidic. Ive tried a few different wheel cleaners, meguiars, mothers, and turtle wax ice. ice was by far the best but i can no longer get it locally, and if im going to have to have a product shipped i might as well look into more options. hence p21s and sonax.
For your use I would go with Sonax FE. It is preferred by most and will achieve great results for personal use. It has neutral pH levels as well as the green-red formulating color transition making it user friendly.
Also for extremely neglected wheels it may be your best bet to hit it with Sonax or whichever wheel cleaner you choose then clay the wheel after to remove any remaining contaminants. Then seal the wheel with Opti-Coat, Collinite 845, or even a OTC wax or sealant you may have. This is not only important for the protection of your wheels finish as clay is an abrasive and strips the wheels of which ever wax, sealant, or protectant that may have been previously applied. This also makes regular maintenance cake compared to before. Once you have applied a sealant after your thorough cleaning a less aggressive all purpose cleaner (APC) like Optimum Power Clean or Meg's APC+ will do the job for routine maintenance. Good luck! Hope you achieve the results you are after! Remember to always strive to use the least aggressive method on any vehicle whenever possible.
Also for extremely neglected wheels it may be your best bet to hit it with Sonax or whichever wheel cleaner you choose then clay the wheel after to remove any remaining contaminants. Then seal the wheel with Opti-Coat, Collinite 845, or even a OTC wax or sealant you may have. This is not only important for the protection of your wheels finish as clay is an abrasive and strips the wheels of which ever wax, sealant, or protectant that may have been previously applied. This also makes regular maintenance cake compared to before. Once you have applied a sealant after your thorough cleaning a less aggressive all purpose cleaner (APC) like Optimum Power Clean or Meg's APC+ will do the job for routine maintenance. Good luck! Hope you achieve the results you are after! Remember to always strive to use the least aggressive method on any vehicle whenever possible.
Yesterday I was going to do some brake work on an old Volvo with silver painted wheels.
They were so crudded up I didn't want to touch them so I washed them first.
I used Sonax on one, Megs on another, DP on the third, and Eagle One Acid stuff on the last.
Sonax did almost nothing. I am pretty sure that the brake pads on this car were either carbon or ceramic.
Megs got almost all the stuff off.
DP got about half off.
Eagle One cut through all the crudded brake dust and dirt in one application. Must have been all the acids in it. I used it on all the rest of the wheel for the second go around. It's a product that I found at Big lots for $1.69
But I sure would not use it on any decent wheel that I cared about. It's way too strong.
They were so crudded up I didn't want to touch them so I washed them first.
I used Sonax on one, Megs on another, DP on the third, and Eagle One Acid stuff on the last.
Sonax did almost nothing. I am pretty sure that the brake pads on this car were either carbon or ceramic.
Megs got almost all the stuff off.
DP got about half off.
Eagle One cut through all the crudded brake dust and dirt in one application. Must have been all the acids in it. I used it on all the rest of the wheel for the second go around. It's a product that I found at Big lots for $1.69
But I sure would not use it on any decent wheel that I cared about. It's way too strong.
thats essentially how i felt about the mothers product. It seemed too strong despite doing the job. ICE on the other hand did a great job as well, and was safe. advance auto no longer sells it. interesting about the sonax not working well. I have yet to hear someone say that about p21s gel, and you can let it sit for up to 2 hours.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPK3iVoffyM ice video
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Sonax is slightly over rated for the price. It only works with metallic type pad dust as it reacts with the iron. Optimum Power clean works well, Brown Royal works well. If you seal the wheel with a decent sealant you should only need soap and water for clean up after the fact.
I've had cars with both ceramic and metallic brake pads. I've exclusively used Sonax ever since I was able to get my hands on it. I was skeptical about the hype at first, but when used correctly, it's some pretty good stuff.
We have some in stock if you want to give it a try. Check the link below:
Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner
People have sprayed onto a wet and dry wheel before. I prefer the wheel to be a bit damp. Spray the cleaner throughout the face of the wheel, and even on the inside, hard to reach spots. Let it sit for a bit, but don't let it dry.
Best thing to use is the Daytona Speed Master brush. Have a rinse bucket handy, and with the brush you're able to get behind the spokes, inside the wheels. and scrub the face down too. The bendable wand makes this an easier task than other brushes. It's very durable as well. I've had mine over 2 years and it hasn't missed a beat. We've also got a few in stock here, check it out below: Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush
Let me know if you have any other questions!
We have some in stock if you want to give it a try. Check the link below:
Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner
People have sprayed onto a wet and dry wheel before. I prefer the wheel to be a bit damp. Spray the cleaner throughout the face of the wheel, and even on the inside, hard to reach spots. Let it sit for a bit, but don't let it dry.
Best thing to use is the Daytona Speed Master brush. Have a rinse bucket handy, and with the brush you're able to get behind the spokes, inside the wheels. and scrub the face down too. The bendable wand makes this an easier task than other brushes. It's very durable as well. I've had mine over 2 years and it hasn't missed a beat. We've also got a few in stock here, check it out below: Daytona Speed Master Wheel Brush
Let me know if you have any other questions!
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I've only used Meguir's before but the Sonax sounds pretty promising... I think I'll be giving that a try this weekend.
ive always used the meguiars as well
ordered the p21s gel. Will be sure to give a review when it gets here, my wheels are filthy.
post pics
I was going to recommend brown royal as well but looks like the OP made a decision!
Ive heard good things about brown royal as well. I like the fact the p21s gel is well a gel, and can be left to sit on the wheels. I dont think any of the three in discussion would be a bad pick. either way, I will post before and afters! not just of the wheels either, I ended up buying....... a few other things. ;-)
Nope, any treatment is better than none. Its just how clean you want them to be. Anyways, good little list there. Smart choice with the Griots DA and 205/105, that in itself is going to make alll the difference for your ride. Let us know how it goes and good luck with the future detail!
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