Cleaning diamond cut alloys?

Leevr · May 1, 2019

As much as I clean my car and my alloys I'm left with what looks like brake, tar and unknown contamination on the alloys not so much on the diamond cut face but on the painted and lacquer part of the alloy. Diamond cut lacquer face seems ok. What safe product is everyone using to clean what normal alloy cleaning is leaving behind. Abrasive cleaners are not on my agenda.

V6_Man · May 1, 2019

Leevr said:
As much as I clean my car and my alloys I'm left with what looks like brake, tar and unknown contamination on the alloys not so much on the diamond cut face but on the painted and lacquer part of the alloy. Diamond cut lacquer face seems ok. What safe product is everyone using to clean what normal alloy cleaning is leaving behind. Abrasive cleaners are not on my agenda.

Bilt Hamber Alloy Wheel Cleaner

AlS3BE · May 1, 2019

Tashfeen said:
Bilt Hamber Alloy Wheel Cleaner

There was a thread on the detailing section that someone recommends you dilute this as it’s quite potent and expensive to just spray on.
I use this stuff neat but not on every wash so diluting seems to makes sense.

The bilt hamber feels lots like a degreaser with iron fallout remover which works well on alloys.
If you have tar spots on your wheels this stuff won’t remove them. What I found works best on wheels and body is car pro trix. It removes iron and tar in one solution. Makes cleaning/decontaminating everything a breeze.
After a good clean use a wheel sealant. I started using poor boy wheel sealant and most of the time I just pressure wash the wheels and they are clean without scrubbing.

Just an FYI for both carpro trix and bilt hamber I would use it when there’s no wind as the stuff stinks and it’s a pretty strong chemical so wouldn’t want to get it on skin or eyes etc.

Adam14 · May 1, 2019

I just use the shampoo which cleans most of it off. I use a tar remover once every few months.
Now I'm getting winter wheels I plan to coat with carbon collective platinum wheel coating, which then should make it easier with just shampoo in the future

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Phutters · May 1, 2019

White spirit gets tar spots off.

It's as cheap as chips, and it has the additional benefit that you can use it on them if you've run out of vinegar, or mixed with cranberry juice and a sprig of mint for a refreshing summer cocktail.

.

V6_Man · May 1, 2019

AlS3BE said:
There was a thread on the detailing section that someone recommends you dilute this as it’s quite potent and expensive to just spray on.
I use this stuff neat but not on every wash so diluting seems to makes sense.

The bilt hamber feels lots like a degreaser with iron fallout remover which works well on alloys.
If you have tar spots on your wheels this stuff won’t remove them. What I found works best on wheels and body is car pro trix. It removes iron and tar in one solution. Makes cleaning/decontaminating everything a breeze.
After a good clean use a wheel sealant. I started using poor boy wheel sealant and most of the time I just pressure wash the wheels and they are clean without scrubbing.

Just an FYI for both carpro trix and bilt hamber I would use it when there’s no wind as the stuff stinks and it’s a pretty strong chemical so wouldn’t want to get it on skin or eyes etc.

Yes as well as No. Yes, it is expensive but none of this detailing malarchy is cheap, is it ... Lol.

No, as in in my humble opinion it is not as potent as some of the other acidic and / or caustic/alkaline cleaners are. BH AWC is water based, pH neutral cleaner and nothing more. Personally, I wouldn't dilute it as you loose the effectiveness and the cleaning ability of the product. Also, based on my personal experience it is very very safe on DC alloys. I have been using it on my S4's diamond cut alloys (which have been refurbished once) for the last 3 years without any issues.

I am by no means a detailing expert and whatever I say is based on my personal experience and limited knowledge. I am sure the guys on the detailing forum would be more knowledgeable than I am and know their stuff but just because they do doesn't mean they are right all the time

Matt Titanium · May 1, 2019

Phutters said:
White spirit gets tar spots off.

.

Any particular proprietary brand of wheel detailing towel you find works best when applying this or do you just rub with an old pair of underpants until the tar is gone?

Phutters · May 1, 2019

Matt Titanium said:
Any particular proprietary brand of wheel detailing towel you find works best when applying this or do you just rub with an old pair of underpants until the tar is gone?

An old pair of underpants? Are you completely mad?

I use the wife's smalls. Victoria's Secret. Fresh from the chest of drawers (top left).

She finds the smell of white spirit quite arousing, so it's a win-win.

.

Jimbob76 · May 1, 2019

Tashfeen said:
I am by no means a detailing expert and whatever I say is based on my personal experience and limited knowledge. I am sure the guys on the detailing forum would be more knowledgeable than I am and know their stuff

You are too humble old bean - you know more than most. :hi:

@Leevr - Personally I do dilute BH Auto Wheels, 50/50 with water - 2 litres for the price of one! I do look after my wheels though, and this diluted mix is definitely still potent enough for my regular maintenance wash - IMO it is way more potent than it needs to be in its raw format (unless your wheels are caked in baked on iron fall-out from your brake discs). I'm sure yours aren't though. It's PH neutralised so absolutely fine on DC wheels. AVOID Wonder Wheels - that shizzle is very acidic and aggressive - your wheels won't need/don't want that.

For tar spots (you can get some pretty chunky ones on the inside of your barrels) - TAC Systems Tar Zero is very effective.

If you don't already have a wheel cleaning brush, then I can strongly recommend the Microfibre Madness Incredibrush FLAT version, this is great for cleaning your wheel barrels and slips nicely behind the brake disc guards on the S3 without catching - not cheap but I wouldn't be without mine. Very gentle compared to bristle brushes.

For tyres - BH Surfex HD (again diluted 50/50 with water in a spare/old QD spray bottle), and a Tuff Shine tyre brush are a good combo - tyres are porous, and suck in dirt - you'll be amazed at the filth that you can scrub out of your tyres using this method. Then dress with Gyeon Q2M Tire - this properly cures on your tyres, is durable and doesn't 'sling'. Instructions state you can increase durability by curing with a hair-dryer. Lol. Ain't doing that, my neighbours think I'm bonkers enough already.

Phutters · May 1, 2019

Jimbob76 said:
For tar spots (you can get some pretty chunky ones on the inside of your barrels) - TAC Systems Tar Zero is very effective.

TAC Systems is fifteen quid for half a litre.

White spirit is £3.50 for two litres at Wilko.

It'll work just as well, honest...

.

Jimbob76 · May 1, 2019

Phutters said:
TAC Systems is fifteen quid for half a litre. White spirit is £3.50 for two litres at Wilko. It'll work just as well, honest....

Maybe mate - but that 500ml bottle will last you YEARS. Personally I wouldn't use white spirit on my car. It's a paint stripper. If there is any damage to the protective polish/laquer (and let's face it wheels take a beating) it'll do nasty things to your finish. A proprietary brand of tar remover will be, IMO, kinder to the paint. So £3 quid a year on a dedicated tar remover product that will last 5 years is within my budget. Just my two-penneth, and v. happy to be disagreed with mate :thumbs up:

Phutters · May 1, 2019

Jimbob76 said:
Personally I wouldn't use white spirit on my car. It's a paint stripper.

No. It isn't.

Read this.

Paint strippers are typically caustic - like Nitromors - or contain dichloromethane, which white spirit most certainly does not.

Dichloromethane is carcinogenic. Nasty, nasty stuff.
.

V6_Man · May 1, 2019

Detailing is subjective!

Jimbob76 · May 1, 2019

Tashfeen said:
Detailing is subjective!

Lol - it certainly is

. Enjoy your white spirit @Phutters - if it works for you then it's right for you pal :thumbs up:

Phutters · May 1, 2019

Tashfeen said:
Detailing is subjective!

With the best will in the world, what's not subjective is that white spirit is not. a paint stripper.

.

CHEZ · May 1, 2019

Phutters said:
With the best will in the world, what's not subjective is that white spirit is not. a paint stripper.

.

Your white spirit mojito has been added to my summer refreshments
Mmmmmmm.

On a cheap tar removal note though, I use WD40 soaked onto a rag to remove tar spots .
Secondly, it makes a great manly antiperspirant

Mikeso51 · May 1, 2019

Autoglym intensive tar remover is a well respected product regarded as completely safe on paintwork. If you read the product safety sheet it turns out to be 70% white spirit..............

Jcbmally · May 2, 2019

CHEZ said:
WD40 soaked onto a rag to remove tar spots

+1

Jimbob76 · May 2, 2019

Phutters said:
With the best will in the world, what's not subjective is that white spirit is not. a paint stripper..

Mikeso51 said:
Autoglym intensive tar remover is a well respected product regarded as completely safe on paintwork. If you read the product safety sheet it turns out to be 70% white spirit..............

Every day is a school day on here chaps, and I stand corrected (I did mention I was happy to be disagreed with). It was a poor choice of words (funny how one word in a sentence can spark an interesting debate, eh!). Paint thinner rather than stripper would have been a better choice of words, but it seems like dedicated tar removers do contain a high percentage of naphtha (white spirit) as you say @Mikeso51

Whether you use a dedicated tar remover or white spirit - would seem sensible/best practice to wash the area you've treated afterwards. IMO.

davc · May 2, 2019

Phutters said:
An old pair of underpants? Are you completely mad?

I use the wife's smalls. Victoria's Secret. Fresh from the chest of drawers (top left).

She finds the smell of white spirit quite arousing, so it's a win-win.

.

lmao

White spirit is also good for cleaning the carbon off exhaust tips and removing the sticky residue left behind after old wheel weights are removed.

For more stubborn residue, a petrol soaked rag works wonders. Just don't have a fag while using it lol.

I was given a bottle of Turtle Wax Bug & Tar Remover as a gift. Was a bit sceptical about how good it would be, but it's as good as the TarX I had run out of and almost half the price.

Scotty75 · May 3, 2019

In2detailing sell a wheel cleaner called "Brake Away" . It's PH neutral and very effective but smells awful while v it's doing it's thing. Autoglym Tar remover is good.

If I were you I'd get the DC's spotless and then ceramic cost them with Gtechniq C5 or similar. That'll make maintaining them much easier going forward .

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