# detailing hint



## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

hey guys, here is a quick detailing hint

as far as cleaning wheels go, dont spend too much money on fancy cleaners. Simple Green does the job much better, is bio degradable and cheap (3 bucks a liter give or take). it is a great degreaser, removes road grime and gets rid of brake dust. any cleaner is going to require some srcubbing but simple green is less expensive and helps remove grime a lot easier.


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## Neil (Aug 13, 2002)

I think there is an orange one too that works well.


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## huskya83 (Apr 20, 2004)

ok i'll keep that in mind, seeing is i need to clean the front .


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## sentragtr20 (Jun 8, 2002)

B52 degreaser is great also.... It is an organic degreaser and can be put onto paint


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## Radioaktiv (Feb 12, 2004)

been using simple green for years now
but i agree with ya
simple green, a good brush, and a little scrubbing will get almost anything off


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## Wufaded (Oct 15, 2003)

yup, simple green works great. i use the orange stuff now, made by blue coral, i think. just used it yesterday, it got off all the stuff and crap on my wheels :thumbup:


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

Yea um, That stuff stripped the clear coat off my old 5Zigens....
I won't be using that on my show wheels....I'll stick with the Griots Garage wheel cleaner.


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## Coco (Apr 30, 2002)

^ Does Griots stain a chrome polished wheel? I have gunmetal wheels with a chrome lip and they usually tend to get stained with regular cleaners.

btw zac, sorry for the hijack...just a a quick question.


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

I have the Velox VX-8's with a polished lip, the Griots Garage cleaner has never discolored the lip on them.
The Griots Garage wheel cleaner is endorsed by BBS.


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## wickedsr20 (Aug 8, 2002)

As far as wheel cleaners go, the Griot's garage wheel cleaner is as good as it gets in my opinion. Haven't been able to find one that's as strong as it is without causing unsightly wheel damage. I used to say the same about Mother's until someone spotted up their Racing Harts using it. Griot's garage makes some great quality stuff, although a little pricey, but the results speak for themselves.


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## SheDevL (Nov 12, 2003)

This stuff is fricken awesome!!! Wal-Mart, for a little under 3 bucks! Works wonders on my Motegi WHITE MR7s

...hmmm... why did I ever get white rims to begin with ::ugh::


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

1CLNB14 said:


> Yea um, That stuff stripped the clear coat off my old 5Zigens....
> I won't be using that on my show wheels....I'll stick with the Griots Garage wheel cleaner.


simple green???? hmm...ive cleaned my wheels over a hundred times and never had a problem. It is an organic formula and not all that strong. Were you using the gel or diluted spray?


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

Yup, Simple Green was the culprit.
I used the diluted spray.
The clear coat on the polished 5Zigen lip was really thin, and it causd it to discolor and flake off.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

1CLNB14 said:


> Yup, Simple Green was the culprit.
> I used the diluted spray.
> The clear coat on the polished 5Zigen lip was really thin, and it causd it to discolor and flake off.


weird...you must have had flicted wheels


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## JayL1967 (Apr 30, 2002)

1CLNB14 said:


> Yea um, That stuff stripped the clear coat off my old 5Zigens....
> I won't be using that on my show wheels....I'll stick with the Griots Garage wheel cleaner.


Right now Iknow what happend to my wheels...Thanks


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

Purple Power or Power Clean (Well it's purple) at Napa is good. Simple green. I buy in in the gallon (the concentrate) and just don't water it down works GREAT


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

JayL1967 said:


> Right now Iknow what happend to my wheels...Thanks



???
Did you use Simple Green on them? 
Did the clear coat flake off?

What kind of wheels?


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## JayL1967 (Apr 30, 2002)

1CLNB14 said:


> ???
> Did you use Simple Green on them?
> Did the clear coat flake off?
> 
> What kind of wheels?


I used simple green and the orange thing and one day my rims start to look like sh%t. Yes the clear coat flaekd off


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## SheDevL (Nov 12, 2003)

hmmm... 
that bites!  
I was afraid that the orange blast would do something like that to my rims, since it kept saying that magical word "some types of..." clearcoat, plastic, aluminum... etc... 
I guess I got lucky, and it liked my rims, hehe



sorry about what happened...

i'd be pissed too


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

That sucks...I know how ya feel though.

Stick with the Griots Garage products. Their stuff is spendy, but worth it.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

were both wheels that flaked 5 ziggin?


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

I don't know if he had/has 5Zigens or not.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

Well I am now curious. So I am using 3 different clear coats and a few galvinations and submerging them in the 3:1 (Water to Green) mixture I use. Well see what happens.


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## mm002 (Aug 1, 2004)

i have aluminum polished wheels and i just clean them off with a soft rag by hand and then wax them with eagle-1 nev-dull. Never had a problem and they look gorgeous when I'm done. when it comes to expensive wheels you really shouldn't take chances with cheap cleaners....spend the extra 10 bucks so you dont have to worry about destroying


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## 7875 (Apr 3, 2003)

I only use _*the best*_..










I'ma big fan of Meguiar products. :thumbup:


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

Meguiar's products are not bad, but they are in no way the best....


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

1CLNB14 said:


> Meguiar's products are not bad, but they are in no way the best....


Their professional products are among the best.

Simple Green did not do anything to any of the subjects tested. That doesnt mean it cant harm wheels though, especially since we use a 3:1 solution.


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## 7875 (Apr 3, 2003)

1CLNB14 said:


> Meguiar's products are not bad, but they are in no way the best....


To each his own


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## 1CLNB14 (Apr 30, 2002)

While I do agree....to each their own...However, I do not think that the line of Meguiar's products shown in the pic are all that great.
Sure, their professional line is better, and I do use some of them...I still prefer the products from Griots Garage http://www.griotsgarage.com/index.jsp and ClearKote http://www.clearkote.com/ 

Here is a great site all about car detailing....

http://www.autopia.org/


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

for an orbital polisher, that PC 7424 isnt bad

still one of the best is this 

11 amps...it's built to be used on a daily basis and last. Milwaukee makes the best powertools by far.


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

I also have to wonder if your climate may have affected the wheels that lost their clearcoat. Did you ever use other chemicals on them because simple green is a degreaser and I do not know of anything in it that would remove a clearcoat. Acid rain could have been a factor maybe? Maybe they were poor clearcoat jobs from the factory. Did you ever wax your wheels or just clean them only? I didnt have any luck on getting Green to remove any clearcoat on my tests but it still could. Until I'm positive its safe, I've just been using a Prestone cleaner for my clients. They usually come to us more for interior cleaning and paint polishing and sometimes lighter compounding.


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