I was wondering how others clean their chorme clad wheels and grille. It seems as if the brake dust on my wheels turned "sticky". It will come off a little with my fingernail but no cleaner I try does a thing. I am worried about scratching the wheels by being too aggressive scrubing and/or using a damaging cleaner. Would a very fine abrasive like Mothers work? Feel free to add any other cleaing/washing/polishing questions or comments. Thanks

 

A rag and Mother's polish works. When I'm feeling lazy, I use some Meguiar's spray on cleaner and a rag - takes it right off. A Powerball in a drill is another good option.

Waxing the wheels will prevent the brake dust from sticking so badly.

 

I have also had good results using Eagle 1 all wheel cleaner and a nylon scrub brush that you use for scrubbing hands.

 

Mothers powerball is a great tool for the stubborn stuff. I follow a wash with 3M's "Quickwax" spray on liquid wax and it really helps keep the dust at bay.

 

I use Meguiar's chrome wheel cleaner and a soft brush when really dirty, otherwise I use my brush and the tire cleaner at the car wash.

 

I use what ever wheel cleaner is cheapest, a brush for the tires and a terry cloth for the wheels, chrome and steps.

The only brand that I'm stuck on is the ICE spray wax from Turtle wax. Some amazing stuff right there.

 

Just tried WD-40 on my wheels and it worked outstanding....took the brake dust right off with very little scrubbing involved. Worked way better than the wheel cleaners I tried to get all the brake dust off with. Read about it on a bass boat forum.

 

Most of the new wheels today have a clear coat on them. Think of them as the same clear coat that is of your paint. I would also treat them in the same respect. Cleaning them with soapy water and a rag....and then sealing them with a paint sealant will help keep the brake dust from sticking to the rims. If the rims are faded bad using some polish will buff them back to a shine and then you can seal them to protect them from the elements. (especially brake dust from sticking to them like glue)

If you use an abrasive cleaner you will scratch the clear coat and that will make the rims look worse over time. Ever since I got into my detailing hobby I learned about all this stuff I never had thought about before. Here is a product that can be used to seal the rims etc. I am not affiliated with them in any way...just know it is a good product...along with a lot of their other products.

Adam's Polishes - Adam's Quick Sealant

There is also a video for its use. Good luck!

 

Most of them do. But the OP's chrome clad wheels do not.

 

PlastX works great on chrome too, but it's actually made for polishing headlight lenses. I found this out by accident one day. I was polishing my headlights and I got some on the grille. When I wiped it off, I noticed how shiny it made the chrome so I did the rest of the grille, bumpers, and wheels with it. Made them shine just like a mirror.

Speaking of which, my truck is due for a good wash, wax, and polishing of everything.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I tried some mothers and a cloth and the grime came off instantly. I had tried a nylon brush and wheel cleaner before, but it did nothing. I wasnt worried about clear coat because these chrome clad aluminum not bare. I am just being overly cautious with my first brand new vehicle. Once i finish cleaning them i will put on a coat of spray wax. Thanks again for all the help.

 

Hmm so the XLT does not have a clear coat on the rims? They are chrome?

 

Yes, if he has the chrome wheels. 17" wheels are painted and clear coat.

I wanted 17" rims because of the great tire choices but I live in the "rust belt" and clear coat wheels just don't last, so I got the chrome 18" wheels with my XLT.

 

Old school tag. Good thread.

CMOS

 

Some XLTs have aluminum or painted wheels that are clear coated. The chrome clad wheels aren't. They have a chrome plated cover attatched to the wheel. I'm not sure why they do it this way now. My guess is because it is cheaper to chrome plate a cover than it is to dip a whole wheel in chrome.