[evdok]

I have a set of wheel woolies but need a brush with bristles to make the job easier, what do you guys use? currently looking at this...

[Billfitz]

Since I started using Brown Royal I very seldom need to use a brush.
https://www.flashautodetailproducts....-tire-cleaner/

When I do need to brush them I have one of these:
https://www.autogeek.net/brush-hero-...kaAj0MEALw_wcB

[Desertnate]

I would use the brush shown in the pictures. The one I use is sold under the "Daytona" brand and is red in color, but it's the same brush.

I'd also get a really soft brush for the facing surfaces. Normally I'll use the brush pictured for between spokes and the barrels and then finish by brushing down the facing surfaces. This ensures I get the brake dust out of the little corners and creases of the wheel.

[//Melon]

Those are great, and to add on to that, get something like this:

This helps with the wheel face and large areas.
https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys...7169254&sr=8-7

Something like this, for the lug bolts/nuts holes and finer details.
https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys...169300&sr=8-25

[ECTO1]

If your dead set on a brush I would say the ez detail is the way to go which is the one you have shown they do have 2 sizes small or large. Now Personally I don't touch my rims with the ez detail I feel like it can still scratch its great for exhaust tips or wheel well work but if its for rims I choose this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...894e087fda58ac

Now with that being said I really like pair that brush with a lambskin wheel mitt for squeeky clean wheels and no scratches.

[Desertnate]

I've been using the EZ Detail/Daytona brush for years on multiple wheels from multiple OEM's and never had any scratching problems.

[mk17]

Me too. Great brush, but I wouldn't bother paying EZ Detail prices. You can get exactly the same thing from China via eBay for half the the price:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alloy-Red...QAAOSw~c5e7dGO

[Skyhigh]

I for one think brushes have no application on any part of the exterior! Use chemistry plus a purpose-made microfibre cloth with a rougher side, for the spots you need one. Don't use brushes. They do leave micro-scratches in the clear-coat, which in turn makes it even easier for dirt to stick.

[Desertnate]

Do you pull your wheels every time you wash the car?

Without pulling the wheels there would be no way I could get the barrels clean and brake dust free without a brush. My hands simply cant get in to the areas as well, nor can I do it as fast as I do with a quality wheel brush.

The barrels are covered with a very durable, rough texture paint and can take a lot of abuse, not that I'm trying. Some people may use a mitt or similar on the facing surfaces, and I can see that, but not the barrels and some areas between spokes.

If you choose the right brushes and keep them clean while you are washing with either a blast from the hose or a separate rinse bucket the grit won't accumulate and they are safe. I've actually had far more problems with supposed spray on - spray off wheel cleaners.

[Skyhigh]

I personally find washing barrels a waste of time. But if you sleep better knowing your (otherwise almost invisible barrels) are clean, I suggest ceramic coating. With some chemistry and high-pressure washer, they'd be dirt and scratch-free. Or just get bigger brakes, you will not see much of your barrels

For the rest of the rims, I use a micro-fibre cloth with a rough backside. The front sides of my rims are ceramic coated. But even before I did that (beginning of this year), I never felt a need for a brush.

[Desertnate]

Even with the larger MSport brakes, my barrels are pretty visible with my 442M wheels. When I put on my winter wheels they are a pretty open design and the barrels are a lighter color, so the brake dust becomes very visible. Especially over time when it starts turning that brown-ish, rust-like color.

I've also found keeping the barrels clean keeps the wheels cleaner too. When the wheels get wet or sit in the rain, the water drains out across the face of the wheel and bring the dust and grime of the barrels out with it.

Break dust is corrosive and I feel the less damage done to any part of the wheel, whether the face or an area a little less visible, the better.

I do coat the wheels and it does make them easier to clean, but after a week or two of driving and an autocross event or two, the break dust is heavy enough blasting it out with a power washer and a good wheel cleaner won't get anything squeaky clean. You have to manually go in there and make things right!

[ECTO1]

I think it truly comes down to your level of cleanliness. A full summer wheel clean for me takes about a hour with the wheel woolie, ez detail, lambskin wheel mitt and brush but thats really going at it to get the whole wheel as clean as possible.

Now my winter setup takes far less just some wheel woolies and a brush done and dusted. but then again northeast roads jack them up pretty bad in the winter anyway. So I tend to not do a heavy clean until they are getting put away for storage in the summer.

[xxxjecxxx2]

Originally Posted by evdok

I have a set of wheel woolies but need a brush with bristles to make the job easier, what do you guys use? currently looking at this...

The problem with this brush is that the tip is metal and it is being covered by the rubber cap. If the cap comes off it can cause serious damage to the wheels if not caught in time.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by Skyhigh

I personally find washing barrels a waste of time.

I wouldn't pull the wheels just to wash them, but I do wash them when I have the wheels off for their yearly rotation, if for no other reason than if you let them go for years you'll never get them clean. When it comes time to sell everything I've done to keep my cars as cherry as possible has always paid off, literally.

[328iX]

https://www.amazon.com/Synthetic-Bru...8244312&sr=8-5

[Skyhigh]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

I wouldn't pull the wheels just to wash them, but I do wash them when I have the wheels off for their yearly rotation, if for no other reason than if you let them go for years you'll never get them clean. When it comes time to sell everything I've done to keep my cars as cherry as possible has always paid off, literally.

Agree. I am obsessed with keeping my cars as new as possible... often to an extent "normal" people don't comprehend. And I also wash the barrels more thoroughly once a year, when I take the wheels off. I very successfully do that without any brush - chemistry and power-washer, as well as standard MF cloth is all it takes.




However, trying to keep them clean from the inside whilst on the car is IMO equally pointless as trying to keep your (winter) tyres gravel-free. (And yes, I do take out most gravel from them once I take them off as well ) But of course, that's just my opinion. Either way - I would stay away from brushes (apart from soft detailing brushes). That's the "grandpa approach", together with washing car with a sponge.

If you really want it quick and dirty - leave it dirty, it's even quicker. Or do it properly.

[Billfitz]

I don't use my brush on the barrels. I use a Scotchbrite pad, along with Brown Royal. I use the brush, when required, between the spokes.

[chowser51]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

Since I started using Brown Royal I very seldom need to use a brush.
https://www.flashautodetailproducts....-tire-cleaner/

Billfitz


My order of Brown Royal just arrived! Ready to try it out once these T-storms stop.

Do you have any wax or sealant on your wheels or do you just spray the Brown Royal on and rinse off?

Just wondering what Brown Royal does to wheel wax. I finally ran out of my ancient Poor Boy's wheel sealant I've had since my last car.

[Billfitz]

I treated my wheels with Wipe New Brake Dust Defender. Brown Royal doesn't bother it. While the wheels are off I use Brown Royal to clean the calipers and rotor hubs and then touch them up with caliper paint. I use Brown Royal to clean the engine as well. I use a 50-50 water mix for most jobs, straight only when it's nasty baked on grease.

[Desertnate]

I've always heard people talk about Brown Royal. Is it a regular use type of product or one of those you break out for big problems?

The previous owner of my car did not regularly clean his wheels and I've got some patches of baked on break dust which I can't seem to remove. They are in small grooves of the front face, so I don't want to go after them with an abrasive pad. I'm willing to give strong chemistry a chance one last time before giving up and living with the spots until I replace the wheels.

[Billfitz]

Brown Royal is a super concentrated detergent. Used straight it will cut through baked on grease like a hot knife through soft butter. You can dilute it with water by as much as 10:1 for less demanding cleaning. If your wheels have brake dust particles that have embedded into the paint the only cure may be to sand and paint the wheels.

[Desertnate]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

Brown Royal is a super concentrated detergent. Used straight it will cut through baked on grease like a hot knife through soft butter. You can dilute it with water by as much as 10:1 for less demanding cleaning. If your wheels have brake dust particles that have embedded into the paint the only cure may be to sand and paint the wheels.

Thanks. I may pick up a spray bottle of it off Amazon and give it a shot.

The brake dust may be embedded in the paint, but I still have some hard caked areas on the surface I'd like to try and remove. If it comes down to sanding an re-painting, I'll either live with it (they aren't THAT bad) or get rid of them and go with something nice from the aftermarket. I'm not that fond of OEM wheels.