Has anyone really neglected their rims over the winter and used an acid wash to clean them?
How much work is involved and do all the parts stores have this ?
Thanks

 

the rims are powder coated, so they are not porus like painted rims, just use a strong cleanser, I don't recomend acid anywhere near alluminum rims, if you have a scratch the acid could corode the metal.

there is a chemical company called "Hydra, it has a 3 headed Hydra on the label, you want thier product called Sprint, which is a tar and grease remover, basically a chemical surfactant and when sprayed on the powder coating will remove all junk, they sell it to the photo industry and at porche dealerships.

 

If you have a Base or Limited with the factory wheels then Meguiar's Wheel Brightener will do an amazing job on them, no matter how bad the brake dust build up is. The product is sold in 1 gallon containers in a concentrated form and retails for $19.99. You can dilute it 4:1 with water so you actually end up with 4 gallons of the stuff for that price. I realize most of us don't need that much, or don't think we need that much, so I'll recommend the 32oz sample size that autodetailingsolutions.com sells for a mere $8.49. Pick up a spray bottle for a couple bucks at the hardware store and you're in business. See this page, about half way down.

Now here's the really important part: When using this on a wheel NEVER USE IT ON BARE ALUMINUM. Don't even think about it, don't consider diluting it further, just don't do it. I've used it several times on my Crossfire's wheels without issue ('05 Limited Roadster) - in fact, my wheels where almost black on the outside and were totally black on the inside after a weekend of track time at Buttonwillow back in October. I wanted to cry they looked so bad.

Here's the really important part, Part 2: For seriously deep cleaning your wheels remove them from the car, and work on them one at a time. Spray the Wheel Brightener on one wheel and allow it to sit for no more than 15 seconds or so, then gently scrub with a wet, soft brush. There are plenty of wheel cleaning brushes on the market and most will do just fine here. Just get the brush wet and work ith into the recesses on the back of the wheel. The brake dust will just melt away. Rinse immediately with water. Move on to wheel #2, etc.


I've looked at the SRT6 wheels and presently I'm not sure about recommending this product on the SRT6 wheels as I can't tell if they're clear coated aluminum or not. Sometimes clear on aluminum gets compromised at the edges if there's a little curb rash, and ANY acid based wheel cleaner can get under the clear at that point, and it's generally not pretty.

If you have aftermarket aluminum wheels, do not use Wheel Brightener. If you have chrome aftermarket wheels, it's perfectly safe. You would be amazed how many people have highly polished aluminum wheels and swear they are chrome, only to find out they aren't by applying a cleaner designed for chrome wheels. Aluminum is very soft, chrome is extremely hard. Be careful, and know your wheel material.

Then go buy some ceramic brake pads - Rotex Gold, Posi-Quiet, etc. - and just avoid the dust in the first place.

 

FALSE the manual states use nothing other then soap and water >>>>>> MY RIMS ARE Pealing from the last guy. There was a TPS on this and everything

 

I'm sorry but the rims are powder coated, period!!!!!!!!
and it's not TPS, you meant to say TSB!!!!!!!!

 

Watched office space too many times damn tps reports. No need to get MAD, Here is the TSB I realize we do not have chrome wheels and they are powder coated...... WITH that being said HERE is the reason it is almost impossible to get wheels warrantied out, so acid it up at your own risk..

2004 - 2006 (ZH) Crossfire/Crossfire Convertible/SRT6


Chrome wheels should be cleaned regularly with good quality car wash such as MOPAR Car
Wash Concentrate p/n 04796236AB, and water to maintain their luster and prevent corrosion.
Wash them with the same soap solution as the body of the vehicle.
Care must be taken in the selection of tire and wheel cleaning chemicals and equipment to
prevent damage to wheels. MOPAR Tire and Wheel Cleaner, p/n 05066247AB – 22 oz. or
05066248AB – 5 gal. or MOPAR Wheel Cleaner, p/n 04796239AB, is recommended to
remove normal brake dust, dirt, grease and grime.
NOTE: To clean extremely dirty wheels, MOPAR Chrome Cleaner, p/n 04318013, is
recommended.
Any of the “DO NOT USE” items listed below can damage or stain wheels and wheel trim.
DO NOT USE:

• Wheel cleaners that contain hydroflouric acid, biflouride compounds, sulfuric acid, or
  phosphoric acid.
• Any abrasive type cleaner
• Any abrasive cleaning pad (such as steel wool) or abrasive brush
• Any oven cleaner.
• A car wash that has carbide tipped wheel-cleaning brushes.

CAUTION: Many commercial wheel cleaners contain acids that may harm the wheel
surface. Avoid all “wheel acid” type cleaners.
CAUTION: Any facility found using acid based wheel cleaners will void all wheel
warranties, and all damage to customer wheels will be the facility’s
responsibility.
Refer to Global Warranty Bulletin D-01-22 for further information.

 

Whenever I'm our of wheel cleaner and it's a choice of just soap or no clean, I've used 409 or Fantastic. It works fairly well and has never damaged a wheel of any kind.


Never use acid!

 

Whether or not the Limited wheels are powdercoated or just painted I can't say for sure, but I know Meguiar's Wheel Brightener is perfectly safe on them - I have personally used it half a dozen times with nothing but awesome results.

But the SRT6 wheels are a totally different animal. They look to me, from the quick inspection I've done, to be clear coated aluminum - the fact that jonnyangel04 has peeling on his tells me I'm right. Thus, I would recommend that SRT6 owners NOT use Wheel Brightener to clean their wheels.

A very safe product available over the counter at may auto parts stores and X-Marts would be Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner, which is safe for all factory equipped wheels. You may need some agitation with a soft brush if you've allowed the brake dust to remain on the surface all winter (inside surface of the wheel, most likely).

Those of you with aftermarket wheels, especially polished aluminum, would be best served with Meguiar's Hot Rims Aluminium Wheel Cleaner. This should be available at the same places as noted above.

Regardless of which wheels/cleaner you're working on, always work on one wheel at a time. Never spray all 4 wheels and then go back and start brushing the first one. The wheel cleaner will sit around on the 4th wheel long enough to dry, and that's just not a good idea.

 

That is correct. They are clear coated.

I always work in pairs doing two at a time. Either side-to-side or back-to-front. Depending on my mood.