Wheel clean / tar removal / wheel well clean

[JimC64]

Hi all, I really wanted to get this done a week or so ago but time / weather would not allow. I managed to get a few hours to myself today and the weather was kinda ok, so I got stuck in..

The car / wheels etc are washed generally maybe at least twice a week so they're in pretty decent shape, but the wheel wells and the wheel inners were filthy and there were plenty of tar spots as well as the odd black sticky mess left behind from wheel balance weights of the past. They were really getting to me and needed attention.

Time taken 3-4 hours
Products -
Turtle wax tar and bug remover
Car shampoo
grease
wheel brush
hose
AND plenty of elbow grease

Firstly, it was off with the front wheel to see the state of play, pretty messy ...
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/dirtyfronwheelwell2.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/dirtyfrontwheelwell1.jpg

Wheel wells were soaked and then foamed and using the wheel brush given a good going over, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies and working around the caliper, hub, springs etc. Once that was done it was onto the wheel itself, fine on the outside, just some brake dust and a little road grime, but the inners were a different story altogether...
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/reardirtywheel.jpg

This wasn't the worst wheel unfortunately. The weather had broke and rain wasn't far off, so pics were limited. No black sticky mess on this wheel but there were plenty on the others from previous balance weights that needed attention...
These were soaked and washed and then sprayed liberally with the tar and bug remover to allow it to do its work . The Turtle wax was not as good as I expected it to be and I won't be using it again, Autoglym Tardis for me next time I think. In fact I ended up using a cloth with some petrol on it to speed up the process. They were then thoroughly washed again front n rear to remove any traces and then dried and tyres blacked using Meguires Hot wheels which was later buffed to a shine....
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/rearcleanwheel.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/frontcleanwheel.jpg

The wheel wells ended up looking like this after some serious effort.....
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/cleanrearwheelwell1.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/cleanrearwheelwell2.jpg

Whilst taking the wheels off I really struggled as some of the bolts were almost welded into place and really tough to get off. So, before putting them back on it was time for a little grease to smooth the way for future ease of removal...

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r38/jaycam0802/wheelboltslubed.jpg

It was starting to rain, so just had time to get the last wheel back on and tidy away before a 10 minute downpour came....couldn't have timed it much better

Some of you may notice the calipers and hubs looking a little the worse for wear. I have it in mind in the next week or so to get the wheels off again and get them all repainted and freshend up for the good weather ( hopefully ).
I'll probably use some cutting compound / polish on the faces of the wheels too just to finish them off. They are pretty good really, but there's a few slight scratches here n there that could do with attention.

Thanks for looking...

[kite]

Looking good Jim.
I've been meaning to do my wheels and arches ready for the summer.
I've brought Autoglym tar remover, which I 've not used before, seeing yours has
made me feel guilty, I'll do mine on my next rest days.

[JimC64]

Cool, how about a post of yours and how they turn out?
Maybe a pic fest icluding the products / methods you use too?

Its always good to find out how someone else tackles the same job as you usually find some good tips n tricks

look forward to it Kite:beerchug:

If n when I get round to repainting my calipers n hubs over the next week or so, I'll post it up and try and show the complete look

[kite]

I have painted the calipers on both cars using JAPLAC, available from B&Q, they do a range of colours

[eob]

Way to steal my avatar jim. ;)

[golfgt140]

Very impressive & thorough job. Did you use anything to protect the wheels (wax etc) before putting them back on?

Also for a job like that, were you just using your car's jack? I have to paint my calipers as they are orange with rust. Just wondering can the jack hold a car for a few hrs at a time, and is the cars body rigid enough to be held up at one point for a long time.

Thanks

[JimC64]

Kite - I've heard good things about Japlac, but always used hammerite smooth with great results.....I'd really be interested to hear from a few members about their opinions and the differences between the two...I may be tempted to try it this time, we'll see!

Eob - Please accept a public apology :beerchug:...I'm a patriotic Scot and just loved it when I saw it!

Golfgt140 - Thanks for the comments. I didn't have time to put any wax / sealant on them but I really need too to help protect them.
Yes I was just using the car jack. Terrible and bad practice I know:(, but done it for years on good level ground with the handbrake on, in gear with no issues. Having said that, I'd recommend using axle stands wherever possible.:beerchug:

[kite]

I find Poorboys Wheel Wax is pretty good, smells nice too

[JimC64]

Kite..I've heard great things about that too:approve:
Nattys blue paste wax is supposed to be great for dark coloured vehicles bodywork too:approve:

[winnie070383]

nice job, i need to get my wheels of and have a good cleaning session on them, my tip would be next time your wheels are of put copper grease on your wheels knuts, normal grease just burns away with the heat of the brakes :drive:

[JimC64]

Cheers winnie:beerchug: