What do you use to clean the wheel wells

[Magic]

I just picked up a gallon of Safe D-Greaser, and Hyper Dressing.

My question is what it the correct procedure to clean the wheel wells? I spray the SDG on and let it sit, or do I scrub with a brush (which brush if so).

Also how would you clean a wheel well tat is lowered and has 20" rims. The obvious would be to remeve the wheels, but does anyone else have any tricks/tips?

[Murr1525]

You pretty much got it right. I use APC, but the SDG should be ok, certainly try it first before buying other stuff.

I hose them down, then spray the cleaner in with the foam head sprayer. Let it sit a minute. I dont usualy have to scrub them, but this is the first winter, so maybe I will have to.

I guess the wheel face or body brush would be best, if you can fit them. Might work better on your truck. Other wise, might just need to blast it hard with water.

Then spray on your dressing and walk away.

I think the only tip/trick might be a pressure washer... which I dont have, so I'll have to figure something out.

Gilmour makes a "Jet Nozzle" for hoses.... I might be considering that if I need something to try.

[Michael Stoops]

Your local grocery store probably has a selection of toilet brushes, one of which will most likely be low profile enough, and with a sufficiently long handle, to reach in and get those liners clean. That's what I use along with APC.

My car is lowered but otherwise runs stock wheel/tire sizes so I don't have much trouble reaching the liners, but you might find that just jacking your truck up a little will open things up enough to offer access for you.

[Accumulator]

Toilet brushes are too coarse for my taste, I use something called a Quikee Sponge Mop. It's a sponge on a plastic stick, made for cleaning the inside of glassware. I get them at the grocery but I've seen them a Discount Drug Mart type places too. Just gotta be careful to replace them before you think you need to, as they have a metal wire core (inside the sponge) that can work its way out and do damage. Those and small BHBs for the tight spots.

My low vehicles don't give me any access either. I use a floor jack to raise them up just enough to get in there. I do this so often that I keep a floorjack on each side of the washbay.

[OctaneGuy]

As far as the lowered suspension, you might try, though I haven't tried myself, to jack up the front or rear of the car using a racing jack. Doing this will raise the car, and unload the suspension and in theory will create a gap between the wheel wells and tire. I suggest a racing jack simply because they are heavier duty than say a jack from your spare tire kit. You don't want the jack to tip over if you are spraying the wheel wells with water!

Edit: Ooops Mike in Orange & Accumulator beat me to it---so I guess it works!

Richard

[F-150]

Re: What do you use to clean the wheel wells

Originally posted by Magic
I just picked up a gallon of Safe D-Greaser, and Hyper Dressing.

My question is what it the correct procedure to clean the wheel wells? I spray the SDG on and let it sit, or do I scrub with a brush (which brush if so).

Also how would you clean a wheel well tat is lowered and has 20" rims. The obvious would be to remeve the wheels, but does anyone else have any tricks/tips?

Ok..this might ****...but when I did my wheel wells. I turned my tires to the far right, then cleaned what i could reach, then turned them to the far left, and did the same, they turned out good but it'd just be easier to take a tire off at a time and not miss any spots.

[Aurora40]

I don't do mine that often, but I find they rinse out pretty well if cleaned this way:

I remove a wheel at a time. I scrub them out with APC+ at about 8:1, and a car wash brush. The kind they sell in local stores, the kind you'd probably never wash your car with. But the bristles are fairly soft and there are a lot of them. It works great for wheel wells.

Then I dry them and coat them with Engine-Kote. I find this gives them a nice black look, and that they will easily rinse clean with warm water from the hose after that for several months.

[Pete-FWA]

My approach varies by type of work.

For dailiy drivers:

Mist wells with an APC, let it dwell for 30-60 seconds, then blast with the pressure washer.


For details or show car maintenance:

Tar remover/Body Solvent type product on any grime or tar
Allow to dwell 30-60 sec, then hit with an APC for another 30-60 second well, then blast with pressure washer

Any residual gets a reapplication and brushing/scraping with whatever tool is best suited for the job (stiff nylon brush, plastic scraper, bug/tar sponge)

I don't treat my wells after a routine wash. On the detail jobs, I have some chassis black paint that I spray through a DeVilbiss paint gun. This last a long, long time and washes well during maintenance washes. Major flaws with that are required ventilation and completely dry wheel wells. Masking is necessary for non-black suspension components.

[SVT Lightning]

I use an old wash mitt and Simple Green that comes in the spray bottle. Works great but then I don't have 20 " rims either.

[JG_Detailing]

I use a tire cleaner on the wheel wells. Something like this one. But a different brand. Wouldn't want to waste a good product like this on the wheel wells.