Wheel Care Tips

what does the Owner's Manual say?

Lot's of good wheel cleaner chemicals out there, but you don't want to eat thru any factory coating that might be on the wheels. For mine, the manual says use mild car wash soap & rinse them off - but not to use any specific wheel cleaners.

.......I think the trick is to clean them fairly often and not let the crud collect and harden on.

And only clean with good ol carwash soap and water. Don't use that spray on wheel cleaner as it will just strip the protective coating on the aluminum and you will wind up with corrosion.

Inert brake dust won't hurt anything. Water is the real enemy. With time, it will cause pitting of the aluminum. On polished wheels, wax can help protect the surface, and make it easier to wash off the brake dust. Then the wax promotes drying. With dull surfaced wheels, a little aluminum chemistry is good to know. Like iron, aluminum forms an oxide on reacting with the oxygen in the atmosphere. But unlike iron, aluminum oxide is a hard, tough coating that protects the aluminum underneath from further damage. You don't want to scratch that stuff off with harsh cleaners or stiff brushes. Use a soft sponge, a mild detergent or soap, and make sure to rinse off all the cleaner when done. Resist the temptation to clean the wheels too frequently, but every time you do so, make sure that they are completely clean and dry when you are done.

At least you don't have to worry about rust forming under paint, and wheels turning brown as a result. ;^)

Earle

Good wax helps, unfortunately is a pain to apply frequently enough unless you look at it as an opportunity to rotate them. Haven't seen much difference between the stuff like Blue Coral and ordinary old paste or spray wax. Washing with ordinary car soap and a good brush helps.

Jerry Bransford proclaimed:

Real Jeeps don't have disk brakes.

dog pee ruined mine but they're covered in mud enough to hide the damage.

Troy