I've been using this little guy with great success for a few years now. It works great and it's only a buck. However Kmart doesn't sell them anymore.
So, does anyone know where I can find it (so I can order a box )
Or any recommendation for a replacement. I've seen a lot of fancy tools out there, most of them expensive and not quite practical, I need to be able to go between and behind those S-lites spokes.
Thanks.

 

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....1002&SKU=92547

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....1002&SKU=10209

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....1002&SKU=15220

maybe one of these?

 

I found something similar to that at GI Joes a couple months back.

 

If you want to make VERY quick work of your wheels go buy a gallon of Wheel Brightener for $17 (D-14001) or 32OZ for $8.49 (D-14032)

http://www.autodetailingsolutions.com/Meguiar's%20Detailer%20Line%20Prices.htm

Also buy this spray bottle (D21040) $1.49 and pump ( D-110542 ) $1.79 from the same link above.

And get a soft body brush like the 3rd blue brush from the top from any local Autozone, PepBoys, etc...


You prepare the spray bottle for the first time by filling it with water until the specified line on the bottle. Then pour in the Wheel Brightener until it reaches the neck. You can vary the strength by how much water to WB you mix.

To clean the wheels, just rinse them with a hose, spray solution on, and within 10 seconds, if you rinse the wheels off, 90% of the brake dust and junk will be gone without even touching the wheels.

I would start with one wheel, spray it until its soaked, and move around the car to each wheel, then once you return back to where you started, start rinsing.

If anything remains, then spray some more, or just use that brush and some water from the hose to get what remains.

Wheel Brightener is awesome on OEM wheels. It's safe, and doesn't have any of that caustic acid fumes from most wheel cleaners, and allows you to clean your wheels in no time at all with minimal effort. That's what we professionals like.

Richard

 

Well us non-professionals like to wax our wheels. Then we just QD them.
I bought a lambs wool brush from Pep Boys that really works well for the face. But for the backs nothing I have found works as well as a Microfiber mitt and wrapping your fingers around the spokes.
Really though if you want your wheels to be easy to clean, wax them with Wheel Shield and then just a MF towel and some QD spray is all you will need on a day to day basis.

 

Hey, Richard...

Would you use wheel brightener on my Panasports, too?

And, do you recommend waxing the Panasports? I get them in a few weeks, and I want to take VERY good care of them...

 

Well that's my point. What would a non professional prefer? Waxing and Qding frequently or doing nothing until washing time and just spraying on a solution then rinsing it off and not having to get your hands dirty while doing it?? It gets the backs too!

It's really not about professional versus non professional. It's about what's most effective and easiest to do for the owner--it's not like it costs anymore to do the professional way.

Depends. If the wheels are clearcoated and not polished maybe. If it's a multipiece wheel with rivets, then no, even if it's clearcoated, I would say no, don't use it, because I've had bad experiences where the WB still got under the clearcoat on finishes that were compromised due to the rivets.

If it's polished, just use car wash soap and water and an old cotton chenille mitt.

Taking care of them well just means frequent cleaning--don't let brake dust build up otherwise it will eat your finish.

 

I have used the Meguiars Wheel Brightener as well and really like it. The gallon is so cheap and goes so far. I liked it much better than the P21S wheel cleaner I recently ordered.

Now for the threadjack:
Is there any way to prevent the rotors from getting the thin film of rust from the Wheel Brightener. I know it comes right off when you start to brake, but if there is a way around it, I would rather take that route.

 

That rust will happen anytime you clean your wheels whether you use WB or not. It's surface rust and comes off when you move the car. You COULD wipe it off--it does come off with a towel, but it's hard to reach. I suppose if you want to be really ****, remove the wheels and clean them, then remount them.

But I had this discussion with other professionals when I first started using WB and they all said the same. It happens regardless of what cleaner you use, and it doesn't do any harm.

 

Check out this thread that I started on MOL for reference

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...=rusted+rotors

 

Well I guess here you and I disagree OctaneGuy (blasphemy I know ). I QD my car more than I wash it. My wheels get dirty more frequently than my washing interval. So therefore I wax my wheels so I can QD them and my paint between washes and easily remove the brake dust that accumulates within a couple of days worth of driving.
If I have spent the time to wax my wheels I'm sure not going to use a product which will remove that wax. So I save money by not needing the wheel cleaner and I'm still able to keep my wheels clean between washes. I just use my Mystique on my wheels when I wash and like you said of WB, 90% of the brake dust rinses off leaving only 10% to remove with my mitt.
Just my $0.02

 

Thats what i figured, and with customer cars (all 3 of them ) i have been just taking them on a lap around my oval neighboorhood (a perfect mile, almost to the foot) and braking a wee bit. Makes for a nice way to get some of the residual water out of the cracks as well

 

Haha, well you see, I used to do that as well. QD my car more than wash it. But once I got Jet Black, I find that QDing often has more negative effects on my paint than positive, so I QD much less often.

What does that mean? Well, each individual should use the method that works best for them. If waxing and QDing works well for you, then that's great! I did that for 64,000 miles on my white wheels, and they always looked great. But with my new MINI, black wheels were a must. Now brake dust isn't an issue.

Most of the cars I work on, the customers mostly never wash their wheels and even less likely spend the time to put wax on their wheels. So for their cars, WB works great.

For people that own very intricate wheels where a brush and constant QDing isn't desirable, WB is a huge timesaver and sometimes the only way to clean the wheels.

Oh and the advice was for XMan anyways. LOL.

 

octaneguy- your pict looks like you killed several birds.

 

????? Since when did birds start wearing nylon? (unless I'm misunderstanding)

 

THAT'S CHEATING!

Oh and Xman was asking just about brushes. We're both were off topic.

 

Hahah, no that's practical.

re: Xman
Haha, yeah but I was responding and taking some liberty in my intrepretation of the second part of his first question.

"Or any recommendation for a replacement. I've seen a lot of fancy tools out there, most of them expensive and not quite practical, I need to be able to go between and behind those S-lites spokes."

 

Thanks for all the feedback guys !
Octaneguy, I'll try the Wheel Brightener once I run out of my Sonus, I like the price too
MiniMaybee, Like you I wax my white wheels and find it very helpful. I also QD or just use a wet paper towel in between washes.
But my problem right now is finding a good replacement brush, I was just so happy with my $1 one....It's hard to find one that goes easily between the spokes to clean inside the wheel. The ones on Griot's look small enough though.
Thanks for the help.

 

It looks like it might be found at a local dollar store maybe.