Got a spare couple of hours yesterday to get to grips with my alloys. Link below for anyone interested in the processes I used!

http://cleanyourcar.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=16567&sid=c1f4bfcc89c96eaaa56309f1e55e5e3d

Now I have a dirty car but shiney alloys! It's a new look I'm trying although not sure it will catch on

Look great, a job well done. A good choice in tyres also.

Now is the time to invest in a long bar to turn your wheel nuts. Do not grease your wheel nut though, just clean the threads with a wire brush to remove the corrosion.

I have the same problem shifting my wheel nuts but it is better than the nasty surprise of finding that the grease monkeys didn't tighten them enough!!.

I was wiondering what you posted as over here Neil, I should have thought about the obvious

You should have tried my method and introduced clay and 3 coats wheel sealant, it only takes around 4 hours

great work hunty can you bring your box of tricks round and do mine next

I was wiondering what you posted as over here Neil, I should have thought about the obvious You should have tried my method and introduced clay and 3 coats wheel sealant, it only takes around 4 hours

Ha ha, good to see you over here buddy, I'm slowly finding my way around here! It's a cracking forum full of useful chat! Clay and a couple of coats was the plan, but I was scuppered! There isn't much difference in my user names, someone has already taken Hunty! Booo! Thanks for the advice G.K. will have a scout about the internet to find a long bar. I was fuming but probably more gutted. TBH they look decent enough now but I was at the insides for a good while with the long reach vikan brush and they were still coated in an immovable layer of filth. With the wheels off I'll get rid of it though! Thinking about it, if there was grease in the thread that will cause it to lock and be a nightmare to get off. (I use high torque tools at work to build the things I make at work and are specifically told to not get grease on the threads).

Would love to take a visit over there FUBAR. Some useful products in there too, the Iron-X is a lifesaver on silver alloys, dissolves the pitting you can get a lot in the corners of the alloy wheels that is blindingly obvious on silver, not too obvious on mine though!

There are quite a few of us "car cleaning Geeks" on here. (My wife's words, I prefer to use keen ameteur detailer)

Edited 20 February, 201214 yr by Hunty278

Look great, a job well done. A good choice in tyres also.

Now is the time to invest in a long bar to turn your wheel nuts. Do not grease your wheel nut though, just clean the threads with a wire brush to remove the corrosion.

I have the same problem shifting my wheel nuts but it is better than the nasty surprise of finding that the grease monkeys didn't tighten them enough!!.

Why "don't grease the wheelnuts". I have always put a bit of copperslip on them when I take the wheels off. Is that wrong?

Stops you from hitting the right torque values apparently

Stops you from hitting the right torque values apparently

Copper slip should be applied to ensure that you do get the correct torque value, if you don't use it you will have overtightened the bolt(s). Sad that I know that but true!

Copper slip should be applied to ensure that you do get the correct torque value, if you don't use it you will have overtightened the bolt(s). Sad that I know that but true!

I 'ain't a mechanic, but, I do understand that any grease can make it easier to tighten a bolt will generally overtighten the bolt if you use a torque wrench set to the correct setting.

Copperslip might be a good idea, but it might also alter the torque applied to the nuts. Just a thought - I may be wrong.

2 hours cleaning the wheels? Blimey. does this make me a bad person?

Edited 4 March, 201214 yr by RizzoTheRat

I 'ain't a mechanic, but, I do understand that any grease can make it easier to tighten a bolt will generally overtighten the bolt if you use a torque wrench set to the correct setting.

Copperslip might be a good idea, but it might also alter the torque applied to the nuts. Just a thought - I may be wrong.

I am a mechanic and torque figures are quoted with the use of a lubricant. Without it they'll either be too tight or not tight enough.

I am a mechanic and torque figures are quoted with the use of a lubricant. Without it they'll either be too tight or not tight enough.

Thank you for that. I stand corrected.

Haven't got a torque wrench so it's hand tight for me... never had a wheel fall off yet!

Thank you for that. I stand corrected.

Didn't mean it to sound like that. Sunday hangover and the thought of work!.

Apologies.

Grease in the thread of a quite highly torqued fittinf can make it a nightmare and sometimes impossible to loosen off on aircraft components. Because of the heat build up normally I think, it basically welds together alkost. But I guess there is a large difference between cars and aircraft characteristics. Took it to the tyre place near me and they did it for nothing in the end, but they struggled.

That is pretty dirty mate! But doesnt make you a bad person at all. Wish I was more interesting sometimes lol

Those tail pipes will come up even better with some Autosol.

There are still quite a few carbon/tar deposits around each the rim of each pipe :peek:

The pipes were done with autosol and 00 grade wire wool. They need a second hit but that was after 30 minutes going at it and thought i'd save those bits for another day! I highly rate it. The wire woll normally gets those off no probs but it is caked on!

Glad I'm not the only one to spent a while cleaning their wheels this weekend. However, I did spend 5 hours doing it as I changed from my winters to summers. Bought some Iron-X after reading reviews in the cleaning section of the forum and what an amazing job it did. Took off all the dirt that never seems to shift. Just have to give the car a good clean now to match the wheels!

It is an excellent product RichieJ. There are a few companies that do a version of it now.

I think there are a few of us on here slightly on the fussy side of car care.

2 hours and you didn`t take them off? I take them off once a month and do the brake calipers, springs and dampers arches etc in that time

Before Koni FSD fitted

Take your nut caps off 1st you have destroyed the finish on them, and you know you can get ones to match your wheel colour, not a very good pic but if you zoom in you can see they match

Needs lowering!

Needs lowering!

Well you finally admit your car looks like a Scout Chris

I always liked the Guides in the hut next door

To the OP...Nice job

BUT....Alan is right

Take them off next time and clean out your arches with APC

I also notice your calipers need a good clean too..Again I use APC on them and they come up like new

It is in the post, but I couldn't get them off, was literally stood on the bar and the nuts would not undo, I was pretty lucky not to damage the wheels TBH, in the end, the local tyre garage took them off for me but even they struggled. That's why it took me so long, trying to get the insides squeeky clean with the Vikan brush in between the spokes and behind the spokes with my microfibre mitt. The Brake calipers are minging, but will get to them when the wheels come off.

The nut caps and centre caps were damaged by the acid used to clean them previous to me owning the car, I only use a weak dilution of Bilberry to clean and Meg's APC for the tyres and Arches. Where did you get them nut caps from Alan? Or is it a case of spraying the originals? Your advice on that would be much appreciated as I know these need sorting. Ta mate