I've always used Westley's Bleche White to clean my tires. After getting these polished aluminum rims though, I was wondering if it takes the wax/polish off quicker. I know they're high maintenance wheels, but they really look terrible and I just polished them a couple months ago. I could be wrong, it might just be all the salt on the roads that messed them up so quick. What's everbody else use to clean their tires?

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'97 F-150 Lariat SuperCab 4X4

• White/Silver, 4.6L, Auto.
• Tinted Windows/Bedmat/Toolbox/Lund Bug Deflector/Ventvisors/Extra Horns
• 265/75/16 BFGoodrich AT's on polished 16x8 AR-136's
• Cat-back Dual Exhaust (Straight pipes with big chrome tips)
• Black Polar Bear Grille Guard
• Cranked Torsion Bars for 1" Lift

 

You hit the nail on the head there, Flatlander, They are a pain to keep up. I've used cleaners on aluminum (non-polished)wheels that ruined the finish.(turned them black!) You can have a place polish them back out for you,but it's fairly expensive. Try some Mothers mag wheel polish on them,it may work. I really
don't use anything to clean the tires,aside from car wash concentrate,or comet/ajax and a brush,if they have white letters,,,,98

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[This message has been edited by 98SCREAMER (edited 01-08-2001).]

 

Thanks 98, that's the stuff I bought last fall to clean them up and it works great. I just got kinda tired of polishing each wheel for an hour or so by hand (and didn't really want to do it ever again LOL!) Oh well, maybe somebody will steal 'em or something.

 

I tried a few different wheel cleaners till I tried EagleOne AtoZ it is the best stuff for polished or in my case Billet wheels. This stuff is the best TRUST me. Make sure your rims are cool when you wash them.
Here is a pic of my truck with the shiny billet rims


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1999 F150 4x4 4.6V8 regcab/shortbed
Oxford White with Wedgewood Blue two tone, with Blue Captains chairs
Bullet Cat Back, Superchip, K&N FIPK Intake.
Centerline Saber rims 17x8" with Firestone GTA 275/60hr-17 tires.
Alpine CDA-7845, ADS P640 Amp, Focal Poly Kevlar seperates.
SILVER 2001 LIGHTNING on order
http://members.tripod.com/donf150/Welcome/id7.html

 

Flatlander,

I have used simply green, some foam crap (maybe STP or Armor-all tire cleaner) and eagle one tire/rim cleaner for rims with a clearcoat.

They all stunk for getting the tire clean. For getting the rims clean and removing brake dust the Eagle One cleaner works best for me. Do you or anyone else know if the Westley's Bleach White would remove the clearcoat from the rims? (Maybe I am asking the same question that you are w/polished rims) I have used Bleach white in the past and found that it worked great for cleaning the tires. I am just afraid that it will remove the clearcoat and that would suck.


-Tills

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2001 F-150XLT SuperCab, Styleside, Silver, 4X4, 4R100, 5.4L, 3.55LS, 17in Rubber, Sport Package, Bedliner, Sliding Rear Window and A partridge in a pear tree...

 

I've never had a problem with it on clear coated wheels or chrome or painted. I think these polished aluminum wheels are just a big pain in the...

 

Just my $.02! I had the factory aluminum wheels on my Explorer polished, (1st mistake)
found out the wheels had to be totally cooled off, before westleys bleache white could be used on the rubber. (2nd mistake) GOD help you if westleys got on the aluminum, you had to hand polish the wheels using Met-All polish. But if the wheel was factory clear coated, it seemed to not spot from westleys.

 

Thanks guys, maybe it is that cleaner messing them up so quick. I'll save it for the wife's Blazer and get me some better stuff
I know about making sure the wheels are out of the sun before spraying them with water, learned that right off the bat after I screwed them up the first time!
Nice looking truck (and wheels) Don C, I probably should have saved up my money and got better wheels in the first place.

 

Use a SOS pad to clean your tires. It works great.

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2000 F150 XLT 4x4 Short Bed. Amazon Green, 5.4L, SuperCab, ORP, Tow Package, Sliding Rear Window, Electronic Shift, Keyless Entry, LT265-70-17 Tires, Clarion Pro Audio, Herculiner Bedliner, Air Silencer Removed.

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What then do you guys use to clean your tires with that will not harm the rims if they are clearcoated? I used to use Westley's bleach and that really cleaned the tires but when I clean them now with car wash AND Eagle One it still does not get them clean. I don't want harm the clearcoat.

98Screamer- is AJAX like Comet?? We have a ton of that stuff around the house and I would be wiling to try that.

-Tills

 

Bleche White WILL damage the clearcoat on wheels. My brother swore by it for cleaning tires until a few months later he noticed the damage to the finish on his rims, I don't know about uncoated aluminum.