From digest.v6.n231 Mon Feb 17 15:07:26 1997
From: "Steve D'Gerolamo" <steved3_at_village.ios.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 08:45:13 -0500
Subject: Cleaning Wheels - Removing Adhesives
>From: Jurgen Paul Gluhr <jpg0004_at_jove.acs.unt.edu>
>Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 18:53:59 -0600 (CST)
>Subject: Re: removing adhesive from balancing weights
>
>i suggest going to a dealership and asking to borrow some industrial
>strength adhesive remover, honda uses this stuff to remove the
>protective white plastic wrap from new cars, use it carefully and
>sparingly on a rag, it has warnings all over it. should come in white can
>w/ red lettering, i think its 3M.
If you've just picked up a set of take-off or used rims, you should take the
time to clean and prep them for new tires. I've found the following steps
to be very effective in making the wheels look like new:
(1) Use your favorite wheel cleaner (I like BMW's wheel cleaner - works well
at half the price of the P21 product) and a pressure washer or hose to
remove most of the light brake dust, road film, tar, etc.
(2) I use Dupont 3812S enamel reducer and some 4-ply disposable wipes to
remove the caked on brake dust, especially from the back of the wheels. Use
a set of rubber gloves to protect your hands and work outdoors or in a
well-ventilated workshop. You should remove the old wheel weights at this
point. The adhesive from the weights will come off with the Dupont cleaner
(Jurgen refers to 3M adhesive remover which also works well but the Dupont
product is a much better value (1 gallon costs $10-12 through your local
autobody supply) (3) Next I use Wurth Citrus degreaser (cut 2:1
with water) again with disposable wipes (general purpose paper towels will
fall apart) to remove the remaining brake dust and Dupont residue from the
rims. Hose with water and dry. (4) If the wheels are BMW or BBS
silver, I use a can of Wurth silver wheel paint to touch up any chips or
scrapes. Now that the wheels are clean, you should examine closely for any
dents or stress cracks that could lead to problems down the road.
(5) After the new tires are mounted and balanced, repeat steps 3 and 4 as
needed. Put a coat of your favorite wax on the wheels to make future
periodic cleaning a little easier.
{Note: If you've got a car that sees a fair amount of track time and uses
dirty carbon-metallic pads, you might want to experiment with a coat of
Wurth clear teflon spray (try it on the inside of the wheels first) to see
if it makes cleanup after the events any easier. I'd be happy to treat
anyone's wheels (at no charge) as part of this experiment.} SD
Steve D'Gerolamo c/o The Ultimate Garage, Emerson, NJ 07630 Tel 201-262-0412
