Clean Your Rims! - Corolland: the Toyota Corolla Forums

Hey All,

I have been washing my car for years. I usually just take a rag and some on the car wash soap and go at the rims.

I never really get them clean.

What do you guys use to clean your rims?

I've got painted steel rims on the corolla and aluminum rims on the other car.

Any advice would be great!

Thanks

Hey All,
I have been washing my car for years. I usually just take a rag and some on the car wash soap and go at the rims.
I never really get them clean.
What do you guys use to clean your rims?
I've got painted steel rims on the corolla and aluminum rims on the other car.
Any advice would be great!
Thanks

I clean my alloy wheels (hub, spokes, rims, the whole thing -- not just the "rim") with ordinary spray cleaner like 409, Fantastik, or Greased Lightning. I use an old, used kitchen bottle brush to scrub in the nooks and crannies. They also sell scrub brushes for this purpose in auto supply stores; the thinner, narrower models would be handy if your wheels have tight spaces between spokes, etc.

Why do we call a "wheel" a "rim" when a "rim" is just the outer part of the wheel? The bead of the tire makes contact with the rim, which is just the outer circumference of the wheel. Can we please call things by their proper names? Yeah, yeah, I know, I know -- everyone calls them "rims" and I'm the only one who is griping about that.

I usually try and keep them as clean as possible - but since I run Hawk or Porterfield pads - then tend to dust a bit more than usual. I use something called Hot Rims All Wheel Cleaner from Meguiars - sprays on as a foam, so it gives it a chance to sit there and eat away at some stubborn dirt and brakedust. Just picked up some Mother's FX Wheel cleaner - looks pretty good. As for scrubbing at stubborn spots, I use whatever I have on hand - old wash mitt, rags, brushes, etc. to get at the corners and between the spokes.

Around tire rotation times (I do them every 10K miles - more convenient for me), I clean the wheels and tires, front and back - make sure my wheel weights are still on there, and wax my painted/clearcoated alloy wheels. Just like the car's clearcoat - you need to hit the clearcoat with some wax from time to time. I make sure I get on a good coat when new and everything 10K miles or so. Protects the finish and makes brakedust and road grime come off that much easier.

Larry - I'm the same, I call them wheels. Mainly because I've worked at a shop and the owner would bonk you on the head if you said "rims" default_laugh . But to add some confusion, I've overheard a new term for allow wheels - many are starting to call them "mags". Even though there was such a term of a Mag Wheel - quite a few are starting to call any alloy wheel a "mag".

Yes technically you guys are correct but rims sound much fancier than wheels!

I could have said 14" painted steel wheels, but doesn't rims give a little better impression?

I'll try the 409 and such as that will probably work a little better than the car soap.

Bikeman982

I always thought the "rim" is where the tire is mounted on and the two together consist of the "wheel".

You can get custom rims, have tires put on them and that makes a custom wheel.

Hubcaps are another story.

It's all good - rim, wheel, hoop, mag, etc. - everybody knows what that part is. Just that colloquialism or paralinguistic phenomena in speech.

Like how a compact-spare tire is colloquially referred to as a "donut" or depending on where you live at, the generic term for a soft drink is either pop, soda, or coke (NOTE: I call it pop, since I grew up in Ohio - now living, working in Virginia/DC Metro area - people just stare at me - though that could be for a different reason default_biggrin ). But everybody understands what is being referred to in the end.

It's all good - rim, wheel, hoop, mag, etc. - everybody knows what that part is. Just that colloquialism or paralinguistic phenomena in speech.
Like how a compact-spare tire is colloquially referred to as a "donut" or depending on where you live at, the generic term for a soft drink is either pop, soda, or coke (NOTE: I call it pop, since I grew up in Ohio - now living, working in Virginia/DC Metro area - people just stare at me - though that could be for a different reason ). But everybody understands what is being referred to in the end.

I use the same car wash soap to clean my rims.

I've tried those rim cleaners where you just spray on and rinse, but that's doesn't get everything off, so I prefer to clean them with a good ol sponge..

I use wheels and rims interchangeably. One thing I don't understand is were the word "mags" was derived.

Also, it cracks me up when people say "Five star" rims when they're describing 5 spoke rims/wheels.

There are no "Five star" rims unless they're talking about ratings.

They should really say "five spoke star rims" or just five spoke wheels.

I know I'm being picky, but it just sounds dumb when I hear that.

Why do we call a "wheel" a "rim" when a "rim" is just the outer part of the wheel? The bead of the tire makes contact with the rim, which is just the outer circumference of the wheel. Can we please call things by their proper names? Yeah, yeah, I know, I know -- everyone calls them "rims" and I'm the only one who is griping about that.

Where I live, they just call them "alloys". When I bought mine from the local dealer, they were from "DAI Alloys" and that's what anyone I know calls them (alloys)....if they have them on their own vehicle.

Just put mine back on last week and use Maquirers (or however you spell it) to clean them.

Haha, interesting thread.

I also call them "wheels" (which I believe is the correct term )

However, i guess its like "soda" "pop" "coke". Depending on where you are, you call it something different?

Hmmm... I should try some of those wheel cleaner products. I rarely wash my car. Usually just go through a wash, but I noticed that my front wheels are pretty dusty... and I've only had them on for 2-3000miles (less than a month)! default_sad

I need something that I can spray on and rinse out, with minimal elbow-grease.

tdk.

I just call them rims. People have called them that since the 80's. Before that it was mags. Surprised anyone still calls them that. I just clean them with soap water and a wheel brush.

The term "mags" when referring to rims originated because of lightweight alloy wheel construction in the 60's and 70's - the alloy blend often included the metal, magnesium, which in turn was abbreviated into the word "mag." This means true mag wheels would be ones that include magnesium.

Just wanted to share the knowledge. Haha. default_wink