Wheel Gunk


SuperB

Board of Directors/Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 8, 2006
954
South Florida
Anyone else got this gunk on their wheels? does not easily wash off:
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SuperB

Board of Directors/Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 8, 2006
954
South Florida
Bought some Mr. clean magic erasers and they work like a champ.
About 5 bucks, takes a bit of rubbing, but does not scratch the wheels.

You can see where I cleaned on the right side.

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Mod Friendly

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2006
72
Plantation, Florida
One thing that works good also is silicone spray (not the tire shine stuff) but the silicone spray used to lubricate things and wd40. If you have stubborn grease marks they will work great with just a rag and a bit of the spray. Does not harm the wheels in anyway, shape or form. And it polishes and protects at the same time.
 

SuperB

Board of Directors/Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 8, 2006
954
South Florida
wouldn't wd40 be bad for the wheels, aren't they painted aluminum?
 

Mod Friendly

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2006
72
Plantation, Florida
Wd 40 is silicone based i think, its more of a lubricant cleaner than anything else. The silicone spray works good on em though. I have 2 piece forged wheels with polished lips and the silicone spray works great on em. The centers are colormatched on em and it works great on that as well. Im used to using silicone spray for tar and grease cause it works well, but wd 40 has also worked for me in the past.
 
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427 Mitch

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Jan 13, 2006
63
Stamford, Ct
I just cleaned mine yesterday. WD-40 on a rag worked great.

Mitch
 

dbtgt

One lucky SOB to own a GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Jan 4, 2006
1,106
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mine has the exact same gunk - thanks for the tip! :thumbsup
 

TEXAS GT

2006 Twin Turbo
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
SuperB said:
Bought some Mr. clean magic erasers and they work like a champ.
About 5 bucks, takes a bit of rubbing, but does not scratch the wheels.

You can see where I cleaned on the right side.

4308562080.jpg
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4308564565.jpg
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Beautiful ad. You work for Mr. Clean? :biggrin
 

canibl

GT Owner
Nov 22, 2005
445
Sacramento, Cali
...last night I watched a program on Speed Channel and they had a segment on rubber trims. The "expert" said never to use silicone-based cleaners on rubber because it will stiffen it and ruin it much like UV rays....water based stuff is always better.
 

canibl

GT Owner
Nov 22, 2005
445
Sacramento, Cali
...on aluminum silicone should be okay...
 

analogdesigner

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 15, 2005
949
San Clemente, CA USA
Wd-40

Mod Friendly said:
Wd 40 is silicone based i think, its more of a lubricant cleaner than anything else. The silicone spray works good on em though. I have 2 piece forged wheels with polished lips and the silicone spray works great on em. The centers are colormatched on em and it works great on that as well. Im used to using silicone spray for tar and grease cause it works well, but wd 40 has also worked for me in the past.

Mod Friendly,

I think that WD-40 is a hydrocarbon based chemical and it's very similar to Kerosene. So that's why it's a pretty good solvent for removing anything that's hydrocarbon based, such as oil, grease, road tar, etc.. It's very flammable also! There could be silicone in it. However, be careful with WD-40, as it gums up. Meaning, do not use it on a super-delicate mechanism (such as the gears on your family's grandfather clock!). I use it on many things and it does help prevent rust formation on tools and machinery. The "WD" means "Water Displacement." The "40" part, I not sure, maybe 4.0 or 40% of something???? Since you mentioned silicone, maybe the next time I use WD-40 on a painted surface, I may finish the job by spraying silicone onto the surface. Maybe things won't stick to the paint so easily. Jay
 

PHXGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Sep 11, 2005
369
Phoenix, AZ
Back to the original question, yes I have that sh*t too. What is that sh*t?
 

TEXAS GT

2006 Twin Turbo
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Road tar?
 

LEMANSZ

Gt Owner
Jan 11, 2006
601
SoCal
the '40' stands for that version of the formula that they settllled on for the final product...
 

analogdesigner

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 15, 2005
949
San Clemente, CA USA
LEMANSZ said:
the '40' stands for that version of the formula that they settllled on for the final product...

That's right!!!
 

biffom

GT Owner
Oct 9, 2005
167
Venice, CA
Thanks for another tip picked up form this great Forum!

Q: If it's road tar - how does it end up there? One would think that centripetal force would fling any tar picked up by contact with the tire away from the wheel - yet my gunk always ends up in a similar spot. It had me puzzled when I frst saw it....
 

SuperB

Board of Directors/Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 8, 2006
954
South Florida
It's not road tar way near the center and not near the edge.
Does not seem like grease or oil either, too hard to remove.
Could be grease that brake dust has stuck to and hardened, but it comes off without a scratch.
Just glad I'm not the only one.
 

SuperB

Board of Directors/Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 8, 2006
954
South Florida
I don't usually use WD-40 for much of anything, but that's only because I can never find it. I swear I must own 50 cans and everytime I want to use it, I can't find it. :confused

That company must have some secret way to make the can turn invisible after a week so you have to buy more. :willy
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,191
Every car enthusiast should have a can of 3M Adhesive Remover around. Here in Southern California, you can find this in the Auto/Paint supply section of Wal-Mart. Once you try this stuff, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. It will instantly dissolve any kind of tar or other "sticky goo" that sometimes finds its way onto your wheels and lower body panels.

It is completely harmless to your paint. Try it, you'll love it - and cleaning tar of of any finished surface will be a breeze.
 

Mod Friendly

Well-known member
Feb 8, 2006
72
Plantation, Florida
Adhesive remover works great but i dont usually have any around with me. I do however have silicone spray from the dealer that we use to clean window channels and electrical parts. But we also use it to clean tar and crap off of wheels. Ive used it for years on my wheels (not wd-40) and IVe never had a problem with it. Just wipe it off good when your done and your alright.

I also use the silicone spray on my bike frames and wheels when Im cleaning those as a quick clean type deal when Im here at the dealer and need to polish off the bike. It works great and doesnt leave any sort of residue or anything like that. Im not talking about silicone spray like the tire shine stuff, this is waterbased out of a spray paint can style silicone lubricant. Not the tire shine stuff. I think we may have a bit of confusion here. The stuff we have at work is called CDi Silicone Lubricant, its a white and blue can. And its worked great for me in the past on the bike and my wheels.
 
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