What can I use to clean the grime out of the inside of my rims?

[ilya]

I'm going to have my car up on a lift tomorrow to paint my calipers. Since the wheels will be off, I want to take the opportunity to clean the inside of my rims.
The visible part of the rims are flawless, but the interior is another story. Just by looking in there I can see considerable dirt, grime and possibly rust (I hope not).
It's obvious that they have not been cleaned in the 2-3 years they have been on the car.

Either way, it looks well covered in crap and may be chore to clean out. I really want to do this tomorrow while I have my wheels off. It's too hard to get in there with the wheels on.
Can someone here give me a suggestion on what a good substance is to use, steps, cautions, etc. From the looks of it, just soap and water may not be enough. I may need something with more chemicals (like simple green), but I want to be careful not to ruin the rims. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

PS- There was a bit of info in the FAQ, but I didn't find any specific steps on cleaning out some serious possible stains on the inside of the rim.

 

[BlackMonster]

This thread talked about wheel cleaning a little. I personally use Megular's wheel cleaner. Let me know how the caliper painting goes, I'm planning to paint mine within the next week.

http://www.nsxprime.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001443.html



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Brian
Austin,TX
95 NSX-T Black/Black

 

[Gaymond Lee]

Automotive Simple green works well for this as my inside grime was flaking off while using this to clean my wheels. Nothing else has been working for the outside 7 spoke wheels as I am still cleaning them off from a few weeks back trying everything out there (already worn out a couple of toothbrushes on just 1 wheel). Almost makes me want to buy 2 new rears and change back to oem pads but the cheapskate in me just keeps scrubbing

 

[HapaHaole]

I guess we all have different thoughts regarding products..

For me coming from someone who had a M3( U thought the NSX had alot of brake dust) I used alot of the over the counter stuff.. and just last week I used PS21 Wheel cleaner and I have to say this is the only True Spray and hose off product that really works..



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'92 Sebring Silver NSX #181

 

[English Tom]

I have used several alloy wheel cleaners. The all work and will remove brake dust. They all contain Hydrochloric acid (which is the fundamental component) and are diluted with water to suit. Make sure you hose it off after use as it will streak and damage the wheel finish. Now be warned, the real problem you will encounter is when you stand the wheel up and walk away, my late wheels fall over and since the "spokes" are proud they hit the ground first, and chip real easy! so you should buy some touch up paint at the same time! Happy cleaning..

 

[DeHaldaswerth]

I just finished doing this over the weekend, although my wheels were pretty clean to start with. First, spray the inside with a strong stream of water, then soak with undiluted simple green. Scrub with a washrag or soft brush. Use WD-40 as a solvent to remove grime and tar. Rinse. Mine came perfectly clean using this method. One word of advice -- never, ever leave your wheels standing loose for any reason. They WILL ALWAYS FALL ON THE SPOKES and you will never be able to make them look right again short of stripping off the clear coat. I cleaned mine, spokes facing down, on a very thick, 100% cotton quilt which I spread out on the floor.

 

[ilya]

Thanks for all your advice guys. I'm going to be doing this today in a couple of hours. I'll only be doing the inside, as the lip is in great shape. I just want to get all the crap out of the inside of the rim.
Thanks