Just Wondering

Is brake dust, salt, etc. detrimental to the inside of the alloy wheels? It would be such a hassle to jack up the car to do so all the time.

Steve S.

I take the wheels off...and clean and polish them...it makes it easier to clean later.<p>To answer you...yes...that stuff ruins the surface of the wheels.<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM

ep

I found a conical brush at my Audi dealer that lets me get in between the spokes to the back side of the rim. Works like a charm without busted knuckles.

Richard G

Ditto, I also do it when I rotate the tires.

Andy Hedin

I'm pretty **** about washing my car...I picked up a "Detailer's Choice" brush @ Pep Boys which is like a stiff plastic-sponge material on a stick. Works great for reaching back into the inner surface of the wheels. I also reach around the backside of each spoke with a sponge to clean that too. When I swap summer wheels/tires over to winter wheels/tires I take the opportunity to clean the wheels even more. I use bug & tar remover on the tar spots and either Meguiar's cleaner-wax or their clearcoat-safe metal polish on the outside surface. If I'm feeling really picky, I'll through on a coat of Carnuba wax also.<p>Washing my car is pretty time-consuming for me...between the wheels, washing in and around my roof rack, etc...I probably spend close to 1.5 hours washing/drying my car.<p>Andy Hedin<br>'97 A4 1.8Tqms, Wett 1.0 Bar, ABT Filter, Euro Headlights...<br>

Matt Daniels

Thats it?? And you call your self ****.<p>I recently spent 4 hours doing the exterior of the car, but of course I did all the door jams, under the hood and trunk, the engine compartment, and anyplace else I could reach without too much trouble. I even cleaned each slot in the grill seperatly. Once I was done, I was too tired to do the inteior in the same way, so I just quickly wiped it down. I could have easily spent all day cleaning the car if I would have started earlier. <p>I would say that a "normal" wash job - wash, dry, interior, etc, - is about 1 to 1.5 hours.<p>Matt

MarkG

Then I got tired off it. Too big of a hassle for a part of the car you don't even see. I used to use dishwashing sponge on a stick to get inside the tire. I would wash the inside if I had to take off the tire for any reason though.<p>Mark (98.5 2.8 QMS)

donp

Matt, I'm with you... 3hrs is about my normal with 4-5 hours when I'm really "in the mood" to pamper my baby. 1hr is a quickie touch-up.

Dave M

I wash the wheels inside and out every time I wash the car (along with the wheel wells, around the door jambs, trunk and hood openings, gas filler lid, etc.). To clean the inside of the wheels, I use a sponge drinking glass cleaner that can be found at just about any large grocery store. It is a sponge ball/star on the end of a plastic stick (so you can clean the inside bottom of tall glasses). It makes cleaning the wheels very easy, and it even fits between the front brake calipers and the wheel (and they are really inexpensive).<p>Dave M - '97 1.8tm

cll

I disassemble the entire care every time I wash it, it's amazing where the dirt creeps in. Really though, you might want to clean the insides when you rotate tires. Otherwise, I've never bothered.