We’ll just be using common dish soap, water and the jet spray here. No fancy stuff is required.
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Hello Team-BHP
Today, in my Instagram archives I saw that my beloved City had got her new alloy wheels 3 years ago, in 2020. When I came back to appreciate their beauty, I was greeted with dirt and brake dust. Ugh.
Matte Black wheels look great, but only when clean. It’s also very difficult to keep them clean. Dust is visible very clearly on black wheels.
Anyway, much to my driver’s dismay, I asked him to assist me in removing the wheels entirely, taking them upstairs and cleaning them in the bathroom. I know I could have simply dropped down my 30 m pipe from the 7th floor and hosed them down but no. I wanted them to look exactly the way they looked when they first arrived. Brand spanking new, inside and outside.
While we attempted to remove the wheels, the nuts were so tight, they wouldn’t budge even if we stood on the damn wrench. Fail? No…
Driver was eager to say, “Leave it, boss, we’ll do it some other day” but no. I drove down to the nearest tyrewala bhaiya and asked him to loosen my (wheels’) lug nuts. He used his pneumatic gun wrench and out they came. While he was ready to tighten them, I asked him to let me do the honours. I ensured the nuts are snug, not overtightened, and came back.
We borrowed a jack from our Crysta and got to work. Lifted the front of the car under both points, put two spare wheels (one City’s and one from my Ciaz) under the car and took the wheels home.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t think of posting this here until I started cleaning the second wheel so I don’t have pictures before the same, but I’ll attempt to somewhat compensate.
We’ll just be using common dish soap, water and the jet spray here. No fancy stuff required. But beware, this will leave your washroom messy.
Soaping it up!
Your girlfriend (or wife?) will refuse to touch you for a week after this. Fair warning, don’t blame me later. Luckily I don’t have one.
The dirtiest and most neglected part of the wheel. It is very difficult to clean this without removing the wheel. Removing the wheels isn’t easy either.
So much filth!
Use an old toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach places.
Brush inside the (wheels’) nuts. This step is also very difficult without wheel removal.
A close look at the MOMO branding, and other information printed on the tyre.
The tyres and black wheels look clean when wet, even if they’re not. We must keep brushing until the foam stops turning brown and remains white.
Inside the wheel, most of the dirt and grime have disappeared.
Unless you want to wait for the wheels to air dry, you can use your household vacuum cleaner, just insert the hose on the outlet and it turns into a blower!
This dries the wheel quickly, the dirt we see is just surface dirt, which we can easily wipe with a cloth. This is only visible on matte black wheels.
Appreciating these beautiful wheels.
Use a soft cloth as a finishing touch.
This is a good time to apply tyre dresser on the sidewall, the wheel will never be in such a convenient position again very soon. (Unless you apply polish on the tread)
Exactly the result I wanted.
Someone was wondering why there are tread marks in the elevator.
Before reinstalling the wheels, there was one important step remaining. Bringing the red callipers back to their former glory! 3 years of dirt and grime turned them somewhat dull. Although I clean my wheels periodically, it’s very difficult to clean the callipers properly. The wheel was removed so it was the perfect opportunity to clean the callipers too.
Not a very bright red.
Some soapy water and an old toothbrush do the trick.
My dumb ass realising I could turn the steering instead of trying to insert myself completely in the wheel well.
The other side!
Finally attached the wheel. Notice how the red actually pops out now. (I know, the curb rash is going to get fixed soon)
This picture was taken just after installing the new wheels back in 2020. I hadn’t gotten the callipers painted red back then.
While they don’t add 5 hp to the car, the callipers do look awesome in red.
Took me around 4 hours to complete the entire job, of which 2 were spent in the washroom. The result is definitely worth it.
Happy car, happy me!
That’s it from me for now,
Peace out!
Keyword: DIY: Deep cleaning my Honda City's alloy wheels & brake calipers