Quick Review: Griot`s Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner.

[Todd@RUPES]

I had a chance to play with Griot`s Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner on a variety of details recently. Here is a quick review and some tips on use.

Manufacturer Copy (from Griot`s):
If you go a little too long between washings or you drive a vehicle with brakes that blacken your wheels, here`s some much-needed help. You`re going to love how well this cleaner works and how easy it will be to remove stubborn grime. Our Heavy-Duty Wheel Cleaner is a pH balanced, nonacidic and non-caustic formula. Its thick solution clings to the surface, breaking down and loosening stubborn brake dust and road grime. It actually changes color as it works! Spray on, allow it to remain on the wheel for 3 to 5 minutes, gently wipe with any one of our cleaning tools and rinse clean. I suggest our Wheel Scrubbing Brushes and Foam Swabs. Safe for use on any wheel finish; painted, chromed, uncoated aluminum, powder coated, anodized... you name it! There are wheel cleaning products on the market that claim to be spray-on, hose-off, no-touch wheel cleaners. If you`ve tested them like we have you`ve discovered they don`t really get your wheels thoroughly clean. You still have to wipe the surface for a proper cleaning. Any cleaner that could work without wiping would be extremely harmful to the environment and to your eyes, skin and nose. Enjoy this fabulous cleaner knowing it`s safe and it really works.

The test subject was a front wheel on a Mercedes Benz AMG that was in pretty rough shape. The front wheel had a heavy layer of brake dust and the barrel of the wheel had caked on residue.

Before pictures.









Pre-rinsing the wheel, even with pressure water, did little to remove the brake dust. After rinsing I allowed the wheel to dry prior to applying the Griot`s Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner for minimal dilution and maximum cleaning power.




Sixty seconds (60) after application the Griot`s Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner started to bleed a deep purple as it reacted with the brake dust.




Two minutes (120 seconds) after application the brake dust has begun to stream down the wheel.




Three minutes (180 seconds) after application the majority of the solution has streamed down the face and left the wheel mostly clean. At this point I rinsed the wheel with out any agitation. Note: Griot`s recommends wiping prior to rinsing. The product left a fine film of brake dust in some areas, although 90% of the wheel was clean.




For best results: Spray the cleaner lightly on the wheel and agitate into the hard to reach areas (behind the spokes, the back of the barrel, etc) immediately. Once the entire wheel is covered, spray a little more cleaner (to ensure a moderate amount) on the wheel. Allow to dwell for 3-5 minutes, then lightly agitate prior to rinsing. Rinse clean.

The results.






Notes:

The barrels of this wheel had severely caked on brake dust (a combination of soft pads and infrequent cleaning). Griot`s was able to fully remove this caked on contamination with multiple applications and enough dwell time. This is a mild wheel cleaner that is safe for all surfaces and works over time.

[AutopiaTech]

Great review Todd.

This has been my go-to wheel cleaner for all the nasty jobs. What impresses me the most, besides the excellent cleaning ability and the affordable price, is the fact that it doesn`t have any harsh chemical smell like other heavy-duty wheel cleaners.

[Jay's128i]

Pretty good results. I have a question about this product. Do you think this would be safe on painted rims. I have a buddy of mine who wants me (and will let me) try my hand at detailing his car. The problem is though instead of him powder-coating his wheels, he simply sanded them down and spray painted them. Good old Kentucky ingenuity I guess. I don`t think he put any clear coat on them. Would this strip the paint off? Or is there anything else that would work besides this? His car is a 350z, not sure what type of paint used on the rims. Thanks in advance..

[Kitoy22]

Nice review Todd! Do you know any difference between this and griot`s other wheel cleaner which is cheaper? Thanks!

[kakeuter]

Thanks for the review Todd, looks like a great product.

-Kody-

[Todd@RUPES]

Pretty good results. I have a question about this product. Do you think this would be safe on painted rims. I have a buddy of mine who wants me (and will let me) try my hand at detailing his car. The problem is though instead of him powder-coating his wheels, he simply sanded them down and spray painted them. Good old Kentucky ingenuity I guess. I don`t think he put any clear coat on them. Would this strip the paint off? Or is there anything else that would work besides this? His car is a 350z, not sure what type of paint used on the rims. Thanks in advance..

With out knowing the paint type its going to be a guess, and in this case mine is no better than anybody else.

If the panel was prepped correctly and high quality paint was applied (and cured correctly) you will probably be okay. But I would recommend doing a small, inconspicuous spot first.

[Jay's128i]

Cool, thanks Todd

[polisher]

informative vide..thanks

[Addicted2Bling]

I like it, is it ok to apply to chrome? It reminds me a lot of iron x...

[VTHokie]

Nice review! I got a bottle of it over a week ago and got to try it out on some nasty Durango wheels. They cleaned up great with minimal effort. I`ll be getting more when I run out!

[aray]

Is this close to Sonax FE as far as capability and the way it works?

I love what Sonax does, but the smell is horrible. To me it smells like someone is burning hair, mixed with some sort of sour/rotten smell. I`m soaking my wheel brush in APC right now trying to get that smell off....

[CT3]

Thanks for the write up Todd. I have the same question as above: how does this compare to Sonax FE? Is it just as good, but without the odor?

[Badboyztn]

The odor is bad... smells like Iron-X to me... By the way, I have used this exclusively since the first time I tried it nearly a year ago.

[mwtaco]

how is the heavy duty wheel cleaner different from the regular green wheel cleaner griot offers? i know its probably stronger, but why buy the regular strength if this is better.

[ZL1Mark]

How would you compare it`s cleaning ability to P21S Wheel Gel?