Ford Wheel Cleaning Tips

It’s amazing how fast shiny new wheels get dirty.  Returning them to showroom condition is easy.  All you’ll need are the right cleaning products, a little time on a nice day and some elbow grease.  Considering the cost of replacement wheels, cleaning them can save you money too and maintain the value of your Ford! 

Ford Wheel Cleaning Tips

Before you get started with our Ford wheel cleaning tips, you’ll need some car care products.  When cleaning wheels, you may need bug and tar remover, a wash mitt, microfibre towels for cleaning and polishing, a bristle wheel brush, sponge and a wash bucket.  It’s important to choose the right kind of wheel cleaner.  So before you buy, check your owners manual to find out which kind of wheels you have.

Clear-coated aluminum wheels are the most common kind on the road today.  The finish on top of the wheel is what you must consider when choosing a wheel cleaner. Frequent cleaning is needed with daily driving and brake dust that builds up on the wheels.  The adhesives and carbon fibres in the dust that come off the brake pads is hot and tiny shavings from the rotors settle on the wheels. Combined these contaminants are highly corrosive to wheels.   Motorcraft Wheel and Tire Cleaner is great for removing the contaminants off your factory clear-coated wheels.

You can also safely use Motorcraft Wheel and Tire Cleaner on Machine Polished aluminum wheels as shown below.  There are many appropriate after market cleaners too for these uncoated kind of wheels.

Painted and anodized wheels as shown below, that are also clear-coated, are very common as well. First, clean your wheels by washing them with soap and water, then rinse.  To attack the brake dust and grime, spray on the Motorcraft Wheel and Tire Cleaner and let sit for a minute.  Rinse with a pressurized water stream. You may need to use a wet sponge or or soft bristle brush to remove remaining deposits.  Heavy deposits may need gentle scrubbing.  Repeat as needed and thoroughly rinse to ensure all cleaner is removed.

Next, Ford has PVD Wheels that are Chrome like as shown below.  PVD coated wheels will provide many years of durable service. Like any quality product you purchase, certain guidelines must be followed for proper cleaning and maintenance. Do not use any type of chrome cleaner on your PVD wheels. Chrome cleaners contain very harsh acids that can cause the clear-coat to peel! We recommend the use of a soft cloth, soft sponge, or a microfibre towel for cleaning with soap and water just like you’d use on the body of your vehicle.

More Wheel Cleaning Tips

• Always clean the wheels when they are cool
• Clean wheels first to prevent brake dust and dirty water from splashing onto a clean vehicle
• Do one wheel at a time
• Use non-acidic wheel cleaner to protect the wheels finish
• Dry the wheels to remove unattractive water spots
• Use a detailing Clay bar to remove contaminants regular washing won’t remove
• Finish up with an application of wax to seal the wheel surface
• Use a powerball polishing tool for an amazing shine
• Apply tire dressing on a clean tire to create the look of new tires

We’d love to hear your tips for wheel cleaning, so please drop a comment at the bottom of the post and share your ideas.

The parts and accessories department at Sherwood Ford can assist you with getting the right products for your wheel cleaning or to order any parts and after market products such as wheels and tires.

Service
(780) 638-5043
Mon – Fri: 7:30AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 8:00AM – 3:00PM
Sunday: Closed

Parts & Accessories
(587) 860-1537
Mon – Fri: 7:30AM – 5:30PM
Saturday: 8:00AM – 4:00PM
Sunday: Closed