Cleaning the factory JCW wheels

[Roma]

Having read a few posts concerning the difficulty some people are having cleaning their factory JCW wheels, I thought i'd offer my advice having been into detailing for a number of years.

The wheels are a little awkward to get fully clean without removing them. They have some very narrow gaps that makes cleaning them hard work. However, I have developed a routine that gets them clean fairly quickly.

What you'll need:

- Garden hosepipe and (preferably) a pressure washer
- A good non-acidic wheel cleaner like Bilberry or R222
- A long, thin wheel brush to get to the inside surface of the wheel through the spokes. Examples include a Vikan wheel brush, an EX Detail wheel brush or a RaceGlaze Extra Long wheel brush. You can Google for suppliers
- A small sponge for the wheel face
- A 'pencil-type' brush for the wheel bolts and other nooks and crannies

1. Jet wash the wheels to get rid of loose dirt.

2. Whilst the wheels are still wet, spray diluted Bilberry wheel cleaner liberally using a fine mist spray dispenser liberally all over the inside of the wheels and wheel face. Use a 1:4 parts dilution (1 part Bilberry to 4 parts of water).

3. Agitate the wheel cleaner using a Vikan or RaceGlaze wheel brush for the inside surface and a small sponge for the wheel face and just behind the spokes. You may need to roll the car forward a little to do the bit between the brake caliper and the wheel as most brushes won't fit into that gap. The wheel cleaner should foam up nicely with some agitation. Use the 'pencil-type' brush for the wheel bolt areas and any nooks and crannies that you miss with the sponge. Be gentle around the valve area! Repeat this for all the wheels.

4. By this time the first wheel should be ready to rinse clean. Use a jet wash to rinse the wheel thoroughly. Repeat for the remaining wheels.

5. Dry each wheel using a (microfibre) towel.

6. (Optional) Coat each wheel using a wheel sealant or wheel wax. This will stop the brake dust clinging to the wheel surface and make cleaning the wheels much easier for a few months.

I hope that helps someone keep their JCW wheels looking clean and shiny!