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MG MGA - Cleaning painted wire wheels

This question was asked back in 2000...I was wondering if much has changed since then? I take my wheels off once a year and give the insides a hit with engine degreaser, then use a good car wash detergent, a bottle brush and plenty of elbow grease - is there any magic answer?
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

Had a love-hate relationship with wire wheels since the '60's. Love the look--hate the work. I've been doing pretty much the same as you--making sure the splines are well greased upon reinstallation. I have found that some of the new wheel cleaners do a better job than degreasers...just make sure they're OK for paint, as some are designed for bare metal.
R. L Carleen

I have pull the wire wheels on all four of my MG's regularly and made sure they are greased properly. About every driving season. The problem is that the grease tends to "migrate" from the hub along the spokesas you drive and looks awful after awhile. Has anyone ever come up with a way to prevent this migration?

Cheers - Dennis
Dennis & Pat Rainey

Coat the inside of the wheel centers along the line of the spoke ends with silicone caulking spread with a finger.
John DeWolf

I have always used Johnson Scrubbing Bubbles spray it on let it set wash it off with little work. www.scrubbingbubbles.com

best of luck: Cliff
Jones

The more you clean them, the less work it is each time. I clean the wheels every time I wash the car with wheel cleaner and a soft brush. About three times per year I remove the wheels and clean them more thoroughly.

Original wheels are typically a rough finish and are very difficult to clean compared to modern replacements that are powdercoated or porfessionally sprayed. Chrome is by far the easiest to keep clean. The grime melts right off.
Steve Simmons

I go to one of those do-it-yourself wand-type car washes. Spray the wheels down really well with Simple Green or TSP Purple Clean, then hit them with the "engine cleaner" from the wand, followed by the soap setting then rinse. Works pretty well.
David Breneman

Dave,
I do pretty much as you do when cleaning the wires. Works pretty good too. Problem is, when I clean the splines and re-grease them every so often as should be done, especially since using those car wash pressure wands, the new grease tends to "migrate" along the spokes after driving. I was hoping that someone on this board has come up with a "trick" or two to prevent that grease migration. I haven't tied the couple of suggestions posted here but John's suggestion about using the silicone caulking sounds interesting.

Cheers - Dennis
Dennis & Pat Rainey

Cleaning time involves removing the wheel and pressure cleaning. While the wheel is removed I take advantage of the easy access to clean any area visible (inner fenders..splash panels..frt valence etc). I use my power spray for this but use a wide spray and never get to close. Soap and water with a large spoke cleaning brush and sponges does a great job.

As for re-greasing the splines I have heard that using white grease causes a less visible mark when the grease laeks out throught the spoke nipples. Will have to try it and see. gordon
Gordon Harrison

Be careful about using too much pressure. If water is forced into the spoke nipple holes of the rim, it will cause rust. The negative effects of rust in this area are binding when trying to true the wheels and rust migrating to the outer rim where it is visible. Even if the wheels are fairly new, flex will cause the paint around the head of the spoke nipples and the inside of the spoke holes to wear away, making them susceptable to rust. A light stream of water should not cause a problem since the nipples seal themselves by pressure fairly well.
Steve Simmons

This thread was discussed between 24/10/2006 and 25/10/2006

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