Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/408388
November / December 2014 17 Now you're ready to start. I like to clean one wheel at a time completely before start- ing on the next; that way you're working in one area and rinsing and drying that area off before going to the next wheel. 1. Start by thoroughly rinsing out the wheel wells and wheels. 2. Put your mitt, cleaning towels and all your brushes into the first bucket then add your shampoo and fill with water. Fill a sec- ond bucket with fresh water. 3. Now take one of the old cotton towels out and clean your wheel well thoroughly. After cleaning the total wheel well out let the soap set while you clean the wheel and tire. You can get to the wheel well better if you turn your wheels all the way to the left to clean the front and then back to the right to clean the back. Do not put these old tow- els back in the rinse bucket. Now get your hose and rinse out the areas that you have soaped up. After you finish rinsing, repeat this step again. 4. Now you are ready to start cleaning the wheel. Using your large and skinny brush, start cleaning all the wheel's spokes and hard to reach areas. If you can see the inside rim through the spokes, you want to clean it too. If you're having a hard time getting the inside rim clean, take a soapy microfiber cloth and wrap it around the brush using it to clean the rim. Rinse. 5. The tires are next and that will require a stiffer brush to scrub the tire. You will probably have to work a little harder to get them clean especially if they have layers of old dressing on them. Rinse again. Now move the car so that the opposite side of the wheel is at the bottom and clean both the wheel and the tire again. Rinse again. (If you have brake dust build-up that is not coming off, now is the time to use a chemi- cal wheel cleaner. Just spray on and let set for a couple of minutes then brush in real good and rinse). 6. Now take your mitt from the soap buck- et and thoroughly clean the wheel, tire and wheel well. Rinse again. 7. Using one of the old towels completely dry down the wheel, tire and wheel well. 8. Now it is time to wax the wheel and the wheel well. I start with the wheel well first using liquid Ice Wax. I use this wax because it will not turn white and works well on black surfaces. It is better to use a sponge to apply the wax. Once the wax is on it is OK to start wiping it off with one of your old towels right away. Again, to get to these areas better, turn your wheels all the way to the left to clean the front and then back to the right to clean the back. Now that the wheel well is waxed, I like to apply a coat of Back-to-Black on the wells to give them "that new look". 9. The next step is to put a coat of liquid Ice Wax on the wheel itself. It is better if you use a sponge to apply the wax. Wipe the wax off with a clean towel and then buff it with a microfiber cloth. 10. The only step left is to dress the tire it- self. There are tons of different dressings for tires out there and most of them are good. I like to use Back-to-Black myself because it is easy to use and gives the tires a new look without looking too wet. Always wipe off as much of the tire dressing as possible. Now that you have one wheel done, repeat this process on the other three and you've got your wheels and tires done! Next issue I will start on cleaning the car's finish. - Spencer Photos by Spencer Cochran