I'm brand new, so if this has been asked before I apologize. I have white drip staines on my 4Runner (3rd Gen) alloy rims. I assume it's from the eccessive Armor All usage by the assembly line car wash I frequent. I have since stopped asking for the tire dressing 2$ add-on. I cannot seem to remove what is already baked in (I live in AZ) to the wheel. I have tried Mothers, McGuires Cleaner wax, etc... Any ideas???

 

Maybe apply acid and remove it with a pressure sprayer

 

Welcome to the forum.

First...
1. Never ever use Armor All.
That stuff sucks, and is bad news.
Whether it's stuff for the interior, or the exterior.

2. Get some Griot's aluminum wheel polish.
I love by Griot's products, and they saved my alloy Centerlines a few years back.

I had some Armor All wheel cleaner spray and I was out of my good stuff.
I used the AA on my wheels to loosen the dirt before washing with a mitt.
Here is what it did to my wheels.

It would not wash off and streaked them very bad.
I called up Griot's and also posted this on a detail forum I frequent and I ended up getting the Griot's wheel polish.
Here are the results.

The Armor All stuff was very acidic, and did a number on my wheels.
Here is a link to the wheel cleaner.

If you want nice looking tires, Meguiar's Endurance is the way to go.
Links to it can be found on my detail site in my sig below.
The stuff lasts for over 3 weeks, even after driving in the rain.

Loose the Armor All, your rig will thank you.

 

I completely agree. I don't use any Armor All products. The Griot's stuff is a little more expensive but lasts much longer. So I think on a 'per use', it's actually cheaper.

Also, if any of you don't know this already. If you have a problem with your car/truck/bike/whatever and don't know what to do about it, you can take it down to Griot's and they will have someone come out and show you how to correct the problem. Unfortunately, you have to actaully go to the shop and they usually will only do half of the problem. They want you buy their products an finish it yourself.

They will probably send you to the R&D center, which is about 4 blocks away from the main store. Theis where they have all the chemicals and tools. Great service when you don't know what else to try.

 

Thanks Corey...just got off the phone with Griot's to order their wheel cleaner/wax. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Once a month or so, I will take Mothers Aluminum Wheel Polish to my rims.



I remove the tires from the truck so I can get around the lugnuts and centercap with ease, and rub it in with a rag until it looks like new again. It does a great job of removing any deposits from my wheels.

 

My Can of Griot's arrived today. I tried it on my Armor-All white stained rims and it removed everything!! I am now a convert from Mother's!

 

You are welcome.
Griot's products are a little more $$$ than other products, but there is a reason for it.
It simply does what it's suppose to.

Gotta do mine sometime this summer, but the rig needs a wax job first.
If you want to see some of the other stuff I use from them, click on the "Detailing" link in my sig file below.