After brakes, the wheels are the most important parts of the car, and they need to be checked often. The wheels are the only car part that directly touches the ground, and that alone makes them very important. Trust us, you don't want to drive a car with poor wheel traction. Try it and you'll regret it.
It might sound like a stupid idea but it really isn't: every so often you need to clean your car's wheels. Here are some tips.
Be gentle One of the most frequently asked questions about car wheel maintenance is which cleaning agent/solvent is best used to clean the tires. The answer here is simple. About car wheel maintenance, the rule of the thumb is to always use the least aggressive cleaning method possible.
For example, if you wash the car often to prevent the accumulation of brake dust, then washing the wheels with water is enough. This is less work on your part. Plus you don't risk effacing the tire surface than when you use stronger cleaning solvents. But if you seldom clean your car and did allow the buildup of brake dust, you'll have to resort to some serious cleaning solutions.
A combination of the acidic substance from brake dust and hot metal filings produced when braking is enough to etch the surface of a wheel flat. You can protect the wheels by coating them with wax. The wax acts as a sacrificial barrier that absorbs the acid and metal filings before they begin to bore a hole on your tires. Afterwards you can use car soap to remove traces of acid and metal filings completely.
Like we said, if you wash your car often your can replace all these solvents with water.
How often is often?
Once a week if you drive your car to work everyday. If you're a conservative driver, if you drive only on weekends, about once or twice a month depending on the length of the trip. Learn to make adjustments depending on how quickly your last set of wheels got worn out.
Wash your car. Clean your tires. And drive safely.
