Wheel Cleaning Kit

Cleaning wheels properly isn't about finding one magic product.

Different areas of the wheel need different brushes, and different types of contamination need different chemicals.

The inside barrel of the wheel needs a different brush to the wheel face. Around wheel nuts needs a different brush again. Tyres need a stiff brush that can properly scrub rubber. Brake dust contamination requires different chemistry to road grime and tyre browning.

This kit contains the brushes and chemicals we use and recommend to clean wheels properly. You can choose the wheel cleaner that best suits your needs, add an Iron Remover if you need it, and choose a tyre dressing if you want to finish the job properly.

Choose Your Wheel Cleaner

We have included a choice of wheel cleaner because there is no perfect wheel cleaner for every situation. Everything has trade-offs.

Autostolz Wheel Cleaner

This is what I normally use.

It's a strong alkaline wheel and tyre cleaner designed to remove brake dust, road grime, tyre browning, old tyre dressings and other contamination quickly and effectively.

The trade-off is that because it is strong, you need to pay attention to what you're using it on. It should not be used on bare aluminium, polished alloy, uncoated metal or other sensitive surfaces.

If your wheels are painted, clear coated or powder coated and you want maximum cleaning power, this is the option I would choose.

Fireball Wheel & Tyre Cleaner

The Fireball Wheel & Tyre Cleaner takes a gentler approach.

It is suitable for a wider range of wheel finishes and requires less caution when using it.

The trade-off is that it doesn't have the same cleaning power as the Autostolz Wheel Cleaner on heavily contaminated wheels and tyres.

If you want something gentler, choose the Fireball. If you want maximum cleaning power and understand the limitations of stronger chemistry, choose the Autostolz.

The Brushes

Every brush in this kit has a specific job.

Rockcar Soft Wheel Barrel Brush

This brush is designed to clean the inside barrel of the wheel, behind spokes and around brake calipers.

The long soft bristles bend and flex into tight spaces while the rubber tip and rubber hand guard help reduce the risk of accidental contact with the wheel.

If you've ever struggled to clean the inside of a wheel properly, this is the brush that solves that problem.

Rockcar Soft Wheel Face Brush

This is my favourite brush for cleaning the face of wheels.

What makes it different is the ends of the bristles are heavily splayed compared to most wheel brushes. This makes the brush noticeably softer against the wheel surface while still holding plenty of water and chemical.

It glides across the wheel face easily and is the brush I reach for most often when cleaning wheels.

Rockcar Natural Boar Hair Detail Brush

Perfect for wheel nuts, valve stems, badges, emblems and the small areas that larger brushes can't reach properly.

It's one of those brushes you don't realise you need until you use one.

Rockcar Low Profile Tyre Brush

A tyre brush needs to be stiff enough to scrub rubber properly.

This brush removes tyre browning, old tyre dressings and contamination quickly while its narrow design makes it easy to use on modern low-profile tyres.

Clean tyres not only look better, tyre dressings last longer on them.

Optional: Fireball Tyre & Trim Coating

A properly cleaned tyre deserves a quality dressing.

Last year we tested a range of tyre dressings outdoors in Christchurch over an extended period. The Fireball products significantly outperformed the others we tested for durability, water resistance and appearance retention.

As a result, Fireball is now the tyre dressing we recommend and include with this kit. We are gradually discontinuing some of the tyre dressings that didn't perform as well in our testing.

These products aren't just for tyres. They can also be used on many exterior plastic trim surfaces to restore colour, improve appearance and help protect against UV and the elements.

Choose the finish you prefer:

Satin

A natural factory-fresh appearance with minimal shine.

Janus

A unique pearlescent finish with a little more gloss while still looking refined.

Gloss

A richer, darker gloss finish.

Show Car

Maximum shine and a wet-look appearance.

All four use the same SiO₂-based formula. The difference is simply the final appearance.

Includes Two Applicators

If you choose a Fireball Tyre & Trim Coating, the kit will also include both of our favourite tyre applicators.

The Rockcar Wave Applicator is larger and faster to use. The wave pattern helps work product into tyre lettering, grooves and textured sidewalls while spreading product evenly.

The Fireball Curved Applicator follows the shape of the tyre and makes it easier to apply product evenly around the tyre shoulder and wheel edge.

Most people end up preferring one over the other, which is why we include both.

Optional: Autostolz Brake Dust & Iron Remover

A wheel cleaner and an Iron Remover are two different products.

Wheel cleaners remove dirt, road grime, tyre browning and oily contamination.

Iron Removers remove embedded iron particles from brake dust.

A lot of people expect an Iron Remover to clean a dirty wheel. That's not what it is designed to do. Likewise, a wheel cleaner won't remove embedded iron contamination as effectively as an Iron Remover.

We prefer keeping the chemistry separate and using each product for the job it is designed to do.

If your wheels have heavy brake dust contamination, or you're preparing them for protection, add the Autostolz Brake Dust & Iron Remover.

Autostolz is our favourite Iron Remover. Most manufacturers use industrial-grade raw materials. Autostolz uses cosmetic-grade raw materials which are purer. It still has the sulfur smell that all Iron Removers have, but it is noticeably less offensive to work with than many others. We also find it works exceptionally well.

If the product turns purple or red, iron is present and being dissolved. If it doesn't change colour, there may not be much iron contamination present.

Important: Work on cool wheels only. We recommend working on one wheel at a time. Allow the product time to react, but do not let it dry on the surface. Rinse thoroughly to remove all product, dissolved contaminants and residue from the wheel, surrounding surfaces and ground before moving on.

Most people don't need an Iron Remover every wash. Think of it as periodic decontamination rather than routine wheel cleaning.

What's Included

Standard Kit

• Choice of Autostolz Wheel Cleaner or Fireball Wheel & Tyre Cleaner

• Rockcar Soft Wheel Barrel Brush

• Rockcar Soft Wheel Face Brush

• Rockcar Natural Boar Hair Detail Brush

• Rockcar Low Profile Tyre Brush

Optional Add-Ons

• Add Autostolz Brake Dust & Iron Remover 500ml

• Add your choice of Fireball Tyre & Trim Coating

• Rockcar Wave Applicator (included when a tyre coating is selected)

• Fireball Curved Applicator (included when a tyre coating is selected)

There isn't one brush that does everything well.

There isn't one chemical that does everything well.

That's why this kit includes different brushes for different areas and lets you choose the chemistry that best suits your wheels and how you maintain them.