if you use simple green on your alum wheels, ensure its rinsed about three times.
the simple green is a fantastic cleaner and very bio friendly.
HOWEVER it contains a substance called di-limolene which is very corrosive to alum and magnesium surfaces.
it will wick its way between the alum wheel and the steel rotor surface and wreak havoc on the aluminum, it actually thrives in an concentration cell that is set up between the two disimiliar metals it will remove hydrogen atoms from the alum and cause hydrogen embrittlement, or as we like to call it (wheel break off )
no it doesnt happen over night, but yes before you know it, you can drasticaly weaken your wheels strenght.
this is why is soooooo important to rinse it very well.
for me i use the same soap i use for the paint, and a different brush, followed by turtle wax tire wax for a dressing, it will build up layers and doenst spin off or remain sticky.
as for the brush... it gets cleaned up real good afterwards, that brake dust and grime is tough.
this goes for all your under hood alum items as well, rinse em real well with a soft spray and follow up with a water displacing compound to get the water away from any alum surface. As for your wheels, when you do your rotations you should apply a thin coat of antisieze on the mating surfaces of the alum wheel and steel hub contact points.
the reason the company hasnt changed this formula, is that it works so well and the run off of soap is just to bio friendly, no fish or critters get hurt. soap run off, not dust and oily grime run off
this concludes your corrosion lesson for today
