So, ever since I got them my wheels have been suffering from the buildup of this residue. Nothing seems to clean it off. Water leaves it behind and I made it worse when I tried to wax my wheels as the sealant stayed behind as a residue and has pretty much been giving me issues ever since.

Any idea what I could use to get these bad boys clean and keep em that way? And to be clear, I have scrubbed these things with PB Bio APC & Degreaser and PB Super Slick & Suds with no success.

Here are a couple pics:

 

Hmm... That might be a clearcoat issue. Can you feel the residue with your fingers? If you pick at it will it come off?

 

its almost like its etched but if i scrub really hard i make slight progress. there just has to be an easier way than hours scrubbing every wash. im not sure if theres even clear on these wheels, theyre not smooth but a little rough to the touch (wedssport sa55m)

 

There are matte clears available on the market, so I'm willing to bet that these have a matte clear on them (our matte black finish is like this). To me it sounds like the clear is slightly flaking or something to that effect.

 

im pretty positive its not clear flaking... it got left behind by water and wheel sealant.

 

(notice its on the lugnuts too)

 

That's true, and strange. I've heard and seen people do slight buffs on their wheels in the past to really bring them back to life but I'm afraid that might actually alter the appearance of the whee.

 

Could it be calcium buildup? Like what you'd get in the shower on metal ***** if not cleaned on a regular basis. It sort of looks like it, and can be hard to take off. If it is, maybe some tub scrubber would do the trick.

 

With scrubbers or chemicals the paint may be damaged. It does look a little like calcium deposits though.

 

Clay bar?

 

Clay is a good idea. Definitely worth a shot.

 

Where do you wash your car? This is definitely from hard water and poor soap.

I had SA67Rs (same colour) and they were the easiest to clean out of any of the wheels I've ever owned.

I'd suggest taking the wheels off and giving them a really good clean with reduced CLR, if that cleans them well you need to start washing at a different car wash or only wash at home. I recently switched car washed because the owner stopped softening his water and it was etching my polished lips.

 

Well i wash at home and the water is definitely a bit hard. What is CLR? I'll definitely give it a shot.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_Lime_Rust

If you do use it, dilute it.

 

I had residue on my black wheels from when they installed my tires.
It wouldn't come off until I used Zymol Cleaner Wax.
Didn't have to worry about it possibly damaging the finish either.