How to Clean Wire, Lace and Spoke Wheels Without Killing Yourself

Motorcycles and lowriders, and even the occasional golf card nowadays run on densely-spaced wire spoke wheels in a variety of finishes. Usually seen in chrome and gold, these Daytons to coin a company name, have been in style for years, and chances are that their popularity won't wane anytime soon.

Dayton is actually a wheel manufacturer, and obviously is the most famous wire wheel manufacturer in existence. They also offer specialty cleaning products, but in reality, you can clean the spokes of these wheels with relative ease with just a little time, patience, and the right chemicals.

First off, do the wheels only one at a time. Spray the wheel down with a good-quality wheel cleaner and get as much as you can with a stiff-bristled brush. Use an old toothbrush to get the area between the spokes on the rim. Use an old toothbrush to get the area between the spokes on the rim. You can also use the toothbrush to clean up the area of the hub. Hose the wheel off, and then spray again and this time use a scrap of an old t-shirt at least a foot long wrapped around each spoke to clean it. You'll need to finish this, then hose the wheel off, and dry it off. Now, you can polish the chrome up. Use another piece of t-shirt the same size as the first and use a dab of chrome polish. Using the same back and forth motion, work the polish across the chrome of the wheels and be certain to get all of the polish off. When you've got the first wheel done, you can start on the next, using the exact same cleaning routine as on the first.

Cleaning the wheels on a motorcycle, you should follow the same routine. Just be certain that you don't use any sort of tire shine when you're finished with cleaning up the wheels. Just be happy that you're keeping it shiny side up, and don't worry about shine on your tires.

There are some products on the market which help more than others to prevent the buildup of crud on your wheels, most notably the product known as ZoopSeal, which acts as a barrier between your wheels and the road debris and brake dust. It is best to apply this product while the wheels are new, however, as it is best applied to an absolutely clean surface.