Some of you are wondering what makes a show car a show car. Really it’s about one thing in my book, thats cleanliness! And the one thing that can make or break you are the tires and wheels because those are the one thing that see the most dirt, dust and grime. So having clean wheels and tires can give you the look you need. And there’s just a few things to do in order to get them really clean.

1. Start by removing the wheel. It’s no joke because the majority of the dirt and brake dust are inside the wheel. So take them off and clean them off with a good wheel cleaner like Meguiar’s Gold Class wheel cleaner. You may need to make two passes on the inside, but once their clean you’ll notice a huge difference. Nothing too harsh is needed, just the wheel cleaner and a few paper towels.
2. After you’ve cleaned the wheel, you want to apply some wax to keep them looking good. Just like the paint, you want to protect the finish. All you really need is your favorite wax, but I use Nanowax just because it doesn’t turn white as it dries. And when the inside of the wheel isn’t perfectly smooth, the spray waxes really beat out anything else.
3. Tire shine is next. But what people don’t know is how to apply it properly. When you just spray it on and drive off, that’s when you get the “sling” and all the little spots all over the side of the vehicle. Use an applicator, or spray it on a rag and wipe it on. Since you have the wheel off, tilt it against a wall or something so you can reach the whole side and not have any dry spots. Be generous, but not have it dripping. Let it sit for a few minutes. If you like the glossy look let it sit till it dries, but if you like the fresh and clean look go over it with a dry rag till you get the luster you want.
4. While we’re on the subject… TIRE FOAM IS EVIL. It really doesn’t clean anything, just covers it in so much tire shine the dirt becomes less visible. Plus it looks like crap when you get it on the wheel itself. So just don’t use it and take the time to clean them so you’re not that asshole that has overspray hitting other vehicles at the shows.
5. Since you have your vehicle jacked up with the wheels off, now is a good time to clean off your suspension, frame, and the other stuff a car wash won’t get. Just some spray detailer and a rag goes a long way.
6. When you install the tire, make sure you check to see if your studs are free of rust. If you see some, remove it with a small wire brush. After you’ve cleaned them, apply a little anti seize to the studs. A lot of people think this will cause the lug nuts to loosen, but don’t be mistaken. Anti seize is used for suspension parts and engine parts all the time, but they don’t come loose because they are properly torqued. So unless you’re an idiot that doesn’t use a torque wrench to get the lugs to the proper torque, your lugs will be perfectly fine (and easier to remove when you do need to remove them! ) Plus you check them every month, right??

So that covers it. Just a little extra effort on your part will have your vehicle looking better, and turning heads at the shows. It may sound like some extreme detailing, but it’s the little details that make up a lot of points at the shows!