Cleaning wheels

[Jimmy Buffett]

Well I removed my wheel scrubbers from my Softgloss. I don't regret that decision because they were driving me crazy. I'm using a stronger chemical now but do not think that I'm going to be satisfied with the results. Ryko cannot put their new wheel blasters on my machine, it's only on the new machines. Any thoughts as to how to clean wheels without friction that I can add to a Ryko Softgloss?
Thanks

 

[DiamondWash]

I was at the last ICA show and they had a retro-kit available for that system in fact I have had my soft-gloss perform the motion for the wheel blasters after I changed the setup questions with my handheld just to see what it would do they just want you to buy a new machine that's all, what about the prewash option just need to change the option with a handheld and plumb in a high pressure pump I have wanted to toy around with this option but haven't had time.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

The Ryko rep told me that yesterday. He was going to look into some other options and get back to me. I'm certainly not buying a new machine.

 

[RykoPro]

Why would you? If you take care of your SoftGloss, it will clean a million cars (if you can find the customers).

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

1 million is my goal. Have you seen that Motor City wheel blaster? $7600 seems a little pricy but I guess that's no surprise.

 

[Waxman]

well there are gatlin guns which spin and clean the wheels and rockers. Lotsa washes by me call that the underbody wash but it aims more at rims/tires/rocker panels.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

I guess that's what the Motor City ones could be called. Who else makes them, do you know?
Thanks

 

[RykoPro]

You could make your own since it will have to be adapted to your wash anyway. Do you want the cars sprayed as they drive in or would you rather it to be one of the wash cycles? A stationary side blaster at the entrance of the bay would be the easiest and cheapest way to go.

 

[sparkey]

You could make your own since it will have to be adapted to your wash anyway. Do you want the cars sprayed as they drive in or would you rather it to be one of the wash cycles? A stationary side blaster at the entrance of the bay would be the easiest and cheapest way to go.

Doesn't mounting side blasters at the enterance cause the vehicle to get wet therefore making the presoak less effective?

 

[RykoPro]

Not if you dont use presoak. We use soap on brush machines (they actually clean the car).

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

So would you spray a high pressure chemical mixture? Doing it at the entrance would negate any dwell time for the chemical to work.

 

[RykoPro]

Your wash does not need any dwell time since it is a brush machine. Dwell time is for the presoak on a touchless. I would just use high pressure. You could apply tire cleaner as they drive in instead.

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

Without the wheel scrubbers though the side arm brushes don't do much for the wheels. That's why I thought I might need some dwell time. If I did it as they are driving in couldn't I eliminate that whole first pass with the side blasters and speed up the wash process by about 15%? That would pay for itself pretty quick. Could I program it to use chemical on the higher end washes and just water on the cheap ones?

 

[DiamondWash]

Watch this video of this Soft-gloss with Tire Chemical at the beginning and the prewash you don't need to have the nozzles oscillate just have 3-4 turbo nozzles instead and the speed is adjustable for the high pressure pass http://www.youtube.com/user/hyvahyva#p/u/40/KVX6Zk7uEpg

 

[soapy]

I have always put a prescrub bucket out in front of the automatics with a small wheel wizard brush. The people who love clean wheels will get out of their cars and do their own wheels and tires while they are waiting for the car in the bay to get done. It always worked for me.

 

[RykoPro]

You could spray the tires with chemicals as the car drives in and then use on board turbo nozzles to spray the entire side of the car during the wash. Lots of ways to do it.........

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

I was thinking more of a stationary high pressure that would get wheels and the rocker panels as they drive in. That would eliminate 1 whole pass of the gantry. The big question is would it clean the wheels any better than I'm getting now.

 

[rph9168]

It would help significantly if you could give it some dwell time.

 

[RykoPro]

Dwell time of high pressure as they drive in?

 

[Jimmy Buffett]

I guess if we sprayed it at the entrance there would be some dwell for the residual chemical. Wouldn't that be comparable to the wheel cleaning from a touch free? I know it won't be as good as friction but that ship has already sailed.