Review: Wheel Cleaners and S100

Ok I have tried two new wheel cleaners recently and was pleased with both of them. I also used S100 Total Cycle Wash too and will be reviewing it here as well.

Chemical Guys Wheel Gel - I had gotten some of this in a trade and mixed it 1:2 (1 part water to 2 parts wheel gel). It is still thick at this ratio and I will do my next mixture at 1:1. It seems to be just a little thicker than P21s wheel gel when mixed 1:2. It performed just as good as P21s in my opinion. In fact I did half of a wheel with the CGs and the other half with P21s. They looked and cleaned practically identical. The P21s may cling just a tad bit longer but nothing significant. I also used the the CGs wheel gel and left it on a wheel for at least 10 minutes and it cleaned and rinsed off just as good as P21s. I think CGs has hit a homerun with this product. I don't know how much this stuff is going to cost as its not released yet so depending on cost it could be the alternative to P21s that so many of us have been looking for. If when I mix it 1:1 it still performs like P21s then it should be a winner because I can't imagine the cost for a gallon would be as much as 2 gallons of P21s. It is an orange color where as p21s is a yellow color but that's about as far as the differences go. If you can get your hands on this stuff do it and you wont be disappointed.

Sonax Extreme Rim Cleaner - Ok I have been wanting to try this stuff since I saw Carn and Rustbuckets review of it on here. There is only one problem, its not available here. Well I have gotten to know Carn pretty well and being the friend and great guy that he is he offered to send me some. I was so stoked to get it that I tried it out on my wife's Volvo the day after I got it. Now the wheels are well maintained but regardless of how hard I work the back wheels always get so much grime and brake dust. Well I figured I could test it out and see if it really could be a spray and rinse product.

Now this stuff contains no acid and is safe for all wheels as it is PH neutral. So I sprayed it on and gave it a few minutes to work. During this time the grime turns a really wild red/purplish color. I then rinsed it off with the pw and to my surprise it came clean. Now it wasn't spotless clean but with absolutely no agitation it was about 97% clean. Here are a few pics:

The Product fresh from South Africa!



Before we started



Befores



During




Afters (Just rinsing no agitation)





Well I was just as impressed with this cleaner as I thought I would be when I saw Carn and Rustbuckets review. This thing lived up to the hype and will be my wheel cleaner of choice when I have to do high end wheels and the brake dust and grime are too much for P21s or the new CGs wheel gel. I used it on the other back wheel and did a little agitation and I do mean a little and they came spotless clean! Now the drawbacks are its availability to us in the states. I mean I had to get mine from clear on the other side of the world. Also the smell, and boy does it stink. It makes CGs water spot remover smell like roses.:gross: I mean it smells like a cross between rotten eggs and a perm gone bad! Heck even on the bottle Sonax even refers to the smell saying it is to be expected. One of the best products I have used on wheels and all that cleaning power and PH neutral!:yikes:

S100 Total Cycle Cleaner - Well I had used P21s TAW and really liked everything about it except the price. I had used it on tires, wells, engines, and lower panels and even the roof of a really dirty white mini van. TAW is a great product but I wanted to see if the S100 Total Cycle Cleaner was as good. So I made a trip to my local Harley Davidson dealership and got a 5L container of it for like $45. I put it in my Solo 418 sprayer just like the TAW had been and tried it out. First off it is more of a yellow color instead of the dirty brownish color TAW. The S100 also doesn't have as strong of a citrus smell as TAW. It has a citrus type smell just not as pronounced as TAW.

I used it on my detail just like I had the TAW, on engine, tires, wells, and lower panels. The car I used it on was in practically identical shape to the vehicle TAW had been used on. One thing I noticed right away was that the S100 seemed to foam (not really foam but close) more than TAW and that allowed it to cling to surfaces for a longer time, which I really liked especially in the engine bay. It performed just as good as TAW in every aspect. It cleaned just like the TAW and cleaned very well as you know TAW does. It rinsed away just as well and left an extremely clean area left behind! You know its safe for paint as it is intended for use on the total motorcycle from chrome to rubber to paint and the bikers swear by it. While in the HD dealership talking to a few of the girls I know there several bikers came by and saw me holding the 5L of S100 and EVERY single one of them commented to me "That is some good stuff right there". For the price difference its a no brainer that as soon as my TAW is gone the only thing I'll use is S100 plus I can pick it up locally and not have to worry about shipping. There were absolutely no cons to this product as it is an exact replacement for TAW. Now if we could only get S100 to produce their wheel gel in the 5L size it would be great but as for now they don't.

If you are looking for some replacements for the P21s Wheel Gel or TAW then look no further than the CGs Wheel Gel or the S100 Total Cycle Cleaner.

 

Great review! I was watching for the S100 one.

 

great review

 

I too have been waiting to hear about the S100

 

Hope it told you what you wanted to know. I am extremely pleased with the S100 as it did everything TAW does.

Thanks!

Great product without a doubt and a new staple in my aresenal.

 

I didn't see the review on the s100. Sounds very interesting i think i will go pick some up. I have never used autowash and i want to try it out of curiosity Are they really as good as each other?

 

Yes sir! I think I'm going to try Surf City Grime Destroyer first but next time I'm near a Harley dealer I'll pick up a small bottle of S100 too.

 

I just included the S100 review with these as I forgot to put it with the others. And yes it is as good as the TAW to me.

You won't be disappointed with either product. I have used the SC and as long as you dilute it it works great. I do like the S100 better but both are great products.

 

S100 vs a combo of CG Wash and Clear + Strong Wash???

 

awesome review. I tried out S100 vs P21S wax earlier this year myself.

 

Well I haven't washed a whole car with S100, only used it as a pretreatment on paint but I would find it hard to believe that anything could beat my go to combo of CG Wash and Clear + Strong Wash. Probably the best engine cleaner I've used though.

Thanks, so what did you conclude in your comparison?

 

I think I might run out and get some S100 Wash... was thinking of trying TAW earlier

 

so what were thoughts

 

Sonax Wheel Cleaner

Might be similar to that Sonax. Pretty sure the S100 is close to TAW

 

Thanks for the kind words JL but let's not forget all the goodies you sent for Me and Rustbucket as well

Glad we could repay your generosity and for once we got something cool that you Americans don't (you guys have so many awesome products oke :thumb:

 

I am glad to see you like the CG Wheel Gel. I talked to Paul today and he said he is going to dilute the Gel a bit more than the sample I sent you. It sucks that he has to dilute it, but a lot of people want the product "ready to use" and dont want to mess with dilution ratios themselves. Paul says the price of the CG WG will be very reasonable and I do agree that it works just as well as P21s WG. Out of the four samples Paul sent out of the CG WG, the one I sent you is the best one.

I will be sure to give you guys more information as soon as I talk to Paul again, but I plan to order some more CG WG before he starts diluting it for the public.

 

Can you ask paul if it will be safe for high end ceramic rotors... if so I can see this as a fit cost effective replacement for P21s wheel gel...

Thanks for the reviews JL!

 

JL do i dilute the TCC

 

Pretty dead even. P21S was a bit harder wax and a lighter color than the S100. I did a test on the hood of my car (split it down the middle) and applied one wax on half and the other on the other half.

Looks were same as well as the beading.

In my opinion, the S100 wax performed just as well as the P21S. S100 is also cheaper :thumb:

 

JL i tired the TCC today as well as the wheel gel. I have to say thanks for turning me onto picking some up.

I must say i love the tcc and i love how it slightly foams and clings to the surface its applied to.

As for the wheel gel it did a nice job but i am afraid it removed my protectant on my rims. Also that tiny bottle wont last me very long. maybe 5 cars.