Tinsnips,
Thanks for the tip on the Wheel Woolies. $64.95 + $11.95 shipping. A worthwhile purchase considering the cost of replacement rims and the corrosive effects of brake dust etc. Might save my knuckles too:
Car Care Products / Speciality Brands / Car Accessories / Brushes & Mitts / Wheel Woolies Kit
Cheers
They're one of the best wheel brushes on the market. The small one is a bit useless for most wheels, aside from getting in between tight spokes - but it's good for getting in and around engine components when you're cleaning the bay, or even cleaning out the inside of exhaust tips. You'll still need a normal detailing brush for wheel faces and the like - the vikan wheel face brush is good, if a little cumbersome - otherwise just get the raceglaze/mint set of horse hair brushes and you can use them right across the car. I keep the large one for wheel faces and lug nuts - the rest go to cleaning out badges, vents, engine bays, interiors, etc - I have a few different sets, but those are good value for money.
Would it be safe for painted wheels?
Are the Redline chrome wheels clear-coated?
Definitely safe on painted wheels and yes, the redline wheels are cleared - haven't found a wheel it's not safe on yet. It's the only thing I'll touch an anodised wheel with aside from wash soap - I do cut it down by about half for anodised though to be on the safe side, but haven't had any indicators that it would do any damage. After a chat with Dan Bowden about it, he uses it on anodised wheels neat without any issues. Most anodised wheels I come across have copped some abuse though, so I err on the side of caution.
For tar, the cheapest and probably best solution is white spirits - at a couple of bucks a litre, it's a no-brainer. Any mineral spirit product will dissolve tar and white spirits has a slow flash time. You can use prepsol as well but it flashes quicker so it's not as effective on heavy tar spots - good for quick clean ups though as it doesn't leave any residue. Mineral spirits is the active ingredient in all tar removers that work. All Purpose Cleaner will take care of bugs almost all the time.
The only thing about wheely clean (and any of the ferrous dissolving products) is that they smell ridonkulously bad - though wheely clean does smell less bad that most others. Also, give the wheels a good blast out with the pressure cleaner first to both get rid of any loose crap as well as wetting down the driveway - you can clean the purple out of the driveway easy enough but wetting it down first saves the hassle.