Automatic car wash tracks- will it fit?

[Bricazo]

Looking for anyone with experience taking their jeep through an automatic car wash with new rims and tires.. My new setup has my tires at 11.5" wide now and not sure if it would fit? I know they are not the best, but the cold winters here in the northeast leave me no choice if I want to get the salt off in the winter. I just ordered a waterless wash that I was going to try but I 'm worried about that to, not sure how well they work and what about swirl marks?

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[Rhinebeck01]

@Bricazo

One of my residences is in NY. ..... So, I hear ya about Winter, etc.. the friggin hoses even freeze so you cannot wash outside.

Can tell you, I learned years ago to not use drive thru car washes when driving a modded Wrangler... or at that matter most any modded vehicle that has aftermarket rims/wheels.

You are far better off, just going to a Quarter car wash, getting out and doing it with the spray wand. This way you can get the fender wells, a tad of the under carriage and do an especially good job on the rims/wheels.

Along with the cleaning aspect.... often rims/wheels can be damaged when going through the drive thru.

The dirty scrub brushes that scrub/clean down there, just grind in the sand and salt into your rims and in the Spring you will go chitt, look at the swirls, scratches in my rims. Of course you may also find that the tracks in the drive thru, nicked/chipped your rims...

So, best bet is to avoid any kind of automated car wash ... avoid in the Summer and in the Winter.. Well, unless you have no concern about the damage that could be caused..

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[Chocolate Thunder]

I went through one yesterday and asked beforehand. He asked how wide my tires are and I told him 12.5” (315mm is actually about 12.4”). He said they accommodate up to 13.5”. I didn’t have any damage. However it did a crappy job and I won’t go back again. Didn’t clean behind the spare, around mirrors and door handles, wheels, undercarriage, or wheel wells worth a crap. And I paid an upchcarge specifically to clean wheels and undercarriage. YMMV.

 

[cbrenthus]

@BricazoYou are far better off, just going to a Quarter car wash, getting out and doing it with the spray wand. This way you can get the fender wells, a tad of the under carriage and do an especially good job on the rims/wheels..

^^^ This - several years ago I was up north during a bad winter in my less than year old mustang. I would stop by the wand places every so often and just spray it down, no soap, high pressure only where needed like under the fenders. I would never put any vehicle through an auto car wash, especially a convertible or removable top.

 

[Bricazo]

I went through one yesterday and asked beforehand. He asked how wide my tires are and I told him 12.5” (315mm is actually about 12.4”). He said they accommodate up to 13.5”. I didn’t have any damage. However it did a crappy job and I won’t go back again. Didn’t clean behind the spare, around mirrors and door handles, wheels, undercarriage, or wheel wells worth a crap. And I paid an upchcarge specifically to clean wheels and undercarriage. YMMV.

I hear you and they do suck, I usually have to pull over and do my own touch ups after but it beats freezing my $ss off! LOL Good to know that it does fit in the tracks as an option in the dead of winter.

 

[Bricazo]

@Bricazo

One of my residences is in NY. ..... So, I hear ya about Winter, etc.. the friggin hoses even freeze so you cannot wash outside.

Can tell you, I learned years ago to not use drive thru car washes when driving a modded Wrangler... or at that matter most any modded vehicle that has aftermarket rims/wheels.

You are far better off, just going to a Quarter car wash, getting out and doing it with the spray wand. This way you can get the fender wells, a tad of the under carriage and do an especially good job on the rims/wheels.

Along with the cleaning aspect.... often rims/wheels can be damaged when going through the drive thru.

The dirty scrub brushes that scrub/clean down there, just grind in the sand and salt into your rims and in the Spring you will go chitt, look at the swirls, scratches in my rims. Of course you may also find that the tracks in the drive thru, nicked/chipped your rims...

So, best bet is to avoid any kind of automated car wash ... avoid in the Summer and in the Winter.. Well, unless you have no concern about the damage that could be caused..

.

I completely agree with you! I just found a touchless automatic one with no tracks! I'm thinking I'll run it through that then spray it with waterless wash and wipe it down real quick and see how that turns out. At the least it's got to be better than the one with the brushes when I can't do it at home.

 

[lookitsadam]

I've gone through an automatic wash a few times with my 12.5in wheels with no problem. The only small issue I had is with the bull bar on my front bumper. A car wash attendant walked through next to my Jeep and lifted the giant spinning brush that goes over your hood/roof so the spinning tassels didn't accidentally get wrapped around it.

Not bad for a quick wash, but I prefer the self spray ones.

 

[Bricazo]

I ordered this stuff.. I'll give it a try over the weekend and report back.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X04JRMU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

I ordered this stuff.. I'll give it a try over the weekend and report back.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X04JRMU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used to be a professional detailed. One of the only “waterless” wash products I’d recommend is Optimum No Rinse.
https://www.detailedimage.com/wax.p...o-Rinse-Wash-Shine-2010-Formula-P444/32oz-S1/

 

[Bricazo]

I used to be a professional detailed. One of the only “waterless” wash products I’d recommend is Optimum No Rinse.
https://www.detailedimage.com/wax.p...o-Rinse-Wash-Shine-2010-Formula-P444/32oz-S1/

Thanks for the advice... BTW That's a great site! I'll be ordering some stuff for sure.

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

You’re welcome. It is a great site, tons of good info for the guy washing his vehicle in his driveway or elite detailing professionals.

 

[Married2MyJeep]

I used to be a professional detailed. One of the only “waterless” wash products I’d recommend is Optimum No Rinse.
https://www.detailedimage.com/wax.p...o-Rinse-Wash-Shine-2010-Formula-P444/32oz-S1/

I just posted about washing a naked JL, and got 2 replies recommending that same product (which I hadn't ever heard of due to never washing my prior boring vehicles) lol

 

[Chocolate Thunder]

I just posted about washing a naked JL, and got 2 replies recommending that same product (which I hadn't ever heard of due to never washing my prior boring vehicles) lol

It’s no substitute for a proper thorough wash, but as waterless detail products go it’s one of the best.

 

[Mjmi69]

I use a car wash 3 times a week in an auto car wash, the tires fit with no problem, the cleaning of the tires come out good, you do have to wipe down behind the spare tire of course since there is a tire blocking the wash from getting behind it but that’s common sense. No marks on paint but I did apply a ceramic coating Gyeon Pure, Rim, Tire & View. Great products and so far so good.

 

[Married2MyJeep]

It’s no substitute for a proper thorough wash, but as waterless detail products go it’s one of the best.

Loos like my reply from work didn't go through earlier, but I had mentioned that I picked uo this stuff and a good wash kit from Autogeeks for a great price! BTW someone said it was a bad idea for black paint, especially the Mopar variety... I'm curious to know your thoughts/experience on that as a detailer?

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