ohforester

Will the car washes with the rails to guide your wheels damage your wheels? Since the tires are low profile, the wheels are low to the ground.

My previous vehicle, a large pick up with tall/wide tires kept the wheels above the level of the rails. The 225/55/17 Forester tires are not much wider than the wheels unlike my truck tires.

I would only use this type of wash during the worst winter weather anyway because of the brushes.

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2009 Forester 2.5x AT Silver Steel
Premium pkg.

Blue Bullet

I'm not really sure as I don't take mine to a car wash any way. I'm fussy about the paint work and stuff so I generaly hand wash it my self. Personaly I wouldn't risk it. Never trusted car washes and never will:P

2.5x_sleeper

IMO, any drive thru car wash is hard on your vehicle, never use them, but it's better than no washing at all.

Bobby...

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'07 FSXT WRB 4EAT COBB AccessPORT
'03 X PBP 4EAT +AVO turbo kit! (son's)
'95 Neon Sport

Tussen

If your wheels extend beyond the bead of your tire, then you stand a very good chance of tearing up your wheels.
My bead and tires are significantly wider than my wheels and I still haven't gotten the never to run through one of them.

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06 XTL VF43 4EAT CGM Tuned by HB Speed

TC2000

If you cant wash it by hand, a coin-op spray it yourself or the touch less ones are your best bet and all I'll use.. and many are open even in the winter.

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2009 Forester X Premium 4EAT

Lovesubaru

Never do car wash in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Only Hand Wash...even in winter (warm water only)

TSi+WRX

^ Yep, that's it.

This is exactly why my stockers with 225-width tires won't get damaged, but my 225 tire-width, mated to my Prodrive PFF7's profile, will.

I've taken my stockers with the 225s and also 215s to such car-washes, and there's been no problems. The same went for my wife's WRX's stock-tire/rim setup.

But if your wheel profile is not favorable and/or you lack enough rubber protruding beyond the profile of the rim, watch out!

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Me: '05 Legacy 2.5GT
Wifey: '09 Forester XT

yogibear

I only go to ONE car wash (hand-wash)! My Subie will not go through a automatic one!

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Red Subie

FXTRunner1

My rota sdr's are now scratched from a car wash over the last winter. I had 225/45's on when that happen. AND my rota boost's summer setup has some curb rash on them, not sure where that happen but i have 245/45's on those.. I will not go through another auto car wash again.

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FXT 05 MT CGM VF39'd FTW!

TSi+WRX

What kind of rim/spoke profile? Width of the rims?

That's the problem with my 225 setup on the Prodrive PFF7s. The rim's 8 inches wide, so the 225 RS2s I have mounted on them are just ever so slightly "stretched," and offers virtually no real-world rim protection.

That, combined with the fact that the PFF7s have a spoke profile that literally bends "outward," means that they are very vulnerable (as anyone at AutoX or the track can testify to, these are not the type of rims that you'd want to drop on their face ).

Tire-width as rim-protection also must include these other considerations above.

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Me: '05 Legacy 2.5GT
Wifey: '09 Forester XT

ohforester

My wheels/tires are stock. Normally I would not go to one of these washes just because of the brushes. But last winter I tried one with my pickup.

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2009 Forester 2.5x AT Silver Steel
Premium pkg.

Smooth

I usually hand wash as well but in the winter I'll occasionally go to a drive thru if the car gets really dirty. If you go to a nicer place generally you won't have a problem with the wheels getting scratched unless you have an unusual wheel design or stretched tire. The one I go to most often has some sort of guards that are visible on the tracks.
The drive thrus don't do a great job but I've never had a problem; my wheels/tires are the stock size (17x7, 215/55/17).

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'07 FSXT WRB ¤ protuned VF39

TSi+WRX

ohforester -

I see that you've got an X with the Premium package.....does that come with the same rims as the '09 XT?

If so, I'll try the wifey's in the local wash, with the rim guide-rail type guide, some time this weekend for ya.

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Me: '05 Legacy 2.5GT
Wifey: '09 Forester XT

Galager

Usually not a problem. My tires have a lip of rubber to protect the rim from curbs and such, so my wheels never tough anything. Yes I would like to handwash also all the time, but it's just not realistic. Up here in the winter, you aren't standing outside washing a car in 25 degree weather. Plus the salt and sand they use on the roads makes it imprtant to wash. The one I go to has an undercarriage wash so it sprays off the bottom of the car.

Does it screw up your paint, yup, there are hairline scratches in mine. But at the end of the day, it's a Subaru, not a Ferarri. They all disappear with a good detailing and it's better than not washing at all. Just be careful which place you go to, like stay away from machines at gas stations.

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'05 XT 5 spd stg 2+ with the fast paint.

Ginnis

I washed my car manually twice - it's only a couple of months old - but I have midwestern well water with calcium or some kind of whitish stuff. I have to make sure every drop is wiped off or I get a light whitish film.

Is it true that brush car washes are bad for your car?

How about those touchless ones that are like power washers blowing at your car?

Between the salt on the roads and the dirt roads where I live, an underbody wash at a car wash seems like a good idea.

SUGGESTIONS????

ginnis009@gmail.com