what do folks use on their alloy wheels?

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Hi all:
What are folks using on their alloy wheels? I have always just used Meguiars Gold Class carnauba but find it doesn't appear to last particularly long - probably from more exposure to puddles on the road, road salt, etc. Of all the areas of the car I detail, this is the one I dislike the most namely because of the time it takes to get all the nooks and crannies of the "spokes" or whatever the proper term is. Maybe I should try some of their synthetic products for this area?
 
I clean my allow wheels with a dedicated brush as the last thing I do when washing my car. I use the same soap like as on the rest of the car and don't bother waxing alloy wheels. Black Magic Wet Shine Car Wash soap from Walmart is good enough for the cars in my signature.
 
I haven't found anything to keep the dirt off in wet conditions. Too much road dirt/ brake dust out there.

Keeping them dry is key for me. As soon as they get wet its usually time to clean them.
 
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Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I clean my allow wheels with a dedicated brush as the last thing I do when washing my car. I use the same soap like as on the rest of the car and don't bother waxing alloy wheels. Black Magic Wet Shine Car Wash soap from Walmart is good enough for the cars in my signature.


Yes, I have a extra soft brush for that too and use the same car soap too like you. I like to wax the clear coat alloy wheels for extra protection. My Nissan just has clear over the alloy and my Toyota has black painted alloy wheels. They look nice after waxing but those Toyota alloy wheels are quite a chore.
 
Originally Posted By: rooflessVW
Chemical Guy's Max Coat

Brake dust basically rinses off. I apply it when the wheels come off for rotation.


I wondered, but never really looked for anything as I figured most would be all hype with very little result due to the harshness of brake dust and the rest of the environment the wheels are in, but I do like the looks/sound of that stuff you posted above.
I am strong believer in Collinite 845 Insulator wax and I have used that on my wheels with great results but I am tempted to try the product you linked above.
I also use dedicated wash mitts and a dedicated wheel brush to do my wheels while cleaning. I also prefer to use Optimum car wash soap as it suds excellent and was recommended to me by a detailer guy at Autopia.org a few years ago.
https://www.oldetownautospa.ca/collections/wheel-wollies-canada
 
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I put 2 coats of CQuarts UK on my rims....just clean with hose dirt and all comes right off. More work to apply than just applying a wax or a sealant. Lasts a long time, applied CQuarts 2 yrs ago and here they are:

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CF3lyv3l.jpg
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These Rims are 5 yrs old. I used wax and sealants first 3 yrs. CQuarts UK the last 2. Much easier to clean and maintain with CQuartz.


Jeff
 
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
I put 2 coats of CQuarts UK on my rims....just clean with hose dirt and all comes right off. More work to apply than just applying a wax or a sealant. Lasts a long time, applied CQuarts 2 yrs ago and here they are:

[img:left]
CF3lyv3l.jpg
[/img]

These Rims are 5 yrs old. I used wax and sealants first 3 yrs. CQuarts UK the last 2. Much easier to clean and maintain with CQuartz.


Jeff


I just looked that up as I never heard of it before. Pricey, to say the least, but if it lasts and lasts and the product goes a long ways, it just might be worth it?
I see it is sold out where I usually purchase my stuff, so that also tells me something.
https://www.oldetownautospa.ca/products/carpro-cquartz-uk-edition-50-ml-kit-with-reload
 
Yep, Ceramic coatings are really taking over now a days. They are not a "Cure" all but WWAAYY more durable than any wax or liquid sealant. I have 2 coats on my rims, have not done anything but soap and water for over 2 yrs now and they still bead up like crazy and look brand new.

I live in extreme heat area where UV rays are off the frickin chart. I needed something that can take the abuse of the SoCal Desert.

I order mine on Amazon, or through Autogeek or Detail Imagae, they usually always have it on sale.


Jeff
 
Originally Posted By: Jeffs2006EvoIX
Yep, Ceramic coatings are really taking over now a days. They are not a "Cure" all but WWAAYY more durable than any wax or liquid sealant. I have 2 coats on my rims, have not done anything but soap and water for over 2 yrs now and they still bead up like crazy and look brand new.

I live in extreme heat area where UV rays are off the frickin chart. I needed something that can take the abuse of the SoCal Desert.

I order mine on Amazon, or through Autogeek or Detail Imagae, they usually always have it on sale.


Jeff


I don't live in those climes so I should be good that way, plus I remove my summer rims/tires in the fall for snow tires/winter rims so all they would be seeing or subjected to is a 7-8 months of exposure.
My biggest pet peeve, which I hope this product helps the most with, is brake dust build up. If the brake dust doesn't cling/stick on or is very easy to remove, then I will be happy!

Thanks for the info and pics.
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I'm trying out Meguiar's Ultimate Fast Finish on my new Corvette's black wheels, but the car is parked for the winter so it'll be a while before I have any thoughts on whether this works well or not. It's such easy stuff to apply that I don't mind if I need to put it on the wheels once a month.
 
On my parent's factory chromed wheels(Lexus did offer that as an option before liquid metal was all the rage), I sprayed down their wheels with Chemical Guy's Ecosmart waterless wash/wax. I didn't want to break out the Never-Dull yet. My SOP is Griot's wheel cleaner these days. I had acidic "pro-grade" detail shop cleaner(P&S) strip off factory clearcoat as well as Kaady's wheel cleaning brushes. Most OTC wheel cleaners are either very acidic or in the case of Eagle One's A2Z, very basic.

I don't see the point behind waxing OEM alloys that have been clearcoated, but if I did I would use a polymer-based product. I do see shot factory wheels though.
 
Originally Posted By: nthach


I don't see the point behind waxing OEM alloys that have been clearcoated, but if I did I would use a polymer-based product.


The main reason I think a lot of people do it is to keep brake dust from sticking to the wheels as easily, so they stay clean looking much longer.
 
If you don't want to go down the road of a ceramic coating, next best thing is a liquid paint sealant. I use Menzerna (Jescar) Power Lock on mine and it does a nice job of standing up to the conditions the wheels see, much better than wax.

Regardless of what you use, wheel removal is the absolute best way to clean and treat them.

From there see my How To Clean Mild-Moderately Dirty Wheels thread.
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I use Collinite 845. They clean up nicely with regular car wash water and a dedicated mitt.

I did prep the wheels with claying and Meguiars ultimate compound before applying the Collinite.
 
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