yesterday i ordered the eagle alloy 187's and the 285/70/17 bfg all terrain. You are probably wondering why i am posting about cleaning the wheels when i havent got them yet but i just would like to go ahead and purchase the right products to clean the wheels. I just want to make sure they dont tarnish whats the best thing to use to clean them?

 

Coated or uncoated metal?

 

RP,

What about the KR rims? What is your recomendation.

Chris

 

For clear coated rims, like the KR wheels and most stock wheels, treat them like your paint.

Personally, I've NEVER used a wheel cleaner that could release all of the brake dust and make the wheel look like I wanted it to look and thus, I just quit using wheel cleaners (and trust me, I've tried nearly all of them). Sure, the wheel cleaner will knock some of it out but, I always found myself back down there on a knee with a small sponge and wheel brush. Simply put, a little bit of elbow grease will go a long way to getting them looking good.

Also, I rarely utilize a carnauba based wax product on the wheels as the heat resistance is considerably less for a 'natural' wax based product. More often, I'll utilize a synthetic wax or sealant as it will have more resistivity to the high temperatures that our brake systems produce. Generally speaking, I use this philosophy on nearly every vehicle I detail as well.

RP

 

I second RockPick. If they are clearcoated, you should treat them like your truck's paint. A lot of wheel cleaners will even damage the clearcoat. If your wheels are polished w/o any clearcoat, I feel for you since those will be a b*tch to keep clean!

 

I have the Lariat clearcoated wheels and after washing, I put 1 layer of Klasse brand All In One which is a acrylic polish, and then I put 1 layer of Four Star brand Ultimate Paint Protection which is a paint sealant. If I must say so myself....My wheels look great and the brake dust just rinses off with minimal effort.

 

Pics pls

 

i have no idea if its coated or not maybe someone else who has these could say but what ur saying is that i can scrub with soap and water and get them clean correct? What about windex? i heard of some people using it on their rims

 

Mothers Wheel Mist! They have a couple different products depending on the finish of the wheel. Used this stuff for years with no issues. The only stuff it isn't for are uncoated polished aluminum wheels. God be with you if you have exposed polish Al wheels..

 

I agree with DZ on the 'if they're not coated' comment. Whew... that'll be a beast...

My hunch is that they are coated...

Personally, I wouldn't utilize Windex. Here's my reasoning.... you wouldn't take Windex and go over your vehicle as we both know it's going to remove quite a bit of wax and/or surface protection from the paint (clear coat) and also, it will strip the clear coat of necessary oils and such which are CRITICAL to keeping the clear coating from cracking and such.

So, I'm going to stick with plan A on my answer.

To detail your wheels in-between washings, I'd recommend Meguiar's Quik Detailer or Meguiar's Final Inspection detailing sprays. Both of these products can be sprayed on the wheels and can be simply wiped off using a 100% cotton, high-pile towel or microfiber.

My personal procedure is to do this every day after driving to and from work to keep my stock wheels in tip-top shape.

Further, both of those sprays that I mentioned can be utilized on your painted surfaces to remove light dust, smudges, and fingerprints. Regardless on if you use them on your wheels, they are a MUST HAVE for ANY real enthusiast. Remember, it's not always about washing and waxing; sometimes it's about maintenance between those events.

RP

 

Save yourself from all this cleaning hassle - replace the brake pads with some performance pads that don't dust...

Search for 'brake dust'!!

 

RP What should I use on chrome wheels...I was thinking ntx?

 

RP...

You talked about Microfiber... Can you use those for the quick spray waxes on your paint, or are they too harsh?

Thanks,

Matt

 

so for polished coated aluminum wheels whats is the best product to keep them shiny without hurting the clearcoat?

 

I stand by my Mothers Wheel Mist post earlier. Works well and requires minimal effort to get sparkly clean.