i have a new set of wheels and they are alloys with chrome plated lips and black centers.. what do you guys use to help protect your wheels from elements? like what kind of wax or polish? thanx

 

If your wheels are new....

use windex and a rag.

If you maintain the chrome that way, and don't let it pit or rust, you'll be fine for years to come. If it starts to look scratchy at any point, grab some Mother's chrome polish and spend an hour making it pretty.

As for the painted portion, you could try regular vehicle polish, it wouldn't hurt the paint at all and would keep a deep shine if you stay on it...

 

kool thanx for info...

 

Well to start off i would clay them with some clay that is no longer good for paint.
Then i would polish them with a polish, i use PB PP
Then seal them up with two or three coats of PB WS
To upkeep them use soap and water when you wash, no need to use harsh chemicals if the ws is on there. Then reapply ws every 6 months

That's what i would do

 

First make sure it's a chrome and not polished aluminum. Chrome has to be dipped and can't be easily painted on so the chances that they're painted and chrome is slim. That being said, upkeep is pretty much the same either way. Use regular car wash soap and a dedicated wash mitt that doesn't ever touch your paint and don't use the same bucket of soapy water on your paint that you do your wheels. If the lip gets dull, hit it with the proper metal polish, whether it be aluminum or chrome. Treat the black like paint. Polish it when needed and seal it with a synthetic wax or a wax designed for wheels, such as Poorboy's Wheel Sealant or Chemical Guy's Wheel Guard, just to name a couple.

 

Someone else please chime in on this. I don't think Windex is a good product to use on you wheels but I could be wrong.

 

Perhaps someone has a different idea, but I've been using windex on my chrome 03 Cobra wheels for 3 years now and they look as new as the day I got'em

Recent-ish...




This is from 2004

 

Windex is not very recommend ford much of anything in these parts. There's better solutions to the problems than windex.

And OP, Some wheel sealants have major problems with ATTRACTING brake dust, I have seen many post about the PB sealant doing so. Chemical guys is getting good reviews. Either way i'd just keep them clean with soap and water and hit them with some spray wax once in a while.

 

I'd contact the manufacturer or tire store and find out the what finish those sections have. There is a good chance that those sections are clearcoated along with the painted sections. If they are then you can just treat them the same as you would the paint on your truck. Polish when needed and protect them with a synthetic sealant. I don't buy into the dedicated wheel waxes.

As for windex and a rag, there are far better ways of maintaining your wheels than using windex and a rag.

 

The big thing that I would worry about with Windex on an F-150 is brake dust. These newer generation trucks seem to produce incredible amounts of brake dust. That would be bad enough from an asthetic standpoint, but the dust is also fairly abrasive. Windex doesn't do much to "float" the dust off and I would be afraid of introducing some micro marring to the chrome plating. (Don't laugh, I actually have some on my American Racing 20's!) I'd recommend washing them with a high quality car wash soap and / or wheel cleaner and lots of water - when the wheels are cool.

As for protection, hwm3 is absolutely correct- again. Go with a synthetic such as Zaino, NXT, etc. because they hold up to high heat (again, from braking) much better than conventional waxes.

 

I have heard of PB's wheel sealant attracting dust before. I have never used it though. I have used CGs Wheel Wax and liked it. However, the only time brake dust can become an issue is when you don't keep up with your vehicle. If you wash atleast once a week you should be fine. There's always acceptions like unusual amounts of city driving or being unnecessarily hard on your brakes.

I didn't even think about the possibilities of the lip being clear. That is a good possibility.

 

Ah, but you haven't seen the amount of dust the '04 and newer trucks put out. I'm very easy on brakes and I can wash off visible accumulations every 50 miles on mine. Sad, but true.

 

Since I upgraded to ceramic pads on my 03, my brake dust issues have almost completely gone away.

 

I'll take your word on it then since I have no experience with the newer trucks. My Expedition is an 02. Is it just the stock pads though or cheap Autozone pads or are you using a decent set of pads like Hawk or Raybestos, etc? Just curious. Seems to me that you could probably switch to a better pad if it's that bad.

 

It's the stock pads, and it's worse if you tow.