Topic: Alloy wheels

[honda41]

Hi all,

I'm planning on purchasing a set of winter tires & rims soon which best protects alloy wheels...
But, I just wondering what I could do in the meantime to protect my alloys??

Use some kind of wax??
Maybe just wash them as often as possible??

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

[Snowman]

Waxing them will help when you are cleaning them and protect the finish between washes. Cleaning them frequently is the best, and do the car while you’re at it

[safristi]

..Dear ABBEY....
                           I have trouble doing the wheels & car when I'm AT IT...is this NORMAL in Sudbury???
                                                             Yours Bending Backwards.

[Arthur Dent]

Dear Bending Backwards in Sudbury,

Try more lotion.

Abbey.

[dr_spock]

Wash and wax them frequently if you're in a province that likes to salt the roads.

[barrie1]

1st determine what metal they are made of and then get the correct cleaner and polish or wax for them. Keep them clean especially when you are going to wax or polish them. Stay away from scrapping the curbs and you should be OK for a long time. 

[honda41]

Thanks for all your replies

What kind of alloy wheel cleaner and wax would you all suggest for alloys??

Will a wheel cleaner, such as "Black Magic Wheel Cleaner" or "Eagle One All-Finish Wheel Cleaner", from Canadian Tire be ok?

Then, will a wax like "Mothers Carnauba Wax" work?
Any other suggestions for a wax?

[X-Traction]

Despite their metallic appearance, most alloy wheels these days are painted and/or clearcoated.  So you'd maintain them the same way you would the painted body panels.  Polishing compounds will wear down the paint, and presumably touching up nicks will help prevent corrosion from spreading under the paint.  If this happens to you, it will ruin the appearance of the wheels, and getting it fixed costs as much as new wheels.

[paulk]

Most alloy wheels are painted?  Is that accurate?

[tgr_clw]

Yes.

[vz64]

Even those freaking expensive BBS forged wheels ($1500 a corner) on STi are painted.  I think a paint coat provides extra-protection.

[X-Traction]

I think the early alloy wheels were uncoated, and keeping them free of corrosion and brake dust was a constant chore that generated a whole industry of compounds.  The maintenance many people believe alloy wheels still need is just a persistent hangover from those days.

Just leave a bare piece of aluminum in a salt solution for a while and see what it looks like.  Or take a look at some unmaintained old coated alloy wheels.

I patched up a set rather than pay more than they cost me, to have them refinished.  I assure you they looked like raw metal, but had a thick clearcoat on them.  Where the wheel weights attached, the clearcoat had been cut, allowing moisture and corrosion to spread under the clearcoat.