Is Polishing Chrome Necessary?

[William D.]

Hi all,

Both of my vehicles have a fair amount of chrome on them, the Lincoln has chrome wheels, and trim, and the GMC has chrome bumpers & grille.

The chrome on the Lincoln looks showroom new, and the chrome on the GMC looks excellent for 20, with only very, very minor pitting on the bumpers.

All I do is wash them each time I wash the vehicles (2-3x/week). I do wax the chrome on the car more often, but the truck gets waxed a few times a year.

My chrome still looks the same way it did when I bought the vehicles, so is polishing really necessary? I tried polishing the truck once, brightened it up a bit, but it hasn't' faded any in the last 4 years.

Does it offer additional protection that wax wouldn't, or is it more of a "done to taste" type of deal? What products would you recommend? P21S seems favored here.

Thanks all. :D

[Larry A]

Clean chrome with glass cleaner ie Windex

[davidc]

P21S here. Takes off any decay, pollutants and restores that look new shine.

Dave

[sweatthedetails]

If you use tunnel washes, even touchless, the detergents they use contain strong dyes and perfumes which can make you chrome look blue over time. Polish will take it right off.

[William D.]

Oh no, I do all my washing by hand. Two buckets, a hose, and two microfiber towels. Wouldn't dream of going to a carwash.

Does the P21S work on plastic plated chrome? My wheels are chrome, but the center caps are plated plastic.

http://www.slickcar.com/products/aly03318u85n07078058.jpg



EDIT: Does P21S offer a chrome wheel cleaner? All the ones I see are for alloy wheels.

[davidc]

Yes it cleans plastic chrome. I just did my plastic grill, the applicator turned a little black probably from the build up of waxes, QD's etc. The applicator washed right out. I also use it on my uncoated chrome wheels.

Dave

[BillyJack]

I use Collinite Metal Wax # 850 (http://www.autogeek.net/collinite-metal-wax.html) on all the stainless, aluminum and chromed metal surfaces of my El Camino, interior, exterior and under the hood. It offers some cleaning ability and gloss enhancement, along with legendary Collinite protection. For the plastic chrome pieces I use nothing stronger than a cleaner wax, such as DG 501, since any chromed plastic is so prone to scratching.

Bill

[Mike Phillips]

My vote is to definitely clean, (wash), then polish the chrome surface to make sure there's no staining or scum on the surface and then seal with a wax.

I'm not a chemist so I'm not sure what kind of "bonding" issues will be involved with all the various products on the market but I know that for years simple Carnauba paste waxes have been used to coat over and seal the micro pores in the layer of chrome to prevent water/moisture from causing deterioration.

Years ago I spoke with a high level chemist about this and he firmly said "yes" to clean and seal chrome surfaces from moisture and dirt and this will help the chrome layer to last longer and look better longer plus in most cases it makes the chrome surface easier to clean.

Do note though that when it comes to wheels, if you coat the wheel any harsh wheel cleaner PLUS any aggressive agitation via some type of wash media will tend to wear off any wax coating just like you can do to car paint. It's called micro-scratching.

Whenever I buff out any of my cars that have chrome, I always run either a one-step cleaner/wax over the chrome or whatever finishing wax I'm using...

In fact will be doing this exact thing this Thursday night on the huge chrome bumpers on my truck as this will be the first time I've detailed this truck.

Living in South Florida, rust is a constant problem so any measure of protection is better than no protection at all.


:)

[William D.]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for chiming in.

I wonder if there is any point waxing them at all then. Usually I wipe the brake dust off them 2-3x a week, but I'd say every 2 weeks or so I spray the tires down with Mothers Foaming Tire and Wheel Cleaner. I agitate the tires, but just wipe the wheels down. Not sure if this is strong enough to remove the wax or not. I would think so, but I'm unsure.

I'll look into that Collinite #850 and order it next time I make an order, unless I find something that would fit better.

[BillyJack]

Once you get some good wax protection on your wheels, you'll find them much more resistant to brake dust, making wheel cleaning so much easier. My DD fleet includes an Audi, Honda and Oldsmobile, all with clearcoated alloys. I keep them coated with Collinite 845 or 476, making leftover wash media and a Daytona Jr. brush all that's necessary for regular cleaning.

Bill

[William D.]

That's the thing, wouldn't the Daytona brush abrade the wax? I would think so.

I usually make it a habit of putting Liquid Glass on the wheels every now and then, but I never notice much of a difference (mainly because I clean my wheels before any type of buildup is noticeable).

[rockfish_24]

I've had good results with Meguiar's Chrome Polish and a Mothers power ball or cone. I then coat with FK 1000p.

[BillyJack]

That's the thing, wouldn't the Daytona brush abrade the wax? I would think so.


You make a good point, but that's why I use Collinite. IMO, it's as close to bulletproof as a wax could be. If I had to estimate, I'd say I get about 3-4 months durability. I clean my tires more often and use a shield to keep strong cleaners away from the wheels. My current wheel shield is a homemade one, but I saw this The Original Wheel Shield tire detailing system patented design by Zane Products Inc. Allen Park, Detroit Metro Area, Michigan Made Product, Made in the USA, . (http://www.zaneswheelshield.com/) on Two Guys Garage recently so I'll probably have one soon.

Bill