Wheel Coatings: Plastic Specific vs Paint Specific

[AustrianOak82]

I am getting my summer wheels put back on tomorrow and am planning to coat them before they go back on. I have a bottle of Cquartz UK ceramic coating that I had originally planned on applying but then I remembered that I also have a syringe of the Opti-coat headlamp coating.

I have read about people applying the headlamp coating to wheels and having good results. I also know that the carpro delux is a wheel and plastic coating, so I was wondering if the car pro product is similar to the opti-coat product that I have. Any opinions on which of the two would be the best for the application? I have matte black wheels.

[Setec Astronomy]

I have never heard of anyone using Opti-Lens on wheels.

[FUNX650]

I have matte black wheels.
If I had matte black wheels, I would only
use matte-specific products on them.


Bob

[AustrianOak82]

If I had matte black wheels, I would only
use matte-specific products on them.


Bob

The wheels are still clear-coated. I don't see why I couldn't use a normal coating on them.
http://www.carid.com/images/avant-garde/wheels/avant-garde-m310-matte-black-1.jpg

[Mike lambert]

You can use a paint coating on them, however paint coatings are not designed to hold up to the heat as well as wheel specific coatings.

[Setec Astronomy]

You can use a paint coating on them, however paint coatings are not designed to hold up to the heat as well as wheel specific coatings.

Do you have some evidence that your wheels get hotter than a black hood in the sun with a hot engine underneath? (unless you track your car and your rotors get red hot)

[The Guz]

Use the cquartz uk you have on the wheels.

[AustrianOak82]

Do you have some evidence that your wheels get hotter than a black hood in the sun with a hot engine underneath? (unless you track your car and your rotors get red hot)

They obviously wouldn't make hood-specific coatings, so it would get lumped in with the paint coatings. I would guess they would be similar in temperature. Hood gets hot due to the sun beaming down on it, as well as the engine heat. It's dampened a little by the hood insulator and natural venting but is usually hot to the touch during the summer months. Wheel gets hot for similar reasons but also include heat from the calipers as well. Some cars are designed to route air across the brakes to cool them and if you spray water on them, it will usually steam up depending on the conditions. I can pretty much guarantee the radiating heat would increase the surface temp on the wheels. I bet somewhere, someone has tested this.

I am guessing your opinion is that it doesn't really matter. Noted.

[FUNX650]

The wheels are still clear-coated.
Good to know...thanks for the heads-up!



I don't see why I couldn't use a normal coating on them.

Yea...but what if the "clear-coat", that's on the wheels,
happens to be a "matte clear-coat"?


Bob

[yg1829]

Do you have some evidence that your wheels get hotter than a black hood in the sun with a hot engine underneath? (unless you track your car and your rotors get red hot)
That's a really good question. Maybe someone who has one of those laser infared temperature thingy ma bobs could take the temperature of a hood that been sitting in the sun all day and wheels after a long trip or city driving.

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[yg1829]

I could be way off but I would almost guess a hood gets more hot.

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[AustrianOak82]

Good to know...thanks for the heads-up!


Yea...but what if the "clear-coat", that's on the wheels,
happens to be a "matte clear-coat"?


Bob
Haven't been on here for a while, I forgot how condescending you are. Did you have anything worthwhile to add to my post? Now we've got the "prove it, prove it" guy in here? Whatever happened to an opinion? They have become non existent for people like Setec who demand proof for opinions. My god.

You should Google "internet forum troll". My point was that we aren't cleaning and coating matte vinyl here. It has clear, so while different than traditional, it can be treated pretty much the same as any other clear coated wheel.

If you have nothing to offer to address my initial question (the purpose of the forum) then don't comment.

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[AGOatemywallet]

Corey Carruth from CarPro has recently suggested that coating matte surfaces may be a bad idea.

Had to do with the fact that the surface cannot be polished to properly prepare it for coating and therefore the durability of the coating may be compromised.

I wonder how it will look when the coating eventually fails.

When DLUX gives up after a year; it looks bad and has to be removed with APC and moderate to aggressive agitation. I would not want to use that technique on a matte finish.


.

[Setec Astronomy]

I am guessing your opinion is that it doesn't really matter. Noted.

No, this is simply a pet peeve of mine, that wheels are a special temperature case, but this has not been my experience and is not backed by any valid technical basis that I know of. A black hood in the sun gets too hot to touch, it's got a hot engine below it, and hood insulators or ventilation aside, there is still convection coming off a hot engine and exhaust manifolds.

I've never encountered a wheel that was too hot to touch, as I have with upper body parts. I'm sure if you're driving your car on a track lap after lap your brakes are going to get damn hot, and probably the wheel, but for most of us I don't think that happens.


That's a really good question. Maybe someone who has one of those laser infared temperature thingy ma bobs could take the temperature of a hood that been sitting in the sun all day and wheels after a long trip or city driving.

I know Mike Phillips has done this, IIRC the hood temp was in the area of 200F.


Whatever happened to an opinion? They have become non existent for people like Setec who demand proof for opinions. My god.

I'm not sure what that means. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but when people come here seeking solutions, an opinion doesn't help if it's the wrong answer. As I noted above, a lot of people have an opinion that wheels require special treatment because they get hotter than normal paint. This is an opinion that I have never seen backed up by fact or objective evidence. To a large degree, wheels DO live in a different environment due to brake/rotor dust, but certainly there are cars that barf these contaminants out from the wheel wells onto the sides of the car, and even other cars.

As far as your tiff with FUNX over matte vs. non-matte finishes, as was noted by AGOatemywallet, there is a potential for a coating to change the appearance of a matte finish, so if that's important to you it should be considered.

As far as your original query, as I noted, I have never heard of Opti-Lens being used on wheels, never even heard it suggested. I have heard it suggested that Opti-Lens could be used on plastic trim. Opti-Lens is, from what I understand, the paint coating with extra UV inhibitors. I don't see where this would be of any value on wheels, although I do see that being a benefit for external trim pieces. I find Opti-Lens to be more difficult to work with than the other Optimum consumer coatings, and therefore I would not use it on wheels, myself (besides the fact it's much more expensive).

DLux is intended for plastic trim and they have thrown wheels into the "trim" category, along with rubber and tires. Whether this product is similar to CQuartz but with more UV inhibitors, in the same way Opti-Lens is like other Optimum coatings but with more UV inhibitors, I don't know. However, I would be of the same opinion that extra UV inhibitors, while a benefit for headlights and external plastic trim, is of somewhat less value for wheels.

Also in the "for what it's worth" category, while DLux is a well known trim restorer, when Opti-Lens came out it was suggested it would also restore trim. However, my limited attempts with using Opti-Lens for that purpose were completely negative (no restoration effect). Optimum has since come out with a dedicated trim product in their professional coating line (and those of you going to Detail Fest should ask Dr. G for a consumer version).

[AustrianOak82]

Gotcha. That's the info I was looking for! Thanks man.

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