Forged wheels - polish/sealant preference

**68ChevelleSS** · 11-25-2013, 12:04 PM

For those who have or routinely work on aftermarket forged wheels I would like to get some input on the products you use from wheel cleaner to sealant. I just ordered a set of 2 piece Work wheels from Japan and before I get them I want to match a great product from the start. In the past I've used Sonax Full Effect to clean followed by Poorboys wheel sealant on a variety of different wheels. Over the past weekend I used this combo on a friends Audi A6 with stock Audi black wheels and there was a slight haze left even after buffing it several times. So I'm looking for new products.

Here's a picture of the new wheels, they are finished in brushed silver.

Mike Phillips · 11-25-2013, 01:19 PM

Thanks for bringing this to the forum, like I mentioned in my PM just about any wheel cleaner that is formulated for use on uncoated, polished aluminum will be safe for any type of wheel. That's because these types of wheel cleaners are non-acid and incredibly safe so as not to stain or dull the aluminum.

My guess is these new rims you've purchased are clear coated?

I've been told the clear paint used on wheels is different than the clearcoat paint used on car body panels as it is harder.

If these wheels are in fact painted with clear paint then I would recommend applying a coating to them while they are still in brand new condition. Even before you have the tires mounted. Please be sure to use a good shop to install the tires to the wheels and let them know you've coated the wheels.

You might even want to re-apply the coating to the wheel or at least any part of the wheel that is "touched" during the tire mounting procedure.

Get a soft brush to agitate the wheels when cleaning, something that won't scratch. We have the 8" Boars Hair Wheel Brush on the AG store and this is what I use and I think it works really well.

With a quality coating on the rim and if you stay on top of the cleaning aspect, you should be able to get away with a normal car wash soap instead of a dedicated wheel cleaner, that depends on how much you drive the car and to some degree the brake pads and weather your drive in.

I'm sure others will chime in with their suggestions too...

Very nice looking wheels by the way...

**Desertnate** · 11-25-2013, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Mike.Phillips@Autogeek

With a quality coating on the rim and if you stay on top of the cleaning aspect, you should be able to get away with a normal car wash soap instead of a dedicated wheel cleaner, that depends on how much you drive the car and to some degree the brake pads and weather your drive in.

I'm sure others will chime in with their suggestions too...

Very nice looking wheels by the way...

Those wheels are amazing. They are beautiful to look at, even when not on a car.

I follow what Mike provided above. The wheel cleaners that work well scare me, and the gentle ones never seemed to work very well.

My answer was to hit them with a coat of wax/sealant and then wash them with car shampoo. Even when I owned a BMW which was infamous for their break dust, if I kept the wheel well maintained I was able to simply wash away road grime with car wash shampoo.

Right now I'm trying out Collinite 845 on the painted wheels of my GTI and they are the cleanest part of the car! It's seems as if they are so slick that moisture slings right off taking most of the grime with it.

**68ChevelleSS** · 11-25-2013, 07:39 PM

thanks for the feedback! Mike, after your question about clear coat I emailed the manufacturer today and got the following response:

From the vendor:
In regards to our wheels, unless specified, the center disks will be painted and have a clear coat. The barrels, unless specified, would be anodized polished and have a clear coat. We do not recommend wheel polishes or sealants for our wheels, although you may use them at your own discretion.

For wheel care, you can view an article here:

Work Wheels :: Technical Aspect :: Maintenance and Storage Conditions
__________________________________________________ ______________________

So my question is, do you think they recommend no polishes or sealants to protect themselves from claims potentially caused by those companies?

**shadowman** · 11-25-2013, 08:24 PM

I would just opti-coat the wheels and call it day. I have BBS on my M3 been using sonax.

**ATS*SOL** · 11-25-2013, 08:24 PM

From what I've experienced with work wheels is just soap and water is fine as a wheel cleaner and as for a sealant i never had to use any as long as you keep up with routine washing. But i do apply alittle carnauba before shows. GL

**68ChevelleSS** · 11-26-2013, 09:44 PM

Appreciate all the feedback

.

**KillaCam** · 11-26-2013, 09:53 PM

Coat them. Perfect time since they are brand new.

**builthatch** · 11-27-2013, 12:05 AM

spray them with Power Clean, wash them carefully with Dawn solution, rinse well, dry completely then coat with Opti-Coat. coat everything, center caps and all. when cleaning them from new, be gentle. you don't want to leave even the slightest trace of your washing/drying process prior to coating.

as far as coating prior to mounting, just make sure it's fully cured before you take 'em to get mounted. (i pray that) you'll surely be going to a highly qualified shop that has a top notch touchless machine like a Corghi or something, so don't worry about the machine messing up the coating. the only thing is the mounting solution they use will be a bit messy but that will clean up easily with some Power Clean, a little agitation and a good rinse.

imo there is no better permanent protection for wheels than Opti-Coat. with wheels, if it's 2.0, i do two applications.

once cured, maintain with Power Clean and your normal car wash program or Opti-Clean if you are simply wiping/touching up. for the wheels you've shown, you'll definitely need a Daytona/Daytona Jr. and a nice small boar's hair brush to help clean them up properly moving forward.

that's it.

here's a pic of me doing a demo where i'm applying Opti-Coat to a freshly washed/prepped Vossen wheel. trust me, it's the best option for wheels!

**68ChevelleSS** · 11-27-2013, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by builthatch

spray them with Power Clean, wash them carefully with Dawn solution, rinse well, dry completely then coat with Opti-Coat. coat everything, center caps and all. when cleaning them from new, be gentle. you don't want to leave even the slightest trace of your washing/drying process prior to coating.

as far as coating prior to mounting, just make sure it's fully cured before you take 'em to get mounted. (i pray that) you'll surely be going to a highly qualified shop that has a top notch touchless machine like a Corghi or something, so don't worry about the machine messing up the coating. the only thing is the mounting solution they use will be a bit messy but that will clean up easily with some Power Clean, a little agitation and a good rinse.

imo there is no better permanent protection for wheels than Opti-Coat. with wheels, if it's 2.0, i do two applications.

once cured, maintain with Power Clean and your normal car wash program or Opti-Clean if you are simply wiping/touching up. for the wheels you've shown, you'll definitely need a Daytona/Daytona Jr. and a nice small boar's hair brush to help clean them up properly moving forward.

that's it.

here's a pic of me doing a demo where i'm applying Opti-Coat to a freshly washed/prepped Vossen wheel. trust me, it's the best option for wheels!

Really appreciate your extra effort to explain this, it's a big help! I have not used Opt-coat or power clean before but if it's the best option I won't hesitate to do it. I will use my stock wheels/tires over the winter and expect the new wheels to be here by January. So I'll have a few months before I go get them mounted where I can coat them and give them more then enough time to cure. As far as tire shop, I've had great luck with Discount Tire in the past but I also have never spent this much money on aftermarket wheels. Is there a national chain you recommend if not Discount Tire?