Are dedicated wheel sealants worth the time/money

[Desertnate]

For a vehicle that is well maintained are wheel wax/sealants really worth the time and money?

Right now I hit the wheels on my vehicles with Klasse SG or 845 when doing my seasonal detail. This seems to help them wash up a little easier, but because I keep the wheels pretty clean, I've not paid much attention to how long these products hold up or whether they actually do any good.

It seems there area fair number of products available here at AG that are designed to protect you wheels. Some have longer life span than others by their own admissions. Some products like Prima, Wolf's, and Poorboy's mention being pretty durable, while DP and Wheel Wax mention weekly application or re-applying every encounter with harsh conditions.

I'm not really looking for product recommendations, but just a general feel for whether it's worth my time and money to even bother with this family of products.

[hogie]

I don't see much point in them. My wheels come clean with soap and water if cleaned regularly. Why bother adding a coating that won't last.

[JHL88]

I don't see much point in them. My wheels come clean with soap and water if cleaned regularly. Why bother adding a coating that won't last.

Because it will keep them looking cleaner for longer without maintenance.

[Setec Astronomy]

I don't think a separate/special product is necessary for wheels (and I finally used up my jar of Pb's Wheel Sealant last year). On the other hand, Opti-Coat is fantastic for wheels.

[Coopers ST]

My wheels are painted, I treat them just like any other painted surface on the car.

[jamesboyy]

specific wheel sealants are made to withstand the heat and everything wheels have to throw at it though I just use regular sealant followed by old jar of cheap wax after weekly wash

[hernandez.art13]

Well as far as waxes to wheels. (Sounds like Toys for Tots lol)

I've tried Meguiars Ultimate Paste Wax and Collinite 476s on my wheels.

I found the Megs UPW had more gloss after being applied and buffed off compared to 476S.

However, 476s had a great amount of gloss and seemed more durable to me. Also, it seemed to gather up less dust, during my weekly or bi weekly maintenance washes. It also makes cleaning the wheels a lot easier.

Just what I've come to see. I have been wanting to try a wax that is specifically for wheels though, Just to see, so when I do I'll let you guys know my results.

[zmcgovern45]

Use CarPro HydrO2 for a quick and easy wheel sealant... works great and takes 2 minutes to protect 4 wheels.

[Dr_Pain]

Here is a couple of ways to look at it:

From a business standpoint: It is a great upsell! You can sell a wheel wax/sealant without lying that it will improve the ease of maintenance and will prolonged how clean the wheels will remain between maintenance. If it is a regular maintenance vehicle for you then you are upselling something that will be a time saver for you in the long run.

From a personal standpoint: The above applies in ease of maintenance.


The real question though is "Do I see value in a dedicated product over what I already have??" Personally I can't see great benefits in a dedicated product. Most often we have soooooo much left over products which end up turning "bad" because we have so many different products on hand, and always buy the "latest and greatest". The cost/benefit ratio just goes out the door when you account for the cost of the products we throw away. Personally I would rather use my high end paint sealant on my wheels even if it is not designed for the heat, exposure to contaminant (from dirty water to break dust) etc... even if I have to reapply often. I would chance that over seeing it being thrown because it spent too much time in the bottle.

Nobody ran any comparison but I would assume that longevity should be very much within the same statistical range. It would make no sense that they would reserve a solid chemical/heat resistant product for the wheels only.

[Setec Astronomy]

specific wheel sealants are made to withstand the heat and everything wheels have to throw at it

That would be like the heat of a black car in the summer sun? I just don't buy that my wheels are getting any hotter than that.