Wheel Coatings: Plastic Specific vs Paint Specific

[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.


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[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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[PiPUK]

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.

I'd hazard to suggest that this is marketing jargon, in most cases. If a coating is worth talking about, heat is good! Most of the technologies I know will cure better and faster at elevated temperatures. If baking at 200 Celsius was an option, we'd have miles better coatings available!

If our experience is anything to go by, wheel products are typically interchangeable with paint products. Glass is different, as is metal. Plastic is a totally different story again (paint products would often work but issues with compatability may mean long term harm - ever seen stress cracking in polycarbonate? That's just down to use of inappropriate chemicals).

[Calendyr]

I'd hazard to suggest that this is marketing jargon, in most cases. If a coating is worth talking about, heat is good! Most of the technologies I know will cure better and faster at elevated temperatures. If baking at 200 Celsius was an option, we'd have miles better coatings available!

If our experience is anything to go by, wheel products are typically interchangeable with paint products. Glass is different, as is metal. Plastic is a totally different story again (paint products would often work but issues with compatability may mean long term harm - ever seen stress cracking in polycarbonate? That's just down to use of inappropriate chemicals).

Are you saying that paint coatings should not be used on plastic parts? It's the first time I read about this, I was Under the impression you could coat the whole car except for Windows.

Please elaborate on this.

[PiPUK]

Are you saying that paint coatings should not be used on plastic parts? It's the first time I read about this, I was Under the impression you could coat the whole car except for Windows.

Please elaborate on this.

It will depend on the coating. Several things to consider:

1. What are the carrier solvents? Are they safe on the plastic, both immediately and long term (like stress cracking of polycarbonates)?
2. These coatings often claim serious hardness. Plastics are often quite flexible. These two concepts are not compatible.

To my mind, I would sooner apply a paint coating to wheels, metal or glass, I'd probably leave the plastics alone. In our case, plastic coatings are different products entirely. For instance, we can protect your plastic bumpers from discolouration for years with a product that costs a few dollars (or low tens, at most) per litre versus our fancy ceramic which upwards of a thousand dollars per litre, once it gets to retail. To my mind, the ceramic/nano element is massive overkill.

[gobygred]

I have some experience with powder coating. I would guess that the clear coating is a matte gloss level.

[shadwell]

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.

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Just to comment, my interpretation of Bob's feedback was that clearcoat comes in a few finishes; Matte, satin, and gloss..
Coatings are / can also be finish specific, and for example CQUK would fall under gloss..
It is possible it will "fill" lending toward a gloss finish.. ie you may loose your preferred finish.
So perhaps to consider this and select accordingly.

Importantantly test on the rear side of the barrel if it has consistent finish to avoid a situation...