Looking for products to protect my wheels

[RaydiantDetail]

IGL wheel coating works wonders and if you feel the need to use a wheel cleaner Mckees foaming wheel cleaner gel is safe on that coating. But I have found that with regular maintenance on coated wheels the need for a strong cleaner isn`t really necessary.

Off topic - I am in the process of speaking with the IGL folks about becoming an authorized installer.

[Desertnate]

I`m running the "traditional" CQuartz coating on my summer wheels and after two seasons the coating is still holding strong despite the environment wheels face and frequent washes with a mild wheel cleaner. I too don`t think I`ll ever go without coating my wheels again. Clean up is so much easier.

[Accumulator]

I coated some wheels with the first two versions of OptiCoat, but now what I had left in the syringe has gone bad and I`m debating trying some other coating.

My other wheels wear (big surprise..) FK1000P, which does fine but needs redone annually on drivers, usually when I change over to winter wheels/tires. The OptiCoat lasted longer but I couldn`t discern any other diff and applying it was a huge PIA compared to "just waxing them". SO....

Any easy-peasy coatings that`ll last a few years? I would *never* struggle with anything harder than the OptiCoat was, not in a million years.

FWIW, I can`t recall actually struggling to get any LSPed wheel clean (and some of my cars are supposedly bad in this regard). Shampoo mix (as per my foamgun dilution) works fine. Pressure wash, spritz with shampoo mix, let dwell, wash with BHBs/Mitts/swabs/WheelWoolies, rinse, done. Usually go over them with some QD/RW/Drying Aid, which might contribute a little something sacrificial, as I *always* have to knock the surface rust off the rotors and that then needs cleaned off the wheels.

[Desertnate]

Any easy-peasy coatings that`ll last a few years? I would *never* struggle with anything harder than the OptiCoat was, not in a million years.

I found the CQuartz application I mentioned earlier very easy and it is still going strong late into the second season since application. The wheels were new when I coated them, so I simply wiped them own with APC, then followed up with a wipe down of a coating prep spray (probably redundant on a new/never used wheel), and then applied the coating. Since you maintain the wheels so well, it would be similar. Clean them, hit them with prep spray, and then go to town.

My wheels are a pewter-like gray with a satin finish. I simply wiped on the coating and after a few minutes buffed off the high spots. There were very few, so the process was pretty fast. My wheels have some tight spots, so rather than using a normal applicator block, I created my own by cutting a chunk out of an old washing sponge and then wrapped it with the MF swatch.

[Accumulator]

Desertnate- Ah, OK...thanks, perfect feedback so the CQuartz goes onto the short-list!

Yeah, some of mine take a *lot* of different sized swabs/etc., which is one more reason why anything I hassle around with needs to really last.

[someidiot]

I`m running the "traditional" CQuartz coating on my summer wheels and after two seasons the coating is still holding strong despite the environment wheels face and frequent washes with a mild wheel cleaner. I too don`t think I`ll ever go without coating my wheels again. Clean up is so much easier.

which cleaner do you use?

I only got a few months of duration with McKee`s, but I use the Meguiar`s non-acid wheel & tire cleaner.. wonder if that was the issue.

[Desertnate]

which cleaner do you use?

I only got a few months of duration with McKee`s, but I use the Meguiar`s non-acid wheel & tire cleaner.. wonder if that was the issue.

It could be. I`ve been using the mild (i.e. green) Griots wheel cleaner. I just used the new Poorboys Non-Acid wheel cleaner for the first time and it didn`t seem to degrade the coating either. We`ll see how it goes, but I`ll probably be taking these wheels off for the season in 4~6 weeks.

[The Guz]

I would just use Hydro2 every other wash, much easier and stronger than wax. Wheel coatings are nice but take way to much time and probably need more refreshing than what they advertise.

The issue I have found when using it this often is the wheels seem to attract more dirt. I would probably use them every couple months or when the beading looks like it is starting to go.

I`d never go without a wheel coating again. Single biggest time saver for me during a wash. Does take a bit of time to prep/coat wheels but once done, ease of maintenance far exceeds initial labor. 14 months, 24k miles in NE Ohio and coating is still holding up well. Recently started occasional application of PA SuperSport, more for the interesting look it lends to the non-painted, clear-coated bare aluminum sections of wheel as opposed to protection.

I definitely agree. A lot of work up front but less work in the long run.

That`s my problem with these wheel coatings, I`m using a dedicated wheel cleaner. I`m not spending more time to scrub than I have to, it really makes no sense to coat wheels other than maybe looks or if you have carbon ceramics (Your just using soap an water only anyways).

Coat wheels = you ca`t use a dedicated wheel cleaner like sonax which cuts time an thus more scrubbing is required.
No coat = less scrubbing, more effective wheel cleaner (Potentially more expensive though) an use hydro2 or another water based sealant.

A wheel cleaner can be used with a coating. As long as it isn`t that harsh of a wheel cleaner than can damage any LSP.

I understand you shouldn`t *need* to use a dedicated wheel cleaner on a coated wheel but I`d hope a wheel coating would be chemically resistant enough to stand up to any autopian-grade wheel cleaner you`d throw at it. Think after a long winter and you want a little chemical help bringing them back to life. Though if shampoo + wheel woolies is enough to revive a filthy but coated wheel then I might be sold...

Most wheel coatings can handle a wheel coating. I use one very now and then and on occasion will decon the wheels.

Off topic - I am in the process of speaking with the IGL folks about becoming an authorized installer.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

I`m running the "traditional" CQuartz coating on my summer wheels and after two seasons the coating is still holding strong despite the environment wheels face and frequent washes with a mild wheel cleaner. I too don`t think I`ll ever go without coating my wheels again. Clean up is so much easier.

Nice. Paint coatings work just as well as a dedicated wheel coating.

[PPLd]

Dear all,

Sorry work has been busy so I couldnt login and reply sooner.
Actually I didnt expect so many feedback! Thank you for your kind responses.
Guess I cant be making individual replies so grouping them here:

Any wheel coating will work to give you that longer protection. Factory wheels are clear coated. You will have to find out if those enkei`s are clear coated or not.

The Guz,
Thank you very much and yes I am very concerned about whether the presence of clear coat affect which coating I should use?

McKees Wheel Coating....you may thank me later

briarpatch,
Why not thank you now eh? Thanks for the tips.

I would just use Hydro2 every other wash, much easier and stronger than wax. Wheel coatings are nice but take way to much time and probably need more refreshing than what they advertise.

The Driver
I do not have Hydro2, hmm is it as good as a coating? I saw a few members recommended it before.

I used McKee`s wheel coating and then would touch it up with Hydro Blue every once in a while. I`m not sure if there is a more durable option out there than McKee`s, but it sure was a lot of work for not a very long duration.

someidiot,
McKees doesnt sound very durable in your experience.
Does McKees help the wheels to clean easier (protection properties)?

I like to use Gyeon Wet Coat or CarPro Hydro2 which are spray on/ rinse off protection products. They should work on all types of rim finishes. I have used them on clear coated, powder coated, chrome plated etc. without any issue.

If I am doing a full wheels off cleaning and coating then I will coat with something like Gyeon Rim or Cquartz Dlux then maintain with Gyeon WetCoat or CarPro Hydro2 every month.

Polish Angel Super Sport is also a nice option for a wheel coating and is in between a full on wheel coating and a spray/rinse product. I have seen 4 months or so of durability before it started to fade on my DD from my testing and that was without any maintenance spray or reapplication. Depending on how much you drive your car you could get the full 6 months or more. this is a PTFE based product too with titanium dioxide and just adds a nice look to wheels as well.

If you are going to do a wheels off and going through the process of cleaning and prepping the wheels as mentioned then definitely look into a specific wheel coating as mentioned. Top up with something like PA Super Sport every few months. You should have great results.

RaydiantDetail,
I wasnt expecting to maintain every month if I already spend money on coating my wheels.
It seems to get rather costly in long run than wiping down with a spray sealant.

I`d never go without a wheel coating again. Single biggest time saver for me during a wash. Does take a bit of time to prep/coat wheels but once done, ease of maintenance far exceeds initial labor. 14 months, 24k miles in NE Ohio and coating is still holding up well. Recently started occasional application of PA SuperSport, more for the interesting look it lends to the non-painted, clear-coated bare aluminum sections of wheel as opposed to protection.

BudgetPlan1,
I actually dislike doing my wheels because after 1 day driving German brake dust cause me headache!

I’ve only coated wheels a few times, so just making sure I prepped correctly. I used wheel cleaner, finishing polish, then 3 quick wipe downs with Prep Spray then coated. The other set so only cleaned and used Prep polish and coated. Wasn’t too, too bad. Are these the only steps?

acuRAS82,
Thanks for the step by step procedure.

Go with McKees Wheel Coating. You should get 1 year of durability. Just wash with soap and water, no wheel cleaners.

That`s my problem with these wheel coatings, I`m using a dedicated wheel cleaner. I`m not spending more time to scrub than I have to, it really makes no sense to coat wheels other than maybe looks or if you have carbon ceramics (Your just using soap an water only anyways).

Coat wheels = you ca`t use a dedicated wheel cleaner like sonax which cuts time an thus more scrubbing is required.
No coat = less scrubbing, more effective wheel cleaner (Potentially more expensive though) an use hydro2 or another water based sealant.

The purpose of the wheel coating is that you dont have to spend time scrubbing or using powerful wheel cleaners. However most of these wheel cleaning products like sonax wheel cleaner plus are Ph neutral so they aren`t really going to cause any issue if you want to continue to use them on coated wheels though with mine soap and water and a pressure washer often gets them pretty clean without any scrubbing on the faces. Usually the barrels just need a quick wheel woolie scrub.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Amen. With coated wheels you save money by NOT having to use an expensive wheel cleaner. Most of the time my pressure washer get the wheels clean without scrubbing and I’ve got BMW brake dust.

IGL wheel coating works wonders and if you feel the need to use a wheel cleaner Mckees foaming wheel cleaner gel is safe on that coating. But I have found that with regular maintenance on coated wheels the need for a strong cleaner isn`t really necessary.

I understand you shouldn`t *need* to use a dedicated wheel cleaner on a coated wheel but I`d hope a wheel coating would be chemically resistant enough to stand up to any autopian-grade wheel cleaner you`d throw at it. Think after a long winter and you want a little chemical help bringing them back to life. Though if shampoo + wheel woolies is enough to revive a filthy but coated wheel then I might be sold...

Oh yeah me too. BMW brake dust. Its some of the worst!
When I swicth out my pads ill probably get some EBC pads.

Woohohoho Soap and water for clean wheels? Music to my ears!
Hopefully I can get my wheels reasonably clean with diluted wheel cleaner / less scrubbing!
Btw I had run some aftermarket pads on my previous car.
They really help reduce the brake dust!

[someidiot]

someidiot,
McKees doesnt sound very durable in your experience.
Does McKees help the wheels to clean easier (protection properties)?

When it was on there, it did help. I actually made a post about how my new go-to regimen was wheel coating/HydroBlue and Meg`s non-acid wheel & tire cleaner. I could usually clean the wheel with just my pressure washer. but the coating seems to be gone and now it`s like a plain old wheel, requiring product and scrubbing.

I may give it a shot again, maybe with a different product and stop using the wheel cleaner.

[briarpatch]

Go with McKees Wheel Coating. You should get 1 year of durability. Just wash with soap and water, no wheel cleaners.

^^^^^^this

[Accumulator]

I`m utterly astounded that so many people need to use Wheel Cleaners *with coatings*! My "problematic German cars" don`t need Wheel Cleaners and I just do their wheels with conventional LSPs. Ditto for recoating wheels annually.

Heh heh, this thread`s almost enough to convince me to *not* coat wheels any more!

[Desertnate]

I`m utterly astounded that so many people need to use Wheel Cleaners *with coatings*! My "problematic German cars" don`t need Wheel Cleaners and I just do their wheels with conventional LSPs. Ditto for recoating wheels annually.

Heh heh, this thread`s almost enough to convince me to *not* coat wheels any more!

Honestly, I probably don`t need to and could get away with simply using my normal wash solution. It`s mostly out of habit. I`d be golden if I owned a power washer as that would probably be all I needed to keep the coated wheels clean 90% of the time.

For me, I`m too lazy to mix up two buckets of wash solution and dirty both of my wash mitts at the same time. I find it just as easy to rinse, spray on the cleaner, run a brush over everything, and rinse again.

[Accumulator]

Honestly, I probably don`t need to and could get away with simply using my normal wash solution. It`s mostly out of habit. I`d be golden if I owned a power washer as that would probably be all I needed to keep the coated wheels clean 90% of the time...

Much as I do love my (ultra-cheapie) pressure washer, it only does the first part of the job, whether the wheels are coated or not. FWIW, I use the same spray bottle of (pretty potent) shampoo mix for the wheels that I need for the wells/etc. anyhow, just leave it hanging off the Wheels/Wells wash bucket.

For me, I`m too lazy to mix up two buckets of wash solution and dirty both of my wash mitts at the same time. I find it just as easy to rinse, spray on the cleaner, run a brush over everything, and rinse again.

Try it with the Shampoo Mix and you might find you don`t need the Wheel Cleaner (or, you might find that I`m all off-base!). No need to mix it up when it`s in the spray bottle Well...you do have to mix *that* up now and then.

Don`t you use dedicated mitts/BHBs/etc. for the Wheels/etc.? I have maybe four or five different Wash Media for those areas (and yeah..another batch of stuff in another bucket setup for the undercarriage proper) that I just keep with the Wash/Rinse buckets that`re dedicated to those areas.

Heh heh, yeah...I guess I have a scad of different Wash/Rinse bucket setups All part of making the process go quicker/easier/smoother. Just having redundant systems for each side of the wash bay makes a huge difference for me...but as always that`s just me and I might be a little, uhm...different.

AND...this has me thinking (off-topic ) about the "mixing up wash solution". My Wash buckets, even the ones for the Wheels, don`t really get contaminated so I can use the same one repeatedly, sometimes adding a bit more shampoo if I think it`s become watered down. I do change the Undercarriage bucket, but it`s not part of a TBM (and I don`t use the foamgun under the car) so it gets contaminated.

[acuRAS82]

I`m utterly astounded that so many people need to use Wheel Cleaners *with coatings*! My "problematic German cars" don`t need Wheel Cleaners and I just do their wheels with conventional LSPs. Ditto for recoating wheels annually.

Heh heh, this thread`s almost enough to convince me to *not* coat wheels any more!

For wheels protected with either Hydro Blue for 4-8 weeks or PBL wheel coating, I only use soap and water (if doing a traditional car wash that day) or waterless wash to remove any and all brake dust. Its a breeze. I only use the chemical wheel cleaners if I’m prepping for a new wheel coating... not so much because they need it, more so for piece of mind and decon just in case.