Wheel coating?

[Accumulator]

Any tips for application with all the intricacies involved with coating wheels.

Heh heh, I suspect you`re not looking for responses like "just use an AIO + LSP combo instead", right? Sorry, sorry...couldn`t resist (says the guy who just finished doing his old BBS wheels the conventional way despite that coating on the shelf).

But seriously, be sure your lighting is really good so you don`t discover high spots/etc. later after the stuff has cured/whatever.

[Ron Ketcham]

It`s that time of year approaching. Time to apply two thin coats of Finish Kare 1000P on my wheels. Pretty much gets them through winter.

[Desertnate]

I treated my mine just like I would paint...only I didn`t do any correction work.

When the wheels arrived, I wiped them down with an APC to remove any dirt and dust from shipping. I then wiped them down again with Gyeon Prep to remove anythin the APC may have left behind. From there, I coated them using the same process I`d use on any other painted surface. Wipe on, let it flash, buff off.

When I did it the first time, I used a small piece of sponge and it absorbed a lot of product. The next time I do it, I`ll be sure to use a MF suede swatch and either just wrap it around my fingers or wrap the swatch around a piece of sponge to slow down the absorption, but still get into small areas. The biggest challenge is to not over apply.

[Accumulator]

I just now (like..this morning) put another quick coat of FK1000P on the `93 Audi`s summer wheels, just to hold `em through the rest of the decent weather (NO, I didn`t pull `em off the car to do the backs, I`ll do that over winter). They were still nice and slick, and shedding dirt/beading just fine, but I figured I`d stay ahead of the curve.

DesertNate- Yeah, wheels with lots of nooks/crannies/etc. are my Big Issue with using a Wheel Coating Just a Quick-(conventional) LSPing takes hours on some of `em and Coatings raise that to a whole `nother level.

It`s that time of year approaching. Time to apply two thin coats of Finish Kare 1000P on my wheels. Pretty much gets them through winter.

More coats for me, especially on the backs/barrels, but yeah. I did the Big Cleanup of the Audi winter wheels when I took `em off, so one more coat oughta do it. With the FK on there, they never get too bad, so I can usually just clean `em up with an AIO.

Although..True Confession Time...I`m still just leaving the Tahoe`s winter ones bare and using Wheel Cleaner followed by a SprayWax...Eh, they`re in [crappy] condition anyhow.

[mc2hill]

Any tips for application with all the intricacies involved with coating wheels.

A pro detailer I know uses a Harbor Freight air brush kit. He says it uses a little more product, but makes it much easier to apply.

[Desertnate]

DesertNate- Yeah, wheels with lots of nooks/crannies/etc. are my Big Issue with using a Wheel Coating Just a Quick-(conventional) LSPing takes hours on some of `em and Coatings raise that to a whole `nother level.

I don`t think the coatings would take any longer than your beloved FK1000. Best case, since the coatings a liquid, they might actually be easier/faster as it would get into apply and buff out of tight spots. My wheels are a very simple design and really don`t take very long. Any two-piece wheel with those little bolts, or some intricate design would be a royal pain.

The cleaning/prep might be harder on older wheels. I can see yours being surgically clean most of the time and not hard to prep. Others who don`t keep on top of things would have a bigger job on their hands.

[The Guz]

Any tips for application with all the intricacies involved with coating wheels.

Take your time and split the wheel small sections of you have to.

Prep wise if they are new a simple prep wipe is you need.

Unless you want to get crazy and use Essence and top that with Cquartz (ie. insert Cquartz coating of choice). You will add gloss and some longevity. It looks good if the wheels are gloss black.

If the wheels are matte then a prep wipe and coating is all you need.

[DaveT435]

Kinda one of the things I`ve grown to like about the Gtechniq glass, wheel coatings is avaliability of 15ml bottles, usually just enough and not too much.

Outta the dedicated wheel coatings I`ve tried (Kami Stance, Gtech G5, IGL Wheel, Gyeon Rim) Stance has been the easiest to use and longest lasting, albeit the priciest.

Gtech G5 topped with PA SuperSport has done surprisingly (startingly well, actually) on the polished stainless exhaust tips of the Corvette...they stay very clean.

Recently did Cayman wheels with Stance x 2 topped with PA Supersport as well so we`ll see how that does with the rather aggressive and therefore dusty OEM brake pads.

Good idea on taking wheel/brake temp Guz, will have to remember to try that.

Do you have the Black tips on your Cayman? I did look at them very closely but they almost look like ceramic. I’ll probably coat those when I work on the Cayman again after they repaint the door.

[BudgetPlan1]

Do you have the Black tips on your Cayman? I did look at them very closely but they almost look like ceramic. I’ll probably coat those when I work on the Cayman again after they repaint the door.

Nope, the standard `poorly brushed` tips is what we have. Thing produces a lot of soot and interior of tips is just unfinished steel (I guess) so it`s the one area of car that bugs me as far as staying clean with little intervention.

Single wall w rolled edge, in varying temperatures the condensation mixes w the soot, gathers at the inside edge of the tip, eventually rolls over edge and leaves single black streak/stripe on rolled edge. It`s kinda irritating.

[DaveT435]

Nope, the standard `poorly brushed` tips is what we have. Thing produces a lot of soot and interior of tips is just unfinished steel (I guess) so it`s the one area of car that bugs me as far as staying clean with little intervention.

Single wall w rolled edge, in varying temperatures the condensation mixes w the soot, gathers at the inside edge of the tip, eventually rolls over edge and leaves single black streak/stripe on rolled edge. It`s kinda irritating.

I get a lot of soot with my Camaro, fortunately no rolled edge and the last 3/4” or so is finished on the inside.

Do you know if the black tips are actually ceramic?

[DaveT435]

I apologize to theOP, didn’t mean to take yourthread in a different direction.

Budget, do you know if those black tips are actually ceramic? Also I’ve found the Wolfgang Metal Sealant to do a great job on the tips with good durability.

[BudgetPlan1]

I apologize to theOP, didn’t mean to take yourthread in a different direction.

Budget, do you know if those black tips are actually ceramic? Also I’ve found the Wolfgang Metal Sealant to do a great job on the tips with good durability.

Dunno for sure. the brochure mentions this about the newer gen 718 exhaust:

the Sport exhaust systemalso catches the eye: with centrally
positioned Sport tailpipes, available in
highly polished chrome-plated stainless
steel in black or silver color.

[DaveT435]

Dunno for sure. the brochure mentions this about the newer gen 718 exhaust:

Thanks, I’ll have to check them out closer. They definitely look good.

[Accumulator]

I don`t think the coatings would take any longer than your beloved FK1000..

That`d probably hold true for a lot of my wheels (the 5-6 spoke ones especially), but I`ve done the Tahoe`s oe wheels both ways and the OptiCoat took *HOURS* longer, and I don`t mean just two. Absolute [freakin`] nightmare for me, just the design of those particular wheels (and their centercaps/mounting hardware/lug covers/deep valvestem coves/etc.). I was thinking how they were probably easier than the 3-piece modular wheels we used to run (grrr...all those tiny fasteners), but it sure didn`t seem like it at the time.

A big part of it is Fear of High Spots, worried that those might not just buff away like a sloppy application of wax will.

I`ve toyed with the idea of coating the oe BBS wheels on the `93, but just FKing them took me about two hours yesterday, and I was only doing the faces and not prepping them at all.

[DaveT435]

That`d probably hold true for a lot of my wheels (the 5-6 spoke ones especially), but I`ve done the Tahoe`s oe wheels both ways and the OptiCoat took *HOURS* longer, and I don`t mean just two. Absolute [freakin`] nightmare for me, just the design of those particular wheels (and their centercaps/mounting hardware/lug covers/deep valvestem coves/etc.). I was thinking how they were probably easier than the 3-piece modular wheels we used to run (grrr...all those tiny fasteners), but it sure didn`t seem like it at the time.

A big part of it is Fear of High Spots, worried that those might not just buff away like a sloppy application of wax will.

I`ve toyed with the idea of coating the oe BBS wheels on the `93, but just FKing them took me about two hours yesterday, and I was only doing the faces and not prepping them at all.

If you can find a coating you can airbrush and not have to level that would be ideal. It seem like there is one. I’ll try to get more information.

You’re definitely right, the design of the wheel can make a huge difference. I did some Honda wheels where it was like a 5 spoke design, but the 5 spokes were each broken down into three really narrow spokes.