Wheel well protecting / prepping for winter

[Accumulator]

So what specific spray waxes are we talking about?

For me, OCW and M156/UQW. Both are fine for the wells/etc. and I`m using them on things like exterior trim anyhow (using OCW on the whole A8 as it`s just *so* quick and easy).

I`ve gotten in the habit of using the UQW on the wells/undercarriages/etc. as it really does help them stay cleaner and clean up better. Sorta surprised me how much better, compared to the leave-stuff-behind QDs I`d been using previously (and which I still need to use up somehow).

[Accumulator]

I’ve coated all kinds of trucks and jeeps, there is no problem with coating plastic liners. It improves the looks and lasts much longer.

Huh, I would`ve bet anything that roughly-abraded/gouged surfaces would be problematic with a coating, that`s really surprising. I would`ve thought such an approach would only work on something in decent condition, guess I was extrapolating from how coatings are on paint.

One of the specific things I like about the SprayWaxes is that they work fine of deeply scratched/gouged areas and, uhm..."even out" the areas that are severely abraded (to the point of looking completely different from the still-OK areas) so that the whole thing looks more uniform, instead of "worn-to-gray areas on somethings that`s mostly black".

How clean do the surfaces to be coated have to be? Some areas of these liners are not coming clean after so many years of daily use (and goodness knows I`ve tried). What about the severely abraded areas? Any issues there?

I`m not saying I`m ready to try a coating...not convinced that the additional time/etc. would be worth it since the SprayWaxing doesn`t really take *any* time at all since I`m already drying and there`s never any prep needed beyond the usual washing, but I am intrigued.

(Heh heh, I oughta know better than to consider this as I can`t justify coating wheels despite having the product on the shelf, but I`m intrigued anyhow.)

[Bill D]

I will consider spray waxing my wells next time they need it. I suppose I will spread the wax with my bath sponge on a long handle then buff the wells with a MF draped over it.

[Accumulator]

Bill D- If I weren`t raising the vehicle up with a floorjack (hint hint), I`d probably just spritz some on the MF and wipe the wells down, instead of saturating the sponge and applying it like a "real LSP" before buffing it (again, like a real LSP). It doesn`t take all that much and the "one pass" approach might be as good as the more involved/?proper? two-step method, at least after you`ve done it a few times and let the product build up in there. I *am* assuming you`d have already washed/rinsed them out, so I`d basically just dry them, but with a little SprayWax on the towel. Not that I`m encouraging anybody to half-[bake] it or anything. (Actually, sure I am )

As clean as you keep yours, I bet that the most minimal effort in this regard will be sufficient.

[Bill D]

I can always throw the car on my lift and really get every surface of the wells real good probably without needing my sponge on a handle.

Thanks very much for the feedback. Now I’m looking forward to doing this soon! :-)

[Accumulator]

I can always throw the car on my lift and really get every surface of the wells real good probably without needing my sponge on a handle...

Hey, I didn`t think of that! Guess the lift I had at the previous shop was just sooo much of a hassle that it didn`t occur to me, not like yours...

Between "really get every surface really good" and "I`m looking forward to doing this.." I am, of course, thinking "oh, you crazy Autopian you!" But yes indeed, once you start doing it I bet you`ll keep it up.

Since you`re inclined to, uhm...do it right, you might even consider using a coating or at least a Trim Sealant. You have the lift and the inclination to be Autopian about it, your cars are pampered and in great shape, so it may very well be worth it to you.

[Astouffer512]

For me, OCW and M156/UQW. Both are fine for the wells/etc. and I`m using them on things like exterior trim anyhow (using OCW on the whole A8 as it`s just *so* quick and easy).

I`ve gotten in the habit of using the UQW on the wells/undercarriages/etc. as it really does help them stay cleaner and clean up better. Sorta surprised me how much better, compared to the leave-stuff-behind QDs I`d been using previously (and which I still need to use up somehow).

I’m going to show my ignorance and newness with this question but what is OCW AND M156/UQW?

(Is the UQW the Meguiars Ultima Quick Spray Wax in the black bottle?)


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[TheMeanGreen]

Honestly, if one is going through the steps to take the wheels off, coating is the smartest idea. If not, spray and rinse products like Gyeon WetCoat, Mckee`s Hydrobule, and Carpro Hydro2 are fantastic products for protecting wheel wells.

[Accumulator]

I’m going to show my ignorance and newness with this question but what is OCW AND M156/UQW?

Sorry, didn`t mean to be inscrutable, I get a bit too quick with the acronyms

OCW = Optimum Car Wax, which I initially bought because it`s fresh-paint-friendly. Ended up liking it a lot more than I`d expected to!

You`re *almost* right on the D156 (pro version, apparently the same functionally-speaking) and UQW, they`re from Meguiar`s as you suspected, and that UQW is indeed in a black spray bottle, but the "U" is for "UltimaTE" instead of "Ultima".

[Accumulator]

Honestly, if one is going through the steps to take the wheels off, coating is the smartest idea..

For *some* people....says this guy with a new coating sitting on the shelf unused The need to prep/apply properly is infinitely more critical than with conventional/old-tech stuff where even a, uhm...cursory...prep job and, uhm...suboptimal application process can be perfectly sufficient. Another of those subjective things where different subjects have different factors to consider.

OTOH, the spray & rinse is a bit too far in the other direction for me, but plenty of people here sure do like it. Hey, that approach for wells raises a Q!

Q: when you use the Spray & Rinse stuff, what do you do *after* you`ve done the spraying to eliminate any residual moisture? My wells would definitely retain a fair bit of it so I`d be in there drying anyhow.

[TheMeanGreen]

For *some* people....says this guy with a new coating sitting on the shelf unused The need to prep/apply properly is infinitely more critical than with conventional/old-tech stuff where even a, uhm...cursory...prep job and, uhm...suboptimal application process can be perfectly sufficient. Another of those subjective things where different subjects have different factors to consider.

OTOH, the spray & rinse is a bit too far in the other direction for me, but plenty of people here sure do like it. Hey, that approach for wells raises a Q!

Q: when you use the Spray & Rinse stuff, what do you do *after* you`ve done the spraying to eliminate any residual moisture? My wells would definitely retain a fair bit of it so I`d be in there drying anyhow.

Since I live in Texas, I don`t really worry about moisture. Since I wash at the coin-op, I just rinse the wheel wells with the *spot free rinse*. Of course my wheel wells retain zero moisture...


** I would also argue that washing the wheel well with the ValueGuard ABC system would negate the need for a prep polish for the wheel wells, if the wheel wells are painted. If they are plastic, I think a normal tar/iron deposit and IPA would be enough prep for coating. The only real reason polishing is advised before coating is for surface cleanliness, otherwise it is entirely possible to apply a coating without polishing.

[Street5927]

Accum... I`ve been experimenting with scotch guard on fabric wells. To early to determine durability/effectiveness.

[Accumulator]

** I would also argue that washing the wheel well with the ValueGuard ABC system would negate the need for a prep polish for the wheel wells, if the wheel wells are painted... The only real reason polishing is advised before coating is for surface cleanliness, otherwise it is entirely possible to apply a coating without polishing.

The painted areas of my wheelwells (and often the jambs and other out-of-sight areas too) have never been as nicely finished as the body-proper. The rough texture bugged me so I polished those areas just enough to make them smooth to the touch. Gotta be careful when those areas are not clearcoated as the little bit of paint is both thin and fragile.

So I was polishing for a different reason and doing it even though I wasn`t coating anything and could`ve skipped it with my conventional LSPs.

On the plastic, that oughta work fine for a vehicle in good condition. The plastic liners on mine are so worn that I just don`t see a coating working out. When surfaces are *really* compromised, I`ve found that the SprayWaxes can work near-miracles, hiding a multitude of sins. Sorta the same idea behind using those slimy "undercarriage sprays".

[Accumulator]

Accum... I`ve been experimenting with scotch guard on fabric wells. To early to determine durability/effectiveness.

I`d expect that to work OK on the fabric as long as you redo it as needed...at least until the material gets worn. Not sure how it`d hold up against tar or even winter use though. Once the material gets really abraded or otherwise worn, well...I dunno. The smooth plastic ones can really start looking awful after >100K (thank goodness the SprayWax works so well) and I`d worry that the fabric would be even worse.

Heh heh, I`m sure glad that this topic is just Intellectual Curiosity on my part, another "modern vehicle feature" I`ll never have to deal with

[Astouffer512]

Here is what I ended up buying to try out for the PA winter


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