Blackfire SiO2 Wheel Seal

The new Blackfire SiO2 Wheel Seal looks like a good product, but why would I use it over spray-on, walk-away Sonax Rim Shield?

I`ve used and like Rim Shield. I used it every two to three weeks and didn`t have to use anything but regular car wash soap to clean my wheels.

I hate not to try the new Blackfire product, but I remember using Detailer`s Pro Series Wheel Cleaner paste to clean my wheels and it took over an hour to apply the thin coat, let haze, and then wipe clean. This process requires good light, too, unlike the simple spray-on product.

With the time and effort involve.... seems better to just get a coating on their


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Jaddie- Sounds to me like you might oughta just stick with the Sonax.

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To put it nicely, the ads you linked don`t make a positive impression on me at all, certainly not the BF one.

I thought the same thing about BF Wheel Seal. Why take all the time to apply BF paste when a quick spray will give you 3 months protection? I always hated Poor Boys Wheel Sealant, it took so long to apply and two coats were required. If you put it on too heavy it was hell getting off and applying it to some thin spoked wheels was infuriating. I won’t be buying BF Wheel Seal for sure.

I`d use whatever you currently have for wheels. If you have a coating use that. I don`t buy into the dedicated wheel product hype.

Sonax Rim Shield is so easy. Application takes about three minutes. No sweat.

Hydro Blue (or similar), Rim Shield or Wheel coating. This product seems obsolete in 2019, but maybe it has extreme protection capabilities for those few months it’s on... not that I’ll ever find out.

Hydr02 or Gyeon wetcoat is so damn easy I don’t think I’m up for anything new for a long time for wheels. In addition, the spray-on, hose off procedure puts the seal way down in the lugs, somewhere that I don’t want to spend a lot of time with aq-tip, etc....

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Originally Posted by glen e

.., the spray-on, hose off procedure puts the seal way down in the lugs, somewhere that I don’t want to spend a lot of time with aq-tip, etc....

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That`s one of the things I was wondering about, and an area that wasn`t addressed in the product-hype videos. I`ll add that even with coatings I have to use swabs/etc. to clean the deeper recesses anyhow.

How do you keep spray-on products off of other areas? I always get overspray when I use stuff like that.

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Originally Posted by wannafbody

I`d use whatever you currently have for wheels. If you have a coating use that. I don`t buy into the dedicated wheel product hype.

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I had some really high hopes on that product. It really didn`t do anything for me. I`ve tried spraying a little, to a little bit more. And I could never get my wheels to shine. Very disappointed for the amount of money that you pay for that can.

The new Blackfire product is very similar to Poor Boys wheel sealant, even in color. I`ve had good success with the Poor Boys, but the wheels on my Tundra are not very complex. I still like the MCKees Wheel coating (spray) better. I get good durability, and it`s super easy to use.

How long does Sonax Rim Shield last. I hope it does not have to applied after every wash.

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

How do you keep spray-on products off of other areas? I always get overspray when I use stuff like that.

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When sprayed on wheels I’ve never had it splatter. But I won’t use it on paint because of that… It’s just easier if you direct the water spray from a downward angle, any splatter goes on the ground .......I did a whole write up with pics on the corvette forum:

https://www.stingrayforums.com/forum...al-wheels.html

glen e- I guess we just go about this differently...not flaming or anything, and I did check out your link, just don`t think that approach would work for me. I`d still have to get behind the spokes and do all the other such areas the old way anyhow.

Once you get the sealant on, you no longer need Wheel Cleaners/etc. right? Do you still need (regular) shampoo? Even with OptiCoat I still had to clean them manually, couldn`t just do some kind of touchless.

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

That`s one of the things I was wondering about, and an area that wasn`t addressed in the product-hype videos. I`ll add that even with coatings I have to use swabs/etc. to clean the deeper recesses anyhow.

How do you keep spray-on products off of other areas? I always get overspray when I use stuff like that.

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It`s not easy to avoid overspray. But most you can spray in a damp mf applicator sponge and wipe in the product around areas you don`t want it on. Then you spray it off with the PW so you have the water flow going away from the area you don`t want it on. Then if this is not possible to do and you have many areas where you don`t want it on. Then it`s just not a product for you. But these products has an incredible lubrication so no problems with wipe it on the paint. On the first application of a bare paint I would even recommend to wipe it in and PW it off. To get the most even application of it. Or if you want a more stout application of it I wipe it in then too. Have used it on most surfaces and it works great. Try to avoid the windshield though. But to avoid parts in wheel wells when you apply it on the wheels is hard if not impossible to do.

SWETM- Thanks for your take on this. Again, I`m *NOT* hating on the stuff, just wondering whether I`m missing something.

Eh, guess I`m just belaboring this topic as I spend so much time doing the nooks and crannies of my wheels, whether they`re coated/LSPed/left bare. The only real difference seems to be that with bare wheels I need to use a Wheel Cleaner, and (Opti)coated wheels don`t need redone as much as LSPed ones.

I`ve left the Tahoe`s winter wheels bare, and I don`t spend any more time/effort cleaning those than I do the coated ones. And I don`t spend any more/less time cleaning the coated ones compared to the ones wearing conventional LSPs. Guess I`m trying to figure out what`s up with that. There is a minor boost in appearance with coatings/LSPs compared to just having clean (bare) wheels, but IMO only an Autopian would notice.

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

SWETM- Thanks for your take on this. Again, I`m *NOT* hating on the stuff, just wondering whether I`m missing something.

Eh, guess I`m just belaboring this topic as I spend so much time doing the nooks and crannies of my wheels, whether they`re coated/LSPed/left bare. The only real difference seems to be that with bare wheels I need to use a Wheel Cleaner, and (Opti)coated wheels don`t need redone as much as LSPed ones.

I`ve left the Tahoe`s winter wheels bare, and I don`t spend any more time/effort cleaning those than I do the coated ones. And I don`t spend any more/less time cleaning the coated ones compared to the ones wearing conventional LSPs. Guess I`m trying to figure out what`s up with that. There is a minor boost in appearance with coatings/LSPs compared to just having clean (bare) wheels, but IMO only an Autopian would notice.

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Could you clean the bare wheels with only rinseless wash after a month of no cleaning?

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Originally Posted by acuRAS82

Could you clean the bare wheels with only rinseless wash after a month of no cleaning?

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I doubt it, but I`d never try doing that anyhow. I only wash (anything) with a RW if it`s just barely dirty and I`ve never let wheels go that long....ever. Not even when traveling, not even with rental cars.

If that`s your test case, then I`d be 100% supportive of using a coating, hands-down, no question at all!

Heh heh, I`m not slamming anybody`s approach or defending my approaches (I currently have wheels that are coated, LSPed, and bare), I really *am* wondering if I`m missing something. It sounds like the one coating I have tried was unusually durable, moreso than what`s available (to a non-pro) today. Guess I`ll find out if/when I get that 22ple out of its bottle and onto some wheels. With all the hassles involved in using a coating (hassles I suspect others don`t have...count your blessings and knock on wood ;) ) I want a bigtime payoff if I bother going that route.

EDIT: Come to think about it, I don`t think I`ve ever cleaned wheels with just a RW, at least not after driving for a mile or more (I do use that approach when I drive around the block to knock the surface rust off the rotors). Even my quickie in-between-washes wheel/tire cleanups involve multiple buckets, BHBs, mitts, swabs...and at least a half hour (usually more). Yikes, my Inner Autopian is showing :eek:

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

EDIT: Come to think about it, I don`t think I`ve ever cleaned wheels with just a RW, at least not after driving for a mile or more (I do use that approach when I drive around the block to knock the surface rust off the rotors). Even my quickie in-between-washes wheel/tire cleanups involve multiple buckets, BHBs, mitts, swabs...and at least a half hour (usually more). Yikes, my Inner Autopian is showing :eek:

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Wow, well you are hardcore with the wheels. Me, I’m happy with the faces and barrels (and only the parts of the barrel that are easily seen) being 90% clean. Therefore, a coating and a quick RW or even WW if not too dirty (I don’t care about swirling my silver wheels) gets me to the (easily viewable parts) being 90% or more clean. I do this 2-3 times per week, 4 wheels takes about 10-15 mins... maybe 15 mins during a normal car wash including spraying Hydro Blue. My preference is for wheels to look good most days with minimal effort, but not perfect everywhere. 1-2 coatings a year and Hydro Blue once a month in the summer leaves the cleaning job quick and painless... much more so than when I used normal sealants or wheel waxes.

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

SWETM- Thanks for your take on this. Again, I`m *NOT* hating on the stuff, just wondering whether I`m missing something.

Eh, guess I`m just belaboring this topic as I spend so much time doing the nooks and crannies of my wheels, whether they`re coated/LSPed/left bare. The only real difference seems to be that with bare wheels I need to use a Wheel Cleaner, and (Opti)coated wheels don`t need redone as much as LSPed ones.

I`ve left the Tahoe`s winter wheels bare, and I don`t spend any more time/effort cleaning those than I do the coated ones. And I don`t spend any more/less time cleaning the coated ones compared to the ones wearing conventional LSPs. Guess I`m trying to figure out what`s up with that. There is a minor boost in appearance with coatings/LSPs compared to just having clean (bare) wheels, but IMO only an Autopian would notice.

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For me it`s just that it`s so easy to apply it. When you do have the wheels clean it`s just some sprays and then hit with the PW. My wheels are a disaster with the condition of them. So just want something that makes them easy to wash. Maybe there are some parts as the inside of the spokes that don`t get fully protected. But it`s way it works these spray on rinse off products is they spreads where the water goes basicly. And also if you more regualary like once a month it`s able to build up the protection. If you do it often it seems to be saturated with protection and getting easy to streak. For me it`s seems like it holds up as on the paint 2-3 months. And you get many applications from a 1L Gyeon Wet Coat for an example. The thing to have in mind is the shelf life from these is around a year. Then you have to much of the SiO2 hardened in the bottle. So it`s not the cheapest but not to bad either. I like how it looks on trims and rubber too. So useally spraying some on the wheel wells too. If you want to have an easy applyied wheel protection these spray on rinse off products is awesome. And also for maintance if your base protection don`t last the time through before you switch for the season or rotate them and can do a wheels off. They bond great over other protection. If you have the ability to apply a coating or sealant on the wheels when you have them off. And your protection lasts until it`s time to do another wheels off protection. These spray on rinse off products may be not necessary to use. It`s simualar to a coating to maintain but they don`t lasts as long and needs to be apply every 2 months for me. Then I have a easy to clean the wheels. The prewash foam and PW clean rinsing it off and followed with a wheel cleaner and only PW to clean with. I useally use the brushes and clean them every 3-4 wash with the wheel cleaner.

So as always it`s personal preference which suits you. And there are a lot of different kind of products that you can get there. So no right or wrong as long as the products does what they are suposed to be doing. But it`s fun and interesting at least for me when testing out a new to me product that does it better for me than what I have been doing before. Then you try out something that works less than what you are already useing. But it`s what you get when trying out different things and methods.

Interesting that about the bare wheels you have experienced. I often wondering about what the difference is between the clearcoat on a wheel vs the clearcoat on the paint. And the surroundings is also a little simualar with plastic trim and rubber. Still it`s different products used on wheels and paint. But say it`s about if it`s safe on only the clearcoat on the wheels and not on the clearcoat on the paint. Or if it`s just the difference between the other materials around the clearcoats. I think it`s the later one.

acuRAS82- Yeah, I guess I do kinda go Autopian-overboard on some of this stuff, at least the Maintenance Washes :o Eh, I do *not* do much for the backs of the BBS wheels on the `93 Audi, or the steelies-with-wheelcovers on the Crown Vic...although I do pull them and clean `em up right before having those serviced. So I guess it`s feast-or-famine with me, keep some really really nice and barely do anything for the others.

Your approach might work great on the Crown Vic!

Sounds like you`re doing it a lot more often than I do, and I bet that day-in day-out your wheels look a *LOT* better than mine do! Sounds like you keep them about 90% most of the time (at least the parts that show). And I am truly impressed that you can do your routine in about 15 minutes! I might spend that long just doing the pockets around the valvestems.

SWETM- AFAIK, most wheels are powdercoated these days.

If these products have a limited shelf-life, then they`re probably not for me.

I`ll admit I just don`t like the idea of that ".. spreads where the water goes basicly...". I prefer knowing/controlling exactly where *everything* goes/doesn`t. Eh, that`s just me.

And I note that you still find this Detailing stuff "fun and interesting", as I used to. I`m *not* spending one unnecessary minute on it any more. (Yeah, I know..more of my Autopian Heresy, and somebody could probably argue that the way I do stuff takes an awful lot of time too.) That`s one reason I`m asking all these Qs, so I can learn without having to actually do it myself. I guess I`m hoping I might find ways to make it all go quicker and easier while still accomplishing what I want to.

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

acuRAS82-...
Sounds like you`re doing it a lot more often than I do, and I bet that day-in day-out your wheels look a *LOT* better than mine do! Sounds like you keep them about 90% most of the time (at least the parts that show). And I am truly impressed that you can do your routine in about 15 minutes! I might spend that long just doing the pockets around the valvestems.

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Well, I have no doubt that when you are doing pockets around valve stems (and elsewhere) that you are going beyond my 90%. But overall, like many others, I hate doing wheels and decided awhile ago that its easier for me to spend the short duration of time doing a quick RW/WW to easily-cleaned-due-to-Coating wheels after my son goes to bed than it is for me to miss a weekend morning of playtime with him to do a full, all-out, wheel cleaning session, so I guess I came up with this method out of schedule preference. Saturate, wipe, quick spray again, then final wipe/dry.

kajunman, if I remember correctly, the Sonax video introducing the product said it should last for at least two weeks. I think it lasts longer, but it`s something I just spray on my wheels that have already been coated with CarPro Dlux.

acuRAS82- Sounds like you`ve found the perfect approach for you.

Isn`t it funny how different people hate doing different things?!? You don`t like doing wheels, I can`t *stand* sliming my tires, others hate doing windows..

Yeah, all those pockets/coves/etc. I have to get down into drive me nuts...never thought of that until I had ones without such [stuff] that I could clean up nice and quick.

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

acuRAS82- Sounds like you`ve found the perfect approach for you.

Isn`t it funny how different people hate doing different things?!? You don`t like doing wheels, I can`t *stand* sliming my tires, others hate doing windows..

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It’s funny you put it like that, because I recently loved “sliming” my tires (although putting it that way doesn’t make it sound very attractive!). I hated the act of getting down low to slime, but I love having dressed tires. I just recently got turned on to the Mckees Wheel coating which now will do my thing... much less slime and a LOT less touching. Best of both worlds for me hence the easy switch.

On the other hand, I’ve never had hatred towards windows. I coat them but still find myself applying coating booster every few weeks after about 2-3 mo this of coating app just because... and windows I do like to clean 100% a few times a week to both cars because of its ease...

this coming from a guy who has lower back issues at times, you can see why I may try to reduce how much time I’m down low cleaning, whereas standing tasks I’m fine taking my time often. We definitely all have unique likes and dislikes.

acuRAS82- I appreciate your wanting to minimize all that down-there work with your back being iffy. And/but I just shake my head in wonder that you don`t mind doing the tires :D Some of mine simply take *forever* due to the sidewalls/etc. on some of them, but one man`s chore is another guy`s hobby :D

We`re sure on the same page regarding keeping the windows clean! I bet that never letting them get nasty makes it a lot easier for both of us.

Which Glass Coating do you like? I`ve never gone that route, but can appreciate its benefits...even the RainX I use on the Crown Vic is better than nothing on that problem-child (huge skipped area right in front of driver :rolleyes: ) and RainX is what was already on it when I got the car.

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

acuRAS82- I appreciate your wanting to minimize all that down-there work with your back being iffy. And/but I just shake my head in wonder that you don`t mind doing the tires :D Some of mine simply take *forever* due to the sidewalls/etc. on some of them, but one man`s chore is another guy`s hobby :D

We`re sure on the same page regarding keeping the windows clean! I bet that never letting them get nasty makes it a lot easier for both of us.

Which Glass Coating do you like? I`ve never gone that route, but can appreciate its benefits...even the RainX I use on the Crown Vic is better than nothing on that problem-child (huge skipped area right in front of driver :rolleyes: ) and RainX is what was already on it when I got the car.

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Accumulator, I would guess you find the wheels so tough because, again, you are likely much more thorough and a better perfectionist than I am (no need to wonder if it’s true, I’ve read enough of your posts). For wheels and tires, if I make them look good enough 2-3x a week for “normal” people to think they look good, I’m OK with that “good enough” attitude at this juncture with my schedule. You likely wouldn’t be content with my work... but I slime the tires in about 90 seconds apiece, or now with the coating I can spend a careful 1-2 hours scrubbing and coating and then a quick car wash wipe after a big rain storm and they fit my criteria.

For windows I use PBL window coating. The bottle lasts forever, it’s easy to apply after a quick glass polish and would probably last a year or more if I quit touching it with booster toppers. Cleaning is real easy afterwards.

acuRAS82- Yeah, it can be hard to tell whether I`m being uber/under Autopian about stuff compared to others here. Some stuff just drives me *nuts* if it`s not the way I want it, while other things don`t phase me at all. Go figure...

Thanks for the feedback about the PBL Window Coating. I`ll keep that in mind if I ever use up all that RainX...oughta get that car out of mothballs and start using it again anhow!

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Originally Posted by Accumulator

I can`t *stand* sliming my tires,

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I found a way to apply tire dressing that`s pretty easy. I use the Optimum air gun with either diluted Opti-Bond or Blackfire Tire Gel. It sprays on easily and then I just wipe it two to three times around with an applicator and wipe again only when I`m ready to drive. I can do all four tires on the van in less than five minutes.

Maybe if it offered some cleaning/polishing ability like an AIO, similar to Wheel Wax, I would consider trying it.

Jaddie- Nah, I know that works fine for others, but the spray-it-on approach isn`t for me.