Sometimes the lectures from the “old timers” are the best though. (Hopefully that innuendo doesn’t insult you.)
Heh heh, not insulted at all! I`m working at being a Poster Child for Proper Aging and actually like being an old-timer
I try to not be a [jerk] but sometimes come across that way anyhow
That being said I should buy a floor jack and jack stands regardless I suppose. I would also make it much easier to use the turtle wax ice spray wax on the wheel wells..
While it`s easy for me to spend your money for you....yeah. Some stuff just *goes* with being a Car Guy (or Gal
) and a floorjack/jack stands are in that category. Also some means of inflating tires, even if it`s just an Air Tank that you fill up now and then at the gas station.
I`ll spare you the lecture about how I need two floorjacks for every carwash I do
But I couldn`t get by without them both (need two if only because of the Differentials I run). Anyhow..
If you don`t have a practical means of getting the car up/wheels off, just do the parts of the barrels you can access through the spokes. Better than nothing and as long as you don`t have problematic wheels (some Cadillac model was notorious for stuff building up in there enough to throw the wheels out of balance!) that oughta be fine until if/when you indulge your Inner Autopian by pulling `em off.
..I just realized it isn’t just wax. It is actually a wheel sealant. It’s the CG’s max coat wheel guard. Got it on amazon for like $10 and figured I’ve wasted $10 in worse ways..
Noting that some Sealants I`ve used didn`t last as long as some Waxes..hey, you have it and you`re cool with the cost, so maybe it`ll surprise me when you post back about how great it works!
They aren’t bare aluminum they are OEM clear coated wheels, both the Equinox and our Fusion
Should I buy something more along the lines of Optimum metal polish then rather than using the Mother’s mag and aluminum polish?
Hey, this ended up maybe being my Autopian Good Deed for the *year*! That would indeed have been a really, REALLY, big mistake.
And NO...do *NOT*use the Optimum Metal Polish either! Even if they look like "metal"/chrome/etc. they almost certainly (like...99.999% chance) have some kind of clear on them that you don`t want to compromise, and Metal Polishes of all kinds are extremely abrasive, way too much so for this.
Use a mild Polish..or, gulp...carefully try a compound if they`re really marred up, but do the "try the mildest approach first" so you`re not more aggressive than necessary. Refinishing wheels is pricey! Just think of the wheels as being regular, if hard, autopaint and settle for "better" rather than aiming for perfection.
..I will still try to just use my wash bucket, but perhaps if needed I can then step up to the brake buster if needed.
Don`t use your Regular Wash Bucket unless you`re gonna dump it out/refill after doing the wheels..nasty stuff you don`t want to risk getting on your paint.
I use a spray bottle with a pretty strong (~7oz./gallon) shampoo mix on mine, which also works great for the wheelwells/undercarriage. And yeah..I have wash/rinse buckets dedicated to this application. (And a separate bucket for Tires too.)
My normal tire cleaner is purple power degreaser. I’ll assume I should use it not so much as to not degrade the McKee’s coating?
I`d assume the same thing. I use Griot`s Rubber Cleaner (which is, if anything, too mild and very pricey) but that`s mostly out of habit and from having so much of it. But I don`t think you`ll need the PP and FWIW I don`t use Degreasers on wheels lest they perhaps mess with the rubber (valid concern? I dunno but I`ve only had one set of tires age badly and I`ve had countless sets of `em).
I didn’t figure I’d need the 303, but I didn’t know if it would help prolong or not. I think using the Beadmaker would be a better route anyway as a drying aid...
I would expect the Tire Coating to do fine by itself, and if it didn`t I`d be, uhm...disappointed..to say the least.
I`ve never been all that impressed with 303, but that`s just me and I`m sure there`s nothing wrong with it (not that I ever use such products for anything except tires).
Never used a drying aid because I’ve been using my leaf blower to help push most the water off and then my drying towels to finish. When using a drying aid, should forced air still be used to push off most of the water?
I`m a fanatical advocate of Drying Aids
And I too blow off most of the water first (with my AirWand) and also last (with my compressor) as my vehicles retain a lot of water.
Then I spritz on the Drying Aid and wipe with my MF Drying Towel before doing that final go-around with the compressor`s blow gun.
I missed this when I replied above about the brake buster by trying to not use harsher cleaning methods. Hopefully soap and water does the trick. For the tires is a tire brush still used on coated wheels or does that effect the coating?
I wouldn`t expect the brush to be a problem, but again, I just don`t know from Tire Coatings. FWIW, I use both brushes and a sorta-aggressive sponge on my tires.
On another note I do have that powerlock I seaes our fusion with. How does powerlock work for sealing rims?
That`s another one I`ve never tried, but since you already have it...sure, see how long it lasts. Hey, I did wheels with *Souveran* for years and that worked fine (just didn`t last long to say the least). The whole idea that you need "really high-temp LSP" on wheels is vastly overstated IMO, they just don`t get that hot (even during Track Days), I even use "regular LSPs" on brake calipers with OK results (on cars that`re driven hard enough to experience brake-fade).
