How To: Properly Clean, Protect, & Maintain Wheels & Tires

SATracker said:
The link to the "scrape-right" plastic blades works, but there's no "add to your cart" icon. Great write up. Thx
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They've been discontinued. :(

Raiz3l said:
Anyone care to recommend a tire sealant on alloy rims?
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I would recommend Tuf Shine Tire Clearcoat. This stuff is incredible (we're huge fans of it around here)!

TUF SHINE Tire Appearance Kit

Carlos89 said:
Has anyone used auto finesse wheel cleaner?
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Sure have, and I'm glad to report that it's good stuff. :dblthumb2:
 
Great write up Nick, love the products you chose to clean and protect the wheels and tires.
Super nice:)
 
Is the auto finesse wheel cleaner safe for all wheels except chrome?
 
The auto finesse cleaner is strong caustic (check msds). Personally I would not use caustic products on anything beyond powder coat, at least not without testing. This is how we label all products of this type as strong caystucs are extremely corrosive (but good cleaners and inexpensive, which is why they are popular).

To respond to the previous post, car shampoos ARE detergents. The sentiment you are after is to avoid everything with extremes of pH. That means both acids and bases (alkaline). Both are fine for a heavy wash but will increase the risk of damage if used routinely when not necessary.

All the besto
 
Now, many wheels are chrome cladding is nothing more than plastic plated with chrome.
 
I know this thread has been dead for a while, but Nick's write up was just what I was looking for!

I just got new wheels on my mazda 3, I was thinking of using Wolfgang Spritz Sealant to protect the finish. When I read this thread I noticed Nick had a coating in one of the pictures. Upon researching, it seems that more people prefer a coating over a sealant on their wheels. I noticed to maintain a coating you must use PH neutral soap, this lead me to a question I could not find the answer to:

Will tire cleaners that are sprayed and agitated on a tire, then run onto the wheel be damaging to the wheel coating?

If I go with a coating, I was leaning towards Pinnacle Black Label, or the new Blackfire coating. Does anyone have input on this? Thanks for the help!

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Simply Awesome thread! I am a new member and loving the "How Too Articles". I do have a question on the tire dressing, Is there a good equivalent spray to the gels mentioned?

I have a 4 x 4 with a pretty aggressive sidewall tread, I think I would go bonkers applying a gel to all the surfaces, and I think it would look odd to have just the smooth part of the sidewall detailed...
 
Check out Optimum spray gun. As a professional detailer in Texas, the lifted, aggressive tire 4x4 capital of the world, I find this to be the biggest time saver ever. You can also use it to apply other dressings. Here is the link Optimum Spray Gun works with your air compressor to apply even coats of Opti-Bond Tire Gel, Optimum coverage using optimum air gun

It does require a air compressor, but it is one of my best buys ever.

I take a gallon of water with me so I can clean out the gun when switching to other products.
 
Thanks ShineDoc! I have an air compressor so I will definitely check it out!
 
My 2006 300C SRT8 has stock 20" wheels with 86k miles on them. While I've kept them clean with Griots HD wheel cleaner and regular soap and water, I've never clayed them nor have I ever taken a polish or a polisher to them. I'm not sure if they're clear coated or not.

How do some of you pro detailer go about figuring out your approach to decon, clean, polish, and seal and avoid ruining wheels?
 
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