How To: Protect Your Wheels with GYEON quartz Q2 Rim

[Jeff at Gyeon]

Good Day Good Day,

I thought I'd start a discussion on GYEON quartz Q2 Rim with a bit of How To. GYEON Q2 Rim is formulated specifically for wheels, exhaust tips, and any other high temp areas that you want to keep well protected.

So why would you want a quartz coating on your wheels?:
- Long term protection, you should see up to a year out of a single layer of Q2 Rim
- Protection from heavy brake dust
- Protection from heavy winter driving where salt and mag chloride will build up
- Easy wash maintenance on intricate wheel designs as the surface will want to release dirt and contaminant

What makes Q2 Rim a good choice?:
- Easy application. Wipe on and wipe right off.
- High temperature tolerance-up to 1400 degrees F
- High gloss finish on painted wheels
- Increase in "richness" and very healthy sheen on matte and satin finished wheels but will not add much gloss

How To: GYEON quartz Q2 Rim

View attachment 62304

First, we want to ensure we have a perfectly clean surface to work with. These Tesla Model S wheels have already been cleaned with GYEON Q2 Iron. Next, give each wheel a thorough wipe down with GYEON Q2 Prep. Q2 Prep will remove all of the cleaners and lubricants from the previous stage of cleaning, whatever that may be, and leave a perfect surface in which to coat.

View attachment 62305

I'm using a GYEON Q2 SoftWipe here for Prep removal. I like a very plush towel for this process to absorb and remove the Prep and the material it is breaking down. But any high quality and brand new microfiber will do. We want to make sure the towel is absorbing the material we are asking it to remove. So remember to flip sides often and use multiple towels if necessary to make sure we aren't transferring material from one wheel to the next.

View attachment 62306

Once the Prep stage is complete, it's time to apply Q2 Rim. A little tip, when working on wheels it is next to impossible to use the Foam Applicator Blow and Suede as a combo, and just as hard to hold just the Suede in your hands without dropping it every two seconds. So I pull out the rubber band trick. Wearing nitrile gloves so the coating doesn't come in contact with my skin, I fold the Suede in to a nice small square and rubber band it to my index finger. This makes for super easy install and ensures I get in all the cracks and crevices.

View attachment 62307

Next I apply a fairly generous amount of Q2 Rim to my finger applicator and start applying to the Wheel. I like to cut the Wheel in to quarters, and work one at a time. So I'll apply Q2 Rim to the upper right quadrant say (from 12 o clock to 3 o clock), and then remove immediately. The only time Rim isn't a joy to install is if it is left on too long. The GYEON coatings perform their initial bond within 3-5 seconds. So Rim can be removed anywhere from 15-20 seconds up to about a minute depending on installation environment. With all coatings, the higher the humidity the faster the coating will release its solvents and start to "flash", so the faster it should be removed.

View attachment 62308

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Once applied, I remove with a second GYEON SoftWipe Towel.

View attachment 62310

GYEON Q2 Rim should be a fairly straightforward and easy application. You can apply it to any wheel finish safely. You can apply it to exhaust tips as well. It can be layered up to three layers, and once layered delivers some very tight water beading characteristics.

The biggest points to consider when applying Q2 Rim:
- Make sure the Wheel is well cleaned and prepped
- Use high quality and brand new Microfibers to make the job as easy as possible
- Check the humidity, if high then plan on removing the product a bit faster
- Work in quadrants so your install is controlled and you don't miss any intricate areas

Hope this helps! Glad to answer any questions and would love to hear how everyone is using GYEON Q2 Rim!

 

[FUNX650]

@Jeff at GYEON:

Sir,

I noticed that there are several discrepancies
between the information that’s contained in
your above OP...and the information that I
found via the link: GYEON quartz Q2 Rim
that was provided to the AGO store.

Thanks in advance for your
attention to this matter.


Bob

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Just to chime in...


Love the tip Jeff

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

@Jeff at GYEON:

Sir,

I noticed that there are several discrepancies between the information that’s contained in your above OP...and the information that I found via the link:

GYEON quartz Q2 Rim

that was provided to the AGO store.

Thanks in advance for your attention to this matter.


Bob

I don't have time to figure out what the discrepancies are but I'm sure if Jeff can investigate we can make sure to update the info on the store page.

 

[SWETM]

The suede and rubber band tip is awesome!

Thanks for shareing!

 

[The Guz]

Good Day Good Day,


Once the Prep stage is complete, it's time to apply Q2 Rim. A little tip, when working on wheels it is next to impossible to use the Foam Applicator Blow and Suede as a combo, and just as hard to hold just the Suede in your hands without dropping it every two seconds. So I pull out the rubber band trick. Wearing nitrile gloves so the coating doesn't come in contact with my skin, I fold the Suede in to a nice small square and rubber band it to my index finger. This makes for super easy install and ensures I get in all the cracks and crevices.

View attachment 62307

Thanks for the write up Jeff. This is a great tip. I am currently using this and as you stated it is very user friendly and easy to apply. Nice and hydrophobic as well. Sure makes the wheels easier to clean.

I have found that Cure and Bathe+ play well with it as a sacrificial layer to the wheel coating.

 

[Jeff at Gyeon]

@Jeff at GYEON:

Sir,

I noticed that there are several discrepancies
between the information that’s contained in
your above OP...and the information that I
found via the link: GYEON quartz Q2 Rim
that was provided to the AGO store.

Thanks in advance for your
attention to this matter.


Bob

Hi Joaquin,

Thank you for the comment. I'd say there are always minor differences between a product description that is used globally and some real world tips and tricks. I'll go down the list I quickly saw. If you have any others I'm glad to discuss!

1. The AGO page and the GYEON official product description both lists 6 months durability. GYEON is traditionally very conservative on the durability claims, usually describing a worst case scenario with poor maintenance. With good maintenance and a shot of WetCoat here and there I have seen Q2 Rim perform up to a year personally. With the members of this forum likely being a more detail oriented crowd that maintain their vehicles regularly, I thought it best to speak to what they can expect.

2. The AG page mentions a 300 degree Celsius threshold, where the GYEON site states 800 (1472 F). Likely a typo which I'll get with the AG crew on.

3. The removal time stated on the AG site is 2-5 minutes, which is totally fine. Many people wait this long with no issue, otherwise I'm sure we'd hear of it. Personally I like a 30-60 second removal time. The product is dry enough to be removed but is no where near "tacky" as it gets when it starts to cure. Each application environment will be different, and as stated higher humidity will have you wanting to remove sooner. I like it to be as simple as possible, so the 30-60 second time frame works great. The only issue you would have with a 2-5 minute time frame is that it might start to feel tacky. I "quarter" the wheels more so that I don't get ahead of myself or lose track of a start/stop point when working on an intricate wheel. I keep the install area small so I am effective in application. I have done it many times where I've installed to an entire, simpler designed wheel, and removed all at once at the 3 minute mark with no issue. Lots of ways to skin a cat.

Did you notice anything else?

 

[Jeff at Gyeon]

The suede and rubber band tip is awesome!

Thanks for shareing!

No problem! Nick at A Buff and Beyond-Performance Car Care showed me that at a GYEON Detailers Conference a few years ago and I've used it ever since!

 

[BudgetPlan1]

Coating rims and tires is *the* largest time saver for me when washing. Wheels used to be an hour long ordeal but now quick hit with pressure wand, quick wipedown with washmitt, rinse and dry...about 5 minutes total. As far as longevity, 2 coats of Gyeon Rim on wife's summer car (chrome wheels, plenty of rain but no snow or salt), applied July 2016...still holding on about 10k miles later. Stuff works.

 

[Jeff at Gyeon]

Coating rims and tires is *the* largest time saver for me when washing. Wheels used to be an hour long ordeal but now quick hit with pressure wand, quick wipedown with washmitt, rinse and dry...about 5 minutes total. As far as longevity, 2 coats of Gyeon Rim on wife's summer car (chrome wheels, plenty of rain but no snow or salt), applied July 2016...still holding on about 10k miles later. Stuff works.

That's the goal!

 

[Eldorado2k]

Hi Jeff, I’ve heard most people talk about car wash suds & mitt to clean the wheels once this coating is applied, but how about if I want to make it touch free? i.e. spray on wheel cleaner and rinse off and have them turn out completely clean. Is that a realistic expectation?

Which type of wheel cleaners can be used once this coating is applied to the wheels? Can I use an based wheel cleaner without degrading Gyeon Rim? What about diluted APC/Degreaser? Are there any dedicated wheel cleaners that you’d recommend? Thanks.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Btw I don’t have a power washer.

 

[Jeff at Gyeon]

Btw I don’t have a power washer.

The ability to make it a completely touch free wash process really depends on the amount and type of dirt in place. You'll need to clean them much more frequently to limit the amount of build up. I recommend GYEON Q2 Iron as the wheel cleaner. The coating is tolerant from ph 2-11 so any cleaner within that range will be fine. The closer to neutral you get the better. But without a pressure washer this will be nearly impossible. You can score a small electric pressure washer at Home Depot for about $100.

 

[FUNX650]

 

[Eldorado2k]

The coating is tolerant from ph 2-11 so any cleaner within that range will be fine. The closer to neutral you get the better.

Thanks for the reply. This is sort of a nice surprise and makes things interesting as I previously thought a wheel coating such as this wasn’t for me due to not being able to use my choice of wheel cleaner on it.. But since anything between PH of 2-11 is ok to use, that means that my favorite choice of wheel cleaner, Meguiars Wheel Brightener is fine, and if the wheel is coated then my results should get even better than they already are. This is good news, thanks.

FYI, Meguiars Wheel Brightener has a PH level of 5.5 [within range]
Meguiars APC PH level 13.2 [out of range]
Meguiars Super Degreaser PH level 13.5 [out of range]

I bet alot of people are going to be surprised to find this out. Lol.

My source for this information: Mike Pennington@Meguiars.

Wheel Brightener is an "acid based" wheel cleaner and has a pH of 5.5 (7 is neutral).

It is designed to go after brake dust, where as, "all purpose cleaners" and "degreasers" traditionally work better for dirt, grease and grime since they are on the alkaline side of the scale. Note: APC + is 13.2 and Super Degreaser is 13.5 on the pH scale...


:xyxthumbs

Mike

 

[FUNX650]

•As to Meguiar’s D140:
-Can’t assess ABF’s risks/dangers to
human health based solely on its pH.

That, in and of itself, is not a
laughable conundrum, IMO.


Bob

 

[Eldorado2k]

•As to Meguiar’s D140:
-Can’t assess ABF’s risks/dangers to
human health based solely on its pH.

That, in and of itself, is not a
laughable conundrum, IMO.


Bob

Who said anything about human health? We’re talking about whether or not it’ll strip off Gyeon Rim.