Wheel and Tire Care Questions

happytheman

Ok I've searched the forums a little bit and didn't find a whole lot of opinions and information on wheel and tire care. So I've got a few questions that I'd like to pose for discussion's sake. Feel free to answer as much or as little as you like, for any information you provide will invariably be helpful to myself as well as others.

Do you wax your wheels? If so, do you use a traditional paste-type wax or a spray on? How often do you wax your wheels? Every week? Every other week? What product do you use? Has anyone used the same wax on their wheels that they do for their paint?

What brushes do you use to clean your wheels? Do you generally just use soap and water, or do you favor a wheel cleaner instead? If you use a wheel cleaner, which do you prefer? I have the stock Sport Rays, so recommended wheel cleaners (if preferred over soap and water) safe for the finish on these wheels would be appreciated. How many of you fully remove each wheel for a more thorough cleaning? How often do do so? Once a year?

What brush do you use on your tires? What dressing? I understand that silicon-based dressing are generally not recommended for the care of tires. Are any of these products capable of damaging the finish of your wheels in any way?

Last question: Do you clean and wax your wheels BEFORE dressing your tires, or the other way around?

Thanks for all your input, as I'm sure to be referring to this thread often.

delusional

I don't wax my wheels unless they're painted. so no for the stock 19's. I usually use the leftover car wash soap but just recently got Sonax wheel cleaner and it seems to work pretty good with a soft brush. For tires I use a hard bristle brush to clean and once again I use leftover car wash soap/water. Then I let it full airdry before applying tire dressing hope this helps.

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happytheman

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll check out the Sonax wheel cleaner.

DetailersDomain

We have Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner we should have more in stock on May 10th

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happytheman

Bump

tomnavone

WHEELS: Adams wheel cleaner. Uber boars hair brush. Uber spoke brush. Chemical guys wheel wax.
TIRES: Chemical guys tire brush. Adams vrt

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Go'tsy

I use a product called Simple Green and a brush with stiff bristles for cleaning the tires and they come out fine.

kenchan

simplegreen might end up making the tire too dry (cracks) as it takes away oils... so i recommend you give it some dressing afterwards. kinda like after doing dishes you may/may not need some hand lotion.

as for wheels i use my boar's hair brush and car shampoo. spray some Prima Hydro (available from phil over at detailers domain) which is a polymer based sealant as you dry product. can use it on glass, plastic, paint, seals, etc. very versatile easy to use product that actually lasts weeks.

happytheman

You can use it on glass? I'm guessing it would repel water similar to RainX?

kenchan

you can use PrimaHydro on glass. water repelling is closer to when you use polymer sealant on glass vs RainX.

i use RainX from time to time when i have glass spots/stains i cant remove using my carshampoo or glass cleaners. ive been using the same RainX bottle since 2000... this is how little i use that product.

happytheman

I was thinking about using my Polymer-based QD on my glass because I find that RainX causes a bit of streaking from time to time.

Junkman2008

I don't have to because I bought some quality brake pads that DO NOT leave any brake dust on my wheels, like the crappy OEM ones do. I'm talking ZERO dust. They are Wagner Thermo Quiet brake pads. That's all I use and you can get them at O'reilly's Auto Parts.

It depends on what style wheel you have. If my wheels were painted, I would use a sealant because a sealant last the longest and is made for painted or clear coated wheels. Spray on wax would be a joke in this situation. Adam's makes a sealant called Machine Superwax.

That would totally depend on what you use for wax. Different waxes provide different levels of protection.

Again, that depends on what type of wheel you have. Painted, chrome, aluminum... it makes a difference.

Yes, if the wheels were painted or clear coated, I could use the sealant that I recommended.

I NEVER use a brush on my wheels because I don't want to chance scratching them.

Soap and water is all I ever need.

If soap and water doesn't clean your wheels, then you are waiting WAY too long to clean your car. Soap and water should clean anything if you address it in time. Adam's makes a product for those who are not as attentive called Green Wheel Cleaner. It isn't acid destructive as products like Eagle 1 Chrome Cleaner but it will give your soap a extra boost in the cleaning department.

I don't know which wheels those are but the Adam's cleaner that I mentioned before is safe on all wheels and finishes.

I don't have to do this because I address my wheels often enough that removing them is not necessary. I use the Turbo Stick Wheel Cleaning Tool to get inside the wheels and thus, no need to remove them. If you address detailing situations before they become issues, they will never become issues.

None.

Adam's Super VRT.

Super VRT will not damage your wheels, trim or paint in any way.

Dressing would always be the last thing you do.

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kenchan

that's a long Q&A.

Junkman2008

He can't say that ALL his questions were not answered!

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happytheman

Wow! Thanks Junkman! I appreciate you taking the time to provide your input!