The Gentle Art of Wheel Waxing

[SnineT]

Thanks Andy,

I used a premium polish, how long it would've lasted I'm not going to find out now with the car as it's gone so until something else with a good starting base to work on arrives I can't say whether my method would be a hail or fail right now.

[andy_d]

Originally Posted by SnineT

Thanks Andy,

I used a premium polish, how long it would've lasted I'm not going to find out now with the car as it's gone so until something else with a good starting base to work on arrives I can't say whether my method would be a hail or fail right now.

its not a question of "hail or fail" its a miss understanding of what a Wax is capable of, designed to do and Can do in That application



consider that
brake pad particles are Hot when they detach from the pads
iron particles are Hot when they detach from the disks
Hot thing landing on wax = melted wax > protection gone

waxes are Brilliant for laying down an extra layer of "gloss" or making things look "wet" , Quite good at resisting certain avian leavings (up to a point)

near Zero use at providing physical protection from "things rubbing/grinding/grating/impacting" on surface.

a ceramic coating, When correctly applied, Can give a much higher level of protection from brake dust/brake fallout
aint going to save the alloy when you kerb it,, not a lot will (rim protectors May nowt else will)

[SnineT]

Yeah I hear ya Andy and the melting factor was considered at the time,

As you say nothing stops a kerb from lunching on the wheels,

How often do you apply the ceramic?

[XC90Mk1]

I do actually use poor boys wheel sealant however whilst I use it as I have it, the truth is it makes very very little difference.

If you look at YouTube, for example the forensic detailing channel, they do tests on wheel sealants etc and note that there is negligible difference with the product. These are professionals who do it properly which really requires removal of the wheel and decontamination and sealing etc.

If you are doing this with the wells on the car then you are likely onto a bit of a non starter. Also bear in mind these won’t be resistant to wheel cleaner and acid etches etc. for myself I use the poorboys wheel sealant but it does nothing on alloy wheels.

Where I must admit I do get benifit is on my little Suzuki. My Suzuki has plastic wheeltrims and they are simply not really exposed to brake dust or heat (the wheels have a gap to wheel trims).

If you buy the wax, and you enjoy doing it then go for it, but as someone who uses poorboys wheel wax I can confirm it makes negligible difference and yet is labour intensive.

[XC90Mk1]

Originally Posted by SnineT

Thanks Andy,

I used a premium polish, how long it would've lasted I'm not going to find out now with the car as it's gone so until something else with a good starting base to work on arrives I can't say whether my method would be a hail or fail right now.

I can, I would be astonished if it makes any difference at all.

[Simmy]

Originally Posted by SnineT

We shall report back later Simmy, DO IT FOR YORKSHIRE!!!

up date after use and first clean . dirt / brake dust washed off easy with just a hose pipe i will report after a month if the results are positive i will remove the wheels and re coat

[andy_d]

Originally Posted by SnineT

Yeah I hear ya Andy and the melting factor was considered at the time,

As you say nothing stops a kerb from lunching on the wheels,

How often do you apply the ceramic?

all that work and graft could be better used with a coating that lasts up to 2years ,

that is When properly applied After following the correct preparation steps

[andy_d]

Originally Posted by Simmy

up date after use and first clean . dirt / brake dust washed off easy with just a hose pipe i will report after a month if the results are positive i will remove the wheels and re coat

2 years and 3months After applying the ceramic wheel armour C5 , twice yearly use of fallout remover chemicals, they still come up clean with just a snow foam/wheel brush then pressure rinse,

i had a CV boot decide to let all the grease out onto the one wheel, what jolly fun that was, copious cleaning with a Very strong degreasing agent has NOT affected that wheel's coating it Still comes up as clean as the others with the Same foam/brush/rinse,,,



yes it Was Wheels off, spend the time / effort cleaning then preparing them properly before applying and letting cure the C5 , 2 years 3months ago
they Might need re-doing before this winter possibly,,,

[Kingmunky]

Check out SP1000P or FK1000P sealant for use on wheels. I used to have white alloys on an old car (fckn nightmare to keep good) but with this stuff, no matter how dirty they looked, a quick power wash took all the crap off easily.