New Alloys - Protection

Cass

Only found one thread from about 8 years ago so asking in case anyone has any ideas.

I found out one of the wheels on a car i'm doing up is not only cracked, but has multiple welds. I wouldn't use it with one weld let alone several so a new set of alloys are on the way.

When i get them i'd like to treat them in some fashion to help maintain them over the years. I know nothing will give a "one time treatment" so work is not a fctor but i'd like to use the best possible method.

I'm thinking, and reading, about waxing them before first fitting. Using the same wax as i do with my bodywork.

Is there any specific process or chemicals/treatment that anyone would recommend to help protect the wheels in winter months and cut down on discoloration/damage from wear and tear?

Thanks in advance.

I used the ceramic coating on my 18" diamond coated monzas about 6 months ago.
Seems to be making them easier to keep clean and shiny but i dont know how much actual protection it offers.
was about 40 quid too so not cheap.think it was car pro Gtechniq C5

Pops_20

You could use a ceramic coating but that tends to be expensive.

I give my wheels several coats of wax and then top it off with a sealant such as Gtechniq c2v3 (you could put another coat or two of wax on top of that then as a sacrificial layer).

The protection doesn't really stop the wheels getting dirty but I find it stops brake dust getting bonded to the surface and makes maintenance washes a breeze (compared to wheels I haven't waxed in the past).

Dravokivich

I was under the impression there was no point on doing more than 2 coats of wax? They don't actually "stack" up on each other as layers.

Foxhole Norman

A ceramic coating is your best bet to protect them other than PPF(Paint Protection Film) which would be very expensive to do wheels.

The likes of Gtechniq C5 Wheel Armour and CarPro DLUX would be some of the most common. We use C5 ourselves being Gtechniq based and it's a great product and can be topped up with their C2v3 Spray Sealant or EXO coating too. It's reasonably priced, €30 (15ml) - €50 (30ml). They say 30ml for wheels 18" and up face and barrel but the 15ml would often cover that easily. I did a set of E60 M5 19" wheels with the 30ml and had over half left. I'd recommend picking up their Panel Wipe too as it ensures an excellent surface to apply.

A good wash, de-iron, de-tar and possibly clay followed by Panel Wipe and coating them. As the wheels are new however you should just need to Panel Wipe and coat. These coatings help to make maintenance as easy as possible while also offering decent protection against fading/swirling.

Cass

Appreciate the answers so far.

I'm not looking for some sort of "armor" that will prevent dirt, etc indefinitely. I clean my cars at minimum once a week, sometimes more depending on conditions.

The wheels will be brand new so i'm looking to give them a coating of something that'll make cleaning a little easier, offer a little protection against the weather/elements and if it only last a few weeks to a couple of months then needs re-application then that is fine, and exactly what i want.

I have a bottle of ceramic coating. Bought it a year ago (not the cheap ebay kind) and never built up the nerve to apply it to the car. I also have a variety of various waxes, etc. So which would you recommend. The wax first and see how long/well it lasts. Then if i'm not happy with the results/protection clean, de-grease, and apply the ceramic coating? Or just apply the ceramic coating first (hesitant to do this as it's semi permanent or a bitch to remove).

TIA

Foxhole Norman

Waxes won't last fiddling time on wheels, they're not made to stand up to the heat and dirt that builds up on wheels. What coating do you have? Ceramics would be the best really for wheels!

Cass

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Waxes won't last fiddling time on wheels, they're not made to stand up to the heat and dirt that builds up on wheels.

Makes sense.

What coating do you have?

CarPro CQuartz. Bought for the car but never used it. Watched videos on "how to" but again never tried it because while simple in planning if a mistake is made i believe it's a pain in the ass to impossible to remove.

I'll get to it someday.

Ceramics would be the best really for wheels!

So you'd recommend the ceramic coating and ignore the waxing?

Foxhole Norman

Cass wrote: »

Makes sense.

CarPro CQuartz. Bought for the car but never used it. Watched videos on "how to" but again never tried it because while simple in planning if a mistake is made i believe it's a pain in the ass to impossible to remove.

I'll get to it someday.

So you'd recommend the ceramic coating and ignore the waxing?

CQuartz is a very good coating. These coatings are consumer grade so aren't impossible to remove. Some medium polishing will generally remove them if you make a mistake with them. CQuartz has good work time so if you miss an area you generally have time to get back to it and buff it off.

I'd definitely recommend a ceramic over a wax, waxes are dead IMO unless you're planning on hitting shows in which case waxes have that wet warm look to them, ideal for shows, especially indoors, while Sealants and Ceramics tend to have a soft Glassy look to them. You can wax over ceramics too but generally the ceramic beading would be better than waxes, therefore making it a bit pointless but it would be an idea to wax over them in a year or so if the repellency of the ceramic is wearing off.