Brandy new Chrome 3-piece wheels, what do I need to keep them new?

W

WS6Fury

New member
I got a brandy new set of IForged 3-piece wheels. To say the least, they have the bolts that go around the wheel, and a bunch of crevices for brake dust and dirt to get into.



Since a foam pad or cotton wash pad will not do the job in getting to these small areas, I will need some sort of brush I suppose.



Any recommendations on a non-marring brush? I do not want to scratch or put hairlines in the chrome finish.



Second questions is protection. NJ roads suck, so does the weather. I have VM which will be good to brighten up, but I need some sort of protection from the brake dust, water, etc. What can I use for this?



Also, if available, a wax or sealant that does not turn white, as I suppose I will miss some wax around the bolts... ya never know, theres too many hidden areas on these wheels, lol!



Thanks!
 
you can use a fine bristle brush for the rivets and a good light apc like Megs APC+, you can use heavy metal polish to keep those things nice n clean they work great at repelling water and brake dust. And for some reason darken the chrome a bit, i dont know but my buddy has 22's on his f150 and he loved the heavy metal polish.
 
I would check out Meguiars new wheel brush. It has some pretty long bristles to get into tight spaces. I have just tried poorboys new wheel sealant and it gave the chrome on my Z06 wheels a deep shine, I cant comment on durability yet as I haven't really driven the car much.
 
I have 3-piece chrome rims that I've been detailing leading up to putting them on again, and I have to say they really aren't bad to keep clean. If they're brand new I wouldn't really bother with the VM, but feel free. I prefer to use something without the oils in VM (AIO) as durability is key here, and nothing is really going to enhance the look much. I've been layering EX-P because I don't particularly like the look of it on my black paint, and I want to get some use out of it. Any other sealant should suffice (SG, UPP, PB's Wheel Sealant,) and if they're off the car give the a few layers before you put them on. For maintenance I just mix up a strong mix of wash soap in a spray bottle that I use for the sheels and wells. I just use a flagged brush I got from Pep Boys, nothing special, you don't have to worry too bad about scratching chrome. Usually I go all summer without having to do much else too them. Stay with a gentle cleaner and you won't have to polish them until they're back off the car.
 
Aluminium Wheel Polishing:

Uncoated (to test apply a mild polish, if the applicator turns black there is no clear coat or paint finish) if the wheels are clear coated see Cleaning Wheels and Tyres



Methodology:

·Ensure wheels and rotors are cool before applying cold water as this may cause the rotors warp. Hose off as much initial grime as you can. Rinse up into the wheel well to wash away road kill, mud and other debris.

·Use detailing clay to remove any imbedded contaminants

·Note- Clay is not recommended on wheels that do not have a factory clear coat or powder coat finish

·Remove road tar with a solvent

·Remove surface brake dust with a 100% acid-free and neutral pH wheel cleaner (P21S Wheel Cleaner) Agitate with a soft boarâ€â„¢s hair wheel brush and rinse with low-pressure clean water

·Magnesium or aluminium wheels can be polished with a water-soluble polish (Happich Semichrome Polish)

·For difficult to reach places use a felt polishing buffer on an electric drill (Edwards or Caswell Plating buffs or a Dremal Felt Polishing Cone Set)

·Apply a polymer sealant for long lasting protection (Zoopseal or Klasse All-In-One)





Polish Buffers-

Mushroom shaped buffers (with a ¼-inch mandrel) allow you to access tight spaces; these buffing wheels have fine-weave cotton, mushroom-shape that works faster than conventional felt bobs and also lasts longer. The 1/4" smooth shaft resists slipping in your drill chuck while its plastic ferrule prevents scratching the recessed areas of your work piece. The Facer Buffs are used for getting into tighter areas, 1, and 2 or 3-inch sizes available. (Eastwood's Mushroom Buff)

JonM
 
1st off are you sure they are chrome? Did you actually pay extra for a chrome dipping? Most IForged wheels are polished aluminium. As said above you can tell by puting some polish on a rag and it turn black then its polished not chrome. As far as your choice to clean 3 piece wheels a good body brush will work fine to get the dirt around the bolts. I have these type of wheels on 2 of my cars and can tell you get one of thoes Mothers power ball. You can really polish out the wheels fast (3minutes) and get that show room shine. Even if its chrome the ball will allow you to use chrome polish fast. Either way show us a picture of the car with the wheels.
 
Brushes- Griot's small BHBs, pn 15520. IMO these are absolutely indispensable. I use them every time I wash a vehicle. Also check out the BHB for wheels, pns 92546/92547. These are very gentle.



Protection- KSG, multiple layers. Then just wash them with car wash shampoo (using the BHBs).
 
they are probably high polished iforged. i don't think they do "chrome" wheels.



you should look into zoopseal. i put 6 coats of klasse sg on the polished lip, and polished barrel of my new dpe wheels, and it didn't do much of anything to protect the bare metal. the first rain storm, the polished lip dulled, and was stained by the water. i had the wheels on for one week, and have removed them already until my zoopseal shows up. i also bought some enlglish custom polish that i am going to try and polish them up first, before the zoopseal. i will take some pics to show the before and after.



here is what they looked like brand new, before i put them on the car. the sg is amazing on the painted face of the wheel. the sg does slightly dull the polished lip, but i was willing to sacrifice a little of the shine for protection. (so i thought)

18850dper16clean_013-med.jpg




here is how the lip looks after one rain storm. the stains (which are hard to capture), will not wash off. they are still left even after polishing with mothers billet polish. i think the billet polish actually left a better protection than the sg did. when i washed them for the first time with the sg on, the lip did not bead. but when i washed them after using the billet polish, there were very tight, small beads.

18850stainedwheels_002-med.jpg




here is the inner part of the rim.

18850stainedwheels_003-med.jpg




the zoopseal is a little pricey, but when you spend almost 4 large on wheels, what's another $130 to protect them?
 
I have yet to meet anyone who has been happy after applying Zoopseal to their polished rims - the finish always looks bad.



I'd go for frequent polishing. And yes, both our Mag & Aluminum Polish and Billet Polish leave a polymer coating behind - it's not real durable, but it's better than nothing.
 
forrest said:
I have yet to meet anyone who has been happy after applying Zoopseal to their polished rims - the finish always looks bad.
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i have seen a few sets of wheels with zoopseal, and yes, it doesn't look as good as just polished. but, it did look better than the sg did. if done properly, it's not bad at all. in my case, living in the northeast, and where i am only doing the lip, and the inside barrel, i am willing to sacrifice some of the look for the protection.
 
jetskie said:
1st off are you sure they are chrome? Did you actually pay extra for a chrome dipping? Most IForged wheels are polished aluminium. As said above you can tell by puting some polish on a rag and it turn black then its polished not chrome. As far as your choice to clean 3 piece wheels a good body brush will work fine to get the dirt around the bolts. I have these type of wheels on 2 of my cars and can tell you get one of thoes Mothers power ball. You can really polish out the wheels fast (3minutes) and get that show room shine. Even if its chrome the ball will allow you to use chrome polish fast. Either way show us a picture of the car with the wheels.
Click to expand...



Oh believe me, they are definately chrome. And IForged does chrome wheels. Most people don't b/c its an extra $100 a wheel. These wheels are made to my specs, and I got the first order of this type of wheel they ever made called "Classics". The outter barrel and forging are all chrome, the inner barrel is just aluminum, not polished,... though I may go and brighten it up a bit. I by all means need maximum protection, having 2.5" lip up front, and a 3.5" lip out rear, that's a lot to catch some water!:eek: Was bought on group buy for a very nice price :D



The chrome they used seems to be a bit softer than others I've seen, could be due to the mirror like finish, but it feels different. So scratching will occur, so I need to minimize this as much as possible. If zoopseal is going to deter the look of the wheels, I ain't using it. It's going to be a show car for the most part, but still driven on nice days, but will still see some rain under the covers.



I will not use any power tool or anything metal next to these wheels. Just the mere thought of slipping and having the chuck of my drill or dremel hit the finish :nono :eek:



Right now i don't feel the need for polish, I mean, they are brand new. Can't get any brighter:cool:



So far it sounds like poorboys wheel sealant.
 
You sir are not being very helpful....Where are the pics already!!:showpics



So you got the 1st set of these "classic" style? Now I am really interested....I was looking at Aeros in chrome and was quoted 3K, how much were yours?
 
LarryM said:
You sir are not being very helpful....Where are the pics already!!:showpics



So you got the 1st set of these "classic" style? Now I am really interested....I was looking at Aeros in chrome and was quoted 3K, how much were yours?
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Take a look at the HRE547R's I believe they are. Look just like them split spoke 5-spoke wheels:cool:



And that price you got is right on. I wish you the very best though working with Vince :lol:
 
WS6Fury said:
I wish you the very best though working with Vince :lol:
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Why:think: was he difficult to work with?



enlarge-547r.jpg


:bow :bow :bow :bow

547s were always my favorite rim, but I think we all get the same feeling in our groin when we see they are over 1K a wheels:shocked I also love the CCW 505A wheels as they are very similar as well and drop dead gorgeous....Nice to see IForged is making a similar rim, and in chrome:bounce



I may have to jump on a set in a year or so:xyxthumbs
 
Nice looking wheel. Like I said just keep them clean and sealed and you wont have a problem. My chrome is very hard so I really hardly ever polish 'em. And believe me, I want to keep them looking good, they cost more than 2 times that. I doubt any decent brush would really hurt them, but better safe than sorry.
 
LarryM said:
BTW where in Jersey are you from?
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In EB.



The CCW 505A only come in 19" or larger which sucks. Would have gotten them, much cheaper and easier to clean, but rivets of course just make the car look mean:D



Any other sealants and waxes that work well on chrome??
 
Yeah I wanted to get CCWs as well, but the whole 19" thing is gay.....They did just release the 18x8.5 version, but who wants 8.5" wheels? Eventually I want to go with 18x10 and 18x9 up front...Whoever has that look and the best price is who'll i'll go with...looking like IForged right now.



If you happen to get pics of the wheel, please e-mail them to me Runnshoot1@aol.com



Thanks
 
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