clear coat on wheels

[wanabe]

i know that my s2000 stock wheels (and my ssr gt-3s) are clear coated on the outside, but do not know about the insides-

are insides of modern wheels clear coated?

 

[wanabe]

answer i got by email (wow, that was fast!) :





"They are not. In fact, the back side of most wheels are lucky to get anything more than just grey primer.



db"

 

[Accumulator]

Yeah, most aren't finished *nearly* as well on the back sides. Makes it even more important (IMO) to keep them cleaned and protected. Once [stuff] builds up on the poorly finished surface, it's a real paint to get it off.

 

[wanabe]

thx-

product of choice p21s wheel cleaner?

Yeah, most aren't finished *nearly* as well on the back sides. Makes it even more important (IMO) to keep them cleaned and protected. Once [stuff] builds up on the poorly finished surface, it's a real paint to get it off.

 

[Accumulator]

Depends on how dirty they get and what you have on there protecting them. I put more LSP on mine fairly recently, so I can just use a sorta-strong mix of regular car wash shampoo. But if that won't cut it, then your choice of wheel cleaners should work fine. But note that the wheel cleaners are really hard on waxes/sealants. Once the car wash won't work, I'll use diluted wheel cleaner (P21S is good, Griot's is *very* similar but cheaper, and TOL's most gentle one is good and cheaper still). When that doesn't work, full/regular-strength wheel cleaner. After a few times with that, I'll pull them and redo them with cleaners and a sealant. I try to make the protection last as long as I can and I never let them get too nasty. Trying to keep them decent with a once-a-year cleanup didn't work for me.