Scratches on chrome wheels

J

jb1

New member
Hey guys,

I need your help. I looked at the factory chrome wheels tonight on my vette and with my halogen lights, I noticed tons of scratches. Is it possible to polish out the scratches to make them look new or not? I tried Blue Magic on a part of one of the spokes - I just made more swirl/round scratches. :grrr



Please suggest a product and procedure as I don't want to screw it up any more.

Thanks!
 
jb1 said:
Hey guys,

I need your help. I looked at the factory chrome wheels tonight on my vette and with my halogen lights, I noticed tons of scratches. Is it possible to polish out the scratches to make them look new or not? I tried Blue Magic on a part of one of the spokes - I just made more swirl/round scratches. :grrr



Please suggest a product and procedure as I don't want to screw it up any more.

Thanks!
Click to expand...



Hmm... if it is real chrome, not polished aluminum, than the scratches can not be polished out. As far as I know, if chrome gets scratched, your screwed... Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Yep, C6. That's it in my avatar. They're the chrome ones, not the polished ones. Sorry, no pics right now. I can take some maybe tomorrow if you guys need to see them.
 
My chromes are clearcoated but my car is a Lexus so it could be different for you. I did take M105 to it once and it did improve it though....
 
89gt-stanger said:
Hmm... if it is real chrome, not polished aluminum, than the scratches can not be polished out. As far as I know, if chrome gets scratched, your screwed...
Click to expand...



Correct. Chromium is *VERY* hard and I've worn through chrome plating and still had scratches visible at the edges of the worn-through areas.



But yeah, *some* chrome wheels are cleared and on those polishing will help. No idea about C6 wheels though :nixweiss Wonder what the 'vette forums will have to say.
 
So what I'm hearing you guys say is "I think you'll need to buy a new set of wheels" if you want some without scratches. :getdown
 
calchrome website says it best...call them they may be able to help and can rechrome your wheels for a fraction of replacement cost,,,there used to be a shop in dallas "dirty joe's chrome" that did great work but they closed down



Chrome wheels must be washed with plenty of fresh, flowing water. Contaminants such as brake dust or dirt may scratch the wheel if they are wiped from the wheel without the presence of fresh water.



After cleaning, a coat of protective wax that is "Clear Coat Safe" will help to preserve the finish. If minor scratches do occur, they may be removed by using a high quality fine polish, or scratch remover that is "Clear Coat Safe".



NEVER use chrome polish or any aluminum polishes that have abrasives.

NEVER spray cold water on hot or warm wheels, this can result in damaging the appearance permanently.



osborn_viper_02.jpg
[/IMG]
 
jb1- Rechromed or replaced, IMO chrome wheels on drivers area gonna be pretty hard to keep perfect.



I *would* suggest cleaning them with a good wheel cleaner (some manufacturers offer cleaners made specifically for chrome wheels) and soft BHBs, but to reach the back of the spokes and the inside of the barrels (without taking the wheels off every time to clean 'em ;) ) you'll still need to use some kind of mitt/etc. and sooner or later some spec of abrasive [stuff] will get pressed against the plating and then moved, causing a scratch.
 
Accumulator said:
jb1- Rechromed or replaced, IMO chrome wheels on drivers area gonna be pretty hard to keep perfect.



I *would* suggest cleaning them with a good wheel cleaner (some manufacturers offer cleaners made specifically for chrome wheels) and soft BHBs, but to reach the back of the spokes and the inside of the barrels (without taking the wheels off every time to clean 'em ;) ) you'll still need to use some kind of mitt/etc. and sooner or later some spec of abrasive [stuff] will get pressed against the plating and then moved, causing a scratch.
Click to expand...



Bummer. I like the new chrome spider design on the new Z06s. Based on your experience, then is chrome more difficult to keep "perfect" than say a painted or polished wheel?



From several feet away, the average person would think they look great. Now since I'm trying to become an autopian purist, they just won't cut it for me. So now I'm kind of at a crossroads with these wheels. It's time like these that make me wish I had different standards and could be content (like most people) to run my vehicles through the local swirl-o-matics. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen in my lifetime. :wall
 
soccerjunky said:
calchrome website says it best...call them they may be able to help and can rechrome your wheels for a fraction of replacement cost,,,there used to be a shop in dallas "dirty joe's chrome" that did great work but they closed down



Chrome wheels must be washed with plenty of fresh, flowing water. Contaminants such as brake dust or dirt may scratch the wheel if they are wiped from the wheel without the presence of fresh water.



After cleaning, a coat of protective wax that is "Clear Coat Safe" will help to preserve the finish. If minor scratches do occur, they may be removed by using a high quality fine polish, or scratch remover that is "Clear Coat Safe".



NEVER use chrome polish or any aluminum polishes that have abrasives.

NEVER spray cold water on hot or warm wheels, this can result in damaging the appearance permanently.



osborn_viper_02.jpg
[/IMG]
Click to expand...



soccerjunky,

The finish on your wheels is what I'm aiming for. Those look incredible. :bow
 
YOU can keep them perfect and here is what i do , and remember my rear rims get hit with a lot of crap from the side exhaust



First , put on a sealant , i use FK1 2180 ultra poly (anti static), great stuff



Second , clean the surface of the rim with a damp mcirofiber towel and FK1 425 ultra slick poly wipe spray detailer..very light touch



Third clean the inner barrel of the rim with just a wet towel/clean rag to keep the whole rim clean..



It also helps to use ceramic pads (assuming you don't track the car)...also helps to not drive in the rain particularly salty areas if your fortunate to have a separate bad weather beater car



The rims below are 11 months old, 8k miles and still like new



c131.JPG
[/IMG]
 
jb1 said:
Bummer. I like the new chrome spider design on the new Z06s. Based on your experience, then is chrome more difficult to keep "perfect" than say a painted or polished wheel?
Click to expand...



Yeah, if only because you can't do any correction if/when marring *does* happen.



From several feet away, the average person would think they look great. Now since I'm trying to become an autopian purist, they just won't cut it for me.
Click to expand...



More of my Autopian Heresy: don't be a perfectionist about a vehicle that gets used as a driver, save that for garage-queens/showcars. Or don't even get all OCD about *those*....these things are *vehicles*. As I said, Heresy :o



soccerjunky said:
YOU can keep them perfect and here is what i do...
Click to expand...



No question your wheels look like-new :xyxthumbs



And yeah, a few layers of a good sealant can go a long way towards keeping them nice. I'm currently trying layered FK1000P instead of my usual layered KSG. Isn't FK425 great for wheels?!? I also use FK146 to clean off the film of rust that can get on wheels after a wash (from the flash-rusting on the rotors getting knocked off when the vehicle is first driven).



But the method you're using is no more gentle that what I do on *all* my wheels and *IME* with enough time and (ab)use some flaws are gonna eventually show up if the vehicle is subjected to a lot of use between cleanups.



I somehow suspect that your Viper and its wheels never get *REALLY* filthy, and that can make a big difference. Get enough abrasive [stuff] caked on them and they simply won't end up staying perfect any more than any other surface that can't be corrected. Even with ceramic pads, which I have on several vehicles, wheels can still get really nasty, especially after a series of track days. And if you have to do on-the-spot brake maintenance without cleaning really diry wheels first....well, sometimes the results aren't pretty.



(NOTE: If your Viper never gets that bad I commend you on your diligence. Even my most pampered garage-queens sometimes get *FILTHY* when they get used hard and that might color my opinion.)
 
True my rims never get REALLY filthy and they are cleaned every 2-3 days BUT the whole process takes <15 minutes if one is consistent



The FK1 425 is amazing stuff....Works great on the clear bra as well
 
soccerjunky,

So do you ever clean your wheels & tires the "traditional" way when you wash the car? Your process sounds interesting. I'm thinking about switching to ceramic pads myself. I'd also like to go with slotted zinc-washed rotors because vette rotors are pretty bad with rusty water after you wash the wheels. The factory pads throw a decent amount of dust, hence me wanting to switch to ceramics.



Tell me more about your process - is the only way you ever clean your wheels? I may have a sample of 2180, but if not I'll order some. I have several other products from them.
 
Accumulator said:
Yeah, if only because you can't do any correction if/when marring *does* happen.







More of my Autopian Heresy: don't be a perfectionist about a vehicle that gets used as a driver, save that for garage-queens/showcars. Or don't even get all OCD about *those*....these things are *vehicles*. As I said, Heresy :o







No question your wheels look like-new :xyxthumbs



And yeah, a few layers of a good sealant can go a long way towards keeping them nice. I'm currently trying layered FK1000P instead of my usual layered KSG. Isn't FK425 great for wheels?!? I also use FK146 to clean off the film of rust that can get on wheels after a wash (from the flash-rusting on the rotors getting knocked off when the vehicle is first driven).



But the method you're using is no more gentle that what I do on *all* my wheels and *IME* with enough time and (ab)use some flaws are gonna eventually show up if the vehicle is subjected to a lot of use between cleanups.



I somehow suspect that your Viper and its wheels never get *REALLY* filthy, and that can make a big difference. Get enough abrasive [stuff] caked on them and they simply won't end up staying perfect any more than any other surface that can't be corrected. Even with ceramic pads, which I have on several vehicles, wheels can still get really nasty, especially after a series of track days. And if you have to do on-the-spot brake maintenance without cleaning really diry wheels first....well, sometimes the results aren't pretty.



(NOTE: If your Viper never gets that bad I commend you on your diligence. Even my most pampered garage-queens sometimes get *FILTHY* when they get used hard and that might color my opinion.)
Click to expand...



Accumulator,

I gotta come clean - mine is a garage queen. BUT, it's a garage queen because my wife and I work together and we use her Lexus RX-350 as our daily driver.



I use Dirtex instead of FK146 to get the rust crumbs off the wheel after the first drive following a wash. Good stuff, but it may strip any sealant off my wheel. I'll have to check it out. (and order some 146).



I'm hoping that switching to ceramic pads and zinc-washed rotors will greatly reduce the rust & dust problem.



For the first time, I washed one wheel at a time. The second I was finished, I grabbed my electric leaf blower (that I've modified with a really short tube for car drying only) and dried the heck out of the wheel, rotor and tire. It actually made a huge difference. I may have to do this from now on to avoid the dreaded rust.



Any other tips & tricks you guys have up your sleeve is certainly welcome.
 
jb1- Heh heh, well there are garage-queens and then there are *GARAGE-QUEENS*, if you get my drift ;)



See how the pads/plated rotors work for you; I've had varying degrees of success (and failure). I currently have zinc plated rotors (from Frozen Rotors.com) on two of my vehicles and both have a lot more rust coming through than I think they oughta :angry And the ceramic pads on my M3 sure leave a lot more dust than I was expecting too (no, my mechanic didn't goof up; the brake work was done at ECS tuning and those folks and I go way back).



FWIW, back when I had the Mallett C5 the best brake pads for me were *not* ceramic. I got the best performance with some that dusted (and made noise) something awful..forget the brand/model as this was a while ago but they simply *stopped the car* so I put up with 'em. Fortunatelyfor me I had charcoal finished HREs on that car so I could get away with not cleaning them all the time ;) The rotors on that were cryo'ed and plated too, and whoever Mallett had doing the plating must've done a better job than the shop Frozen Rotors uses because they stayed pretty nice.



And yeah, blowing most of the water off with air does help a lot :xyxthumbs



soccerjunky said:
True my rims never get REALLY filthy and they are cleaned every 2-3 days BUT the whole process takes <15 minutes if one is consistent..
Click to expand...



Ah, I sorta figured that Viper leads a somewhat pampered life :) It shows- very, very clean ride you have there.



Even doing it every 2-3 days (heh heh, opposite end of spectrum from yours truly :o ), you're quick to be able to do it that fast; I'd probably spend that long just going around the lug nuts! Your wheels *do* look like they give you enough room to reach the inside/backs pretty easily though, and that must help a lot.
 
jb1 said:
soccerjunky,

So do you ever clean your wheels & tires the "traditional" way when you wash the car? Your process sounds interesting. I'm thinking about switching to ceramic pads myself. I'd also like to go with slotted zinc-washed rotors because vette rotors are pretty bad with rusty water after you wash the wheels. The factory pads throw a decent amount of dust, hence me wanting to switch to ceramics.



Tell me more about your process - is the only way you ever clean your wheels? I may have a sample of 2180, but if not I'll order some. I have several other products from them.
Click to expand...





i never clean my rims the traditional way, just sealant every 6 months and the FK1 ultra slick detailer every 2 days like i described,...REMEMBER my rims never see rain or snow, the other key is the ceramic pads , not all pads deliver the same performance and ultra-low dust.. for the vette call zeckhausen and they will provide great info and products.. i buy pads for all my cars from them...Also avoiding washing with water avoids rust on your rotors so it is a double win..

Zeckhausen Racing



Two of my cars are never driven in the wet/rain so they are never washed.. just a sealant every 6months , one layer of wax , then fk1 ultra slick detailer when needed and car cover at night...
 
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