Wheel Cleaning

[matthiasj]

I've got some 17" silver painted wheels on my mustang. They never get really dirty, so i usually just whipe them with soapy water when i clean my car up, i never use any wheel cleaner. I use simple green on the tires, and Meguires hot shine on the tires. Would it be ok to clay and wax them, or should i use something else? would this make it shine more or anything? Would poorboys help?

Thanks

 

[Jngrbrdman]

Claying them would probably make them smoother. Clay generally doesn't do a whole lot in the area of appearance though. If you were to give the wheels a good cleaning and then wax them or use a sealant on them then you can expect them to look as good as any other silver painted surface. Don't expect them to look any better than they were designed to look though. If these weren't meant to be shiney wheels then no amount of wax or sealant will change that. For example, when I painted my calipers I took my wheels and cleaned them up and put a coat of UPP on them. You can tell that it didn't really do a whole lot for the wheels appearance other than making them easier to clean.

Stock and un waxed:

Still stock with a coat of Four Star Ultimate Paint Protection sealant:

Using a sealant on the wheels will make them look better, but don't expect too much out of it. They are only going to look as good as painted silver wheels can look. Maybe a little more glossy, but it will be hard to notice much difference unless they were really dirty before you cleaned them. If you have kept them clean and in good shape then they will look pretty much the same as after any other cleaning.

 

[matthiasj]

I understang they're not polished and i cant make them shiny, i guess i'll try a coat of wax and see how it comes out. Thanks for the tips, and pics.