Wheel Sealant on rims w/ a polished lip

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FrEsHnClean

New member
The wheels that I have are alloy wheels with a polished lip.

Very similar to the rim shown here (same style).. http://www.gotwheelsandtires.com/catalog/images/HPR5 GM.jpg

Now I was wondering if it was ok to use a wheel sealant on every part of the rim?
The spokes are painted w/clear coat and the inside of the wheel is alloy and the outer edge of the wheel is a polished lip.

Should I use the wheel sealant just for the inside alloy part and the spokes?

Then use a chrome polisher for the lip? Or what polisher or other product would you reccomend for the lip part of the rim? The lip is not as chrome as it appears in that picture. It is more Polished dull looking and scratches easily, which is why I dont want to use an abrasive chrome polisher that could scratch the lip.

Also is it ok to add a layer of wax after the sealant on the spokes or the inside of the wheel part for better protection or is this unnecesary?
 
Use wheel sealant anywhere you want...
The wheel sealant (Poorboys) is designed for high heat of wheels so just stick with that. The wax will just be a waste of product and time.
 
budman3 said:
Use wheel sealant anywhere you want...
The wheel sealant (Poorboys) is designed for high heat of wheels so just stick with that. The wax will just be a waste of product and time.
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I think budman has said it all :D
 
FrEsHnClean said:
ok, sounds good to me I just wanted to make sure mainly if that it was safe to use on all parts of a wheel...
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It not only should be safe, it might be the best way to go.
You might want to check with the supplier of your particular wheels, but many polished alloy wheels are clearcoated as well. If the lip is clearcoated, chrome polish would not be what I would use. IMO, the wheel sealant would be a much better choice. I don't think chrome polish would be a good choice for an alloy wheel, anyway.
A quick way to check is to use a paint cleaner or a cleaner wax in a small area and see if the applicator turns black. If it does, that area is not clear coated. If it does not, it probably is.

Charles
 
FrEsHnClean said:
ok, sounds good to me I just wanted to make sure mainly if that it was safe to use on all parts of a wheel...
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yes use it on all parts of the wheel and make sure you only use soap and water when cleaning, especially uncoated alloy or aluminum. :)
 
CharlesW said:
It not only should be safe, it might be the best way to go.
You might want to check with the supplier of your particular wheels, but many polished alloy wheels are clearcoated as well. If the lip is clearcoated, chrome polish would not be what I would use. IMO, the wheel sealant would be a much better choice. I don't think chrome polish would be a good choice for an alloy wheel, anyway.
A quick way to check is to use a paint cleaner or a cleaner wax in a small area and see if the applicator turns black. If it does, that area is not clear coated. If it does not, it probably is.

Charles
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Well, I know that many people I know use chrome polisher for there chrome lips on the wheels to get that extra "bling bling" look.
I will have to see if I can contact the manufactuer of the wheels to see if they are clearcoated or not. Visually they do Not look they are clear coated, unless there is only a single coat of clear around the lip. Running my finger throughout the lip, I am alomost certain that it is just a polished lip w/o clear coat. I can also tell that the lip is prone to scratches, which could be the absence of a layer of clearcoat.
I may have to try a cleaner wax just to confirm though...
 
Poorboy said:
yes use it on all parts of the wheel and make sure you only use soap and water when cleaning, especially uncoated alloy or aluminum. :)
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thanks for the tip poorboy, that is very vital. Nothing but soap, water and wheel sealant (Poorboys) will touch the wheels. Thank for your response to my thread. :)
 
FrEsHnClean said:
Well, I know that many people I know use chrome polisher for there chrome lips on the wheels to get that extra "bling bling" look.
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Yes, but the key word there is "chrome". Chrome polish is great on bare chrome, but wouldn't be my product of choice on any painted surface or bare aluminum.
Clearcoat is paint and needs to be treated as such.

FrEsHnClean said:
I will have to see if I can contact the manufactuer of the wheels to see if they are clearcoated or not. Visually they do Not look they are clear coated, unless there is only a single coat of clear around the lip. Running my finger throughout the lip, I am alomost certain that it is just a polished lip w/o clear coat. I can also tell that the lip is prone to scratches, which could be the absence of a layer of clearcoat.
I may have to try a cleaner wax just to confirm though...
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They very well may not be clearcoated and if they scratch easily, they most likely aren't chrome, either. Chrome is very hard and I wouldn't consider it "prone to scratches" at all.
You may very well have bare aluminum that has been polished to a very high shine. If that is the case, there's quite a few products that work quite well on bare aluminum. The one problem with those products and bare aluminum wheels is the amount of work it takes to maintain them in a like new condition.
A coat of sealant will help in protecting the bare aluminum in addition to making them easier to clean with just soap and water. I always keep my alloy wheels waxed/sealed and have never needed anything to clean them other than my regular washing products.

Charles
 
^exactly. With what you mentioned without testing it w/ a cleaner wax.. I am now certain it is not chrome, but a highly polished aluminum that has almost a chrome like shine...I will use a coat of sealant for sure on the rest of the wheel but would it be safe for me to use a product that works well on the polished lip and then add the sealant on top of that?
btw...do you know of any particular product that will work well on the polished lip? I'm sure there are alot as you said but is there anyone in particular that would be one of the best choices?
 
It has been several years since I had any uncoated aluminum wheels and at the time I used Mother's aluminum polish and Eagle One Nevr-Dull.
As I remember it, the Nevr-Dull seemed to leave a somewhat oily residue and might not be the best thing to use under a sealant. I was using a carnauba wax at the time so it wasn't a problem.

I have heard the Poorboy's Professional Polish does a good job, but I have never tried it. It wouldn't leave any oils to adversely affect the sealant bonding.

Charles
 
FrEsHnClean said:
^exactly. With what you mentioned without testing it w/ a cleaner wax.. I am now certain it is not chrome, but a highly polished aluminum that has almost a chrome like shine...I will use a coat of sealant for sure on the rest of the wheel but would it be safe for me to use a product that works well on the polished lip and then add the sealant on top of that?
btw...do you know of any particular product that will work well on the polished lip? I'm sure there are alot as you said but is there anyone in particular that would be one of the best choices?
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If the finish of the lip is already a high gloss, the Wheel Sealant will be more than enough. Wheel Sealant also has the ability to do light cleaning if rubbed like a polish to bring up the shine :)
 
CharlesW said:
It has been several years since I had any uncoated aluminum wheels and at the time I used Mother's aluminum polish and Eagle One Nevr-Dull.
As I remember it, the Nevr-Dull seemed to leave a somewhat oily residue and might not be the best thing to use under a sealant. I was using a carnauba wax at the time so it wasn't a problem.

I have heard the Poorboy's Professional Polish does a good job, but I have never tried it. It wouldn't leave any oils to adversely affect the sealant bonding.

Charles
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i will have to get one of those products...I think I will try both Mothers aluminum mag? polish. I think ive seen it before, its in a tiny tin/aluminum silver can. I want to see if I can get it even more "bling." :cool:
I will have to see if it does leave an oily residue first by testing in an inconspicous spot...
 
Poorboy said:
If the finish of the lip is already a high gloss, the Wheel Sealant will be more than enough. Wheel Sealant also has the ability to do light cleaning if rubbed like a polish to bring up the shine :)
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oh, ok. That is what I was looking for. I guess I will be atleast getting the wheel sealant (Poorboy) for sure. :)
 
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