Wheel wax or not? I want your opinion....

C

Cosmom3

New member
Well, should I use it? I already clayed them, and then used SG on them for protection.



What should I use to protect them better, besides SG since its my temporary way of solving my problem.



I dont care how much the product is, but I need somthing that makes the wheels feel/look great and also lasts a good amount of time.



Thanks



-Andrew
 
apply wax to there wheel is a big NO NO j/k no actually its good beacause it stays clean a little longer but the most improtant is it cleans easier and it protect it....so yes, i too was using a automotive wax now some say it will work other say no for the longest i said yes but that just me other mentioned no durability but i guess you can just keep reapply to take care of the durability...but recently i placed an order for PB wheel sealant see how it works out for me...but im sure others will chime in on what they use and suggest which wheel wax have they had the best results....
 
ya I assumed all of that. Still trying to figure out if this is worth it or not. (Buying products and such)



Thanks for the response ! :xyxthumbs
 
I use wheel wax on my cars because BMWs are infamous for generating brake dust and the wheels on my Z4 are a serious hassle to clean properly. Works pretty well.
 
I too was thinking about investing in some PB wheel wax,at the moment I have just been using AIO on the wheels I also found changing from OE pads to harder aftermarket ones cut down significantly on the dusting issue,maybe someone can chime in who has gone from a normal wax/polish/sealant on wheels to a dedicated one?
 
I use wheel wax. I like it. I also top it with FMJ on my car. I have BBS RC's (Mesh) on my VW, my car doesn't dust too badly, but I clean them once a week anyways. With the wheel wax it definitely makes them easier to clean, but with that being said just about anything that coats the wheel should make them easier to clean. Usually tar comes off with soap and water, or just water. I've used it on new wheels and old wheels and have always been happy with it (painted, polished with CC, and Chrome).



The wheel wax is supposed to be heat treated or something like that to better withstand the heat generated by braking. (On a side note I plan to try it on my exhaust tips hoping it can withstand the heat, but I doubt it) It also has cleaning properties so it cannot be layered. It does clean stuff off that wouldn't come off with the Bug and Tar remover. It's not really expensive so I'd say get it if you don't care about the $13-15. If you do care then stick with Klasse.
 
I use 845 insulator wax, but there seems to be many who go the AIO/SG route. Also others use something like Poorboy's.



They all help in keeping dust from adhering to wheels, and facilitate cleaning them. I'm guessing that they all have their own "look" on the wheel, so it could dome down to the type of wheel, personal preference, and which products you may already have on hand.
 
Any quality sealant will protect and serve the same function as "wheel wax."



Nothing is going to completely prevent brake dust from accumulating. Applying a sealant to the wheels just helps the wheel to be easier to maintain/clean and prevents pitting issues when sealed regularly.
 
What TigerMike said :xyxthumbs



Nothing I've tried works better than mutiple layers of KSG (minimum of four). Topping the outer side with UPP will improve the looks a little and helps make them easier to clean (slicker than the KSG). Then just clean with a slightly stronger-than-normal wash solution (not wheel cleaner).



Heh heh, having just bought an E36 M3, my solution is ceramic pads and easier-to-clean aftermarket wheels ;) No way will I struggle with those OE wheels, life's too short.
 
Accumulator said:
What TigerMike said :xyxthumbs



Nothing I've tried works better than mutiple layers of KSG (minimum of four). Topping the outer side with UPP will improve the looks a little and helps make them easier to clean (slicker than the KSG). Then just clean with a slightly stronger-than-normal wash solution (not wheel cleaner).



Heh heh, having just bought an E36 M3, my solution is ceramic pads and easier-to-clean aftermarket wheels ;) No way will I struggle with those OE wheels, life's too short.
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So is the final word, "A couple layers of SG with do you just fine "



heh, you cant complain to me about hard to clean OE wheels, I have the 10 spoke staggered setup :wall



mdblspoke2.gif
 
In a weak moment I bought Poorboys wheel sealant right after buying wheel wax. For the heck of it, I applied the sealant on one side and the wax on the other. After two weeks I was seeing water spots and other grime that wouldn't easily come off on the wheel wax side, but on the wheels treated with the sealant, I saw easily twice the durability.



I tried a couple of paint care products (Four Star UPP and Poorboys EX-P) on my wheels, but they seemed to break down pretty quickly. Now I apply two light coats of wheel sealant every six weeks or so with solid results.
 
VroomVroom said:
I tried a couple of paint care products (Four Star UPP and Poorboys EX-P) on my wheels, but they seemed to break down pretty quickly.
Click to expand...



Granted, those products are not known for their durability or highly protective qualities, and I am not surprised they wouldn't hold up long on wheels.
 
I use Poorboys wheel sealant on my bare polished aluminum wheels and it has proved to be pretty durable. Measuring durability on uncoated wheels is pretty easy to do.
 
I am debating pulling the wheels, using a powerball with AIO, and topping with PB Wheel Sealant....but my question is how does everyone clean the tires without removong the sealant? Mst of the tire cleaners out there (if gotten on the wheel) would remove the sealant. Help?
 
Cosmom3 said:
So is the final word, "A couple layers of SG with do you just fine "



heh, you cant complain to me about hard to clean OE wheels, I have the 10 spoke staggered setup [/IMG]
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Well, the SG approach works very well for me, but note that I haven't tried every product that's available these days so it's not like that's the only answer. Still, on some vehicles it lasts until I put the snows on for the winter. Cleaning with Griot's Car Wash doesn't seem to strip the SG off so it lasts a very long time. The UPP works OK for a topper on the outer part (I do this on the S8) but yeah, you have to refresh it pretty often to maintain the slickness.



Yeah, I saw that you had the 10 spokes, that's why I posted what I did about replacing them ;) I'm having some trouble finding just what I want for mine (I want to stay with 17" staggered) but there's no way I'm gonna clean those 10 spokes :grinno: I'd rather clean BBS style ones even. I cleaned the 10s one time after I got the car home and that's gonna be the *only* time I clean 'em :D The pointed insides of those spokes drove me nuts and I couldn't get to the calipers to clean them properly.



Way2SSlow- That's impressive performance from the PBs, your situation would be a real torture test.



Volunteer1816- I spray my tires with a diluted wheel cleaner (Griot's or P21S). I'm pretty careful to keep it off the wheels. I scrub with a tire brush and rinse in a way that avoids splashing it all over everything. Seems to work fine but again, I'm pretty careful about it. On some cars I'll even apply said diluted wheel cleaner with a sponge so I can really control where it goes.

Volunteer1816
 
Well, there's this from Collinite if you're worried about washing the wax off during routine car washes:
autoCar_CareWaxesColliniteCollinite_No_476S_Super_Doublecoat_Wax-resized200.jpg


#476s Super Doublecoat Auto Wax



One of the finest paste type auto waxes available. Easy to apply and absolutely DETERGENT PROOF. Collinite Super Doublecoat is guaranteed to outlast and outshine any other competitive auto wax, polish or protective coating under any conceivable condition. That's why it's called the PERMANENT AUTO WAX. No hard rubbing or buffing... and no special applicator is required. Collinite Super Doublecoat will last a full year, even under adverse conditions. Clear coat safe.



Then from Meguiar's, there's this for those concerned about heat buildup on wheels:
product_m87.gif




M-87 High Temp Mold Release Wax





High Temp Mold Release Wax



* Provides superior performance in high temperature operations

* Especially effective with cultured marble

* Advanced formula contains synthetic and natural waxes blended with thermo resins



I use Collinite Insulator wax on the wheel myself :xyxthumbs ..............Tom
 
I dunno about heat build-up on wheels that *do not* get tracked/autocrossed. I get some of my street-driven brakes *hot*, hot enough that their performance is severely compromised. Some of the cars I drive this hard have had carnaubas on their wheels and there was never any problem :nixweiss Not all that much heat seems to transfer from the rotors to the wheels, but I suppose that every application will behave differently.



Exile- I use the 476S on some of our winter wheels (and on lots of other stuff, including entire vehicles). Much as I like the 476S, it doesn't last compared to multiple layers of KSG. The 476S does last through a winter though, at least with multiple coats (and yeah, I believe that it layers for a number of reasons, and not just because I want to believe it ;) ).



Heh heh, their "lasts a full year" needs to be taken with a grain (uhm, a shakerfull) of salt; I like the guys at Collinite, but they use hyperbole in their ad-copy just like everyone else.
 
Accumulator said:
I dunno about heat build-up on wheels that *do not* get tracked/autocrossed...Not all that much heat seems to transfer from the rotors to the wheels, but I suppose that every application will behave differently.
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That's been my experience as well, I think the "temperature card" is just marketing hyperbole for the wheel products. I liked the analogy that someone once used about black paint in the summer sun...there's no way your wheels are going to get hotter than that on the street.
 
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