Do you wax.....

[Peter B]

... your legs? Your chest That feminine mustache some of you ladies get? Your naughty bits?

What about your wheels?

Last year at the beginning of the summer a waxed my stock rims. The thought was the wax would keep the break dust down a bit and make them easier to clean.

It seemed to help a bit. Then I got the brilliant idea I could clean my wheels with my power washer. A lot faster then cleaning each spoke by hand. Never did though because i figured the power washer would remove all that wax i spent so much time putting on.

This season im wondering if its better to wax my stock rims again, or just power wash em when they turn brown. The goal here is to reduce rim-cleaning-time as much as possible.

-Pete

 

[oaklandopen]

yea, it's called "manscaping"....very metrosexual

but as for the wheels, i haven't waxed them. i find that a little elbow grease and lotsa time does the job pretty well. since i got bad curb rash on the one i've kinda stopped caring about them so much

i also realize i will never be showing off my car to anyone so the extra fine details (wheels, exhaust tip) don't matter as much to me anymore. if the outer part of the wheel looks shiny, and you put on some tire shine as well as clean the rest of the car it will look good going down the road to anyone

 

[Saskatchewan17]

Yes, you should wax the wheels just like you should wax your paint. The best thing for them would be either a heavy duty wheel specific sealant (I know poorboys makes a good one) or just a sealant (I use Megs 21). This keeps the wheels protected and makes them much easier to clean and prevents brake dust staining. Also, you can use a pressure washer on them, it shouldn't blast off any wax, if the wax is of a high enough quality, this won't happen.
Also, I find the easiest way to clean my wheels is spray on a dedicated wheel cleaner (I use eagle1 AtoZ spray) and let it soak in for half a minute, then agitate with a wheel brush and make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies, then spray again and wash.

 

[08SPEED3Veteran]

i wax wheels and believe it or not i use eagle one spray detailer on my windows too.

 

[Peter B]

Yes, you should wax the wheels just like you should wax your paint. The best thing for them would be either a heavy duty wheel specific sealant (I know poorboys makes a good one) or just a sealant (I use Megs 21). This keeps the wheels protected and makes them much easier to clean and prevents brake dust staining. Also, you can use a pressure washer on them, it shouldn't blast off any wax, if the wax is of a high enough quality, this won't happen.
Also, I find the easiest way to clean my wheels is spray on a dedicated wheel cleaner (I use eagle1 AtoZ spray) and let it soak in for half a minute, then agitate with a wheel brush and make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies, then spray again and wash.

See I have always been told that different cleaners and detergents will remove wax, so once i get a fresh coat on the car i tend to only hand clean it and use car wash soap that wont wash it all away.

The eagle 1 doesn't eat away the wax? That is good to know.

Also for the record, my 2600 psig power washer was no match for the break dust. Needed to use actual soap and water and a rag to remove it. Summer tires are on, probably gonna wax em next week.

I was looking at rims today. Looking for ones that will stay cleaner... or at least be easier to clean!

-Pete

 

[bigdaddy]

I wax the wheels every so often. Yes, it makes brake dust harder to stick, and it does protect the finish. I don't really have to worry about staining and such because i wash my car every 1- 1 1/2 weeks, so my wheels don't really get caked. As for the power washer, it shouldn't remove wax, but, i've done everything, and using some elbow grease and TLC like Oakland said is the best way.

 

[Hyun]

I dont wax, dont care anymore.

 

[Saskatchewan17]

Come to think of it, I don't know if the eagle1 eats away at wax or not. I figure that professional grade sealant should be able to withstand it fairly well. I put a coat of that Megs21 on my car in October and the water still beads very nicely.

 

[Stamperman]

I'm trying some Wolfgang 3.0 sealant on my wheels this year. I just bolted them on in place of the blizzaks so I don't yet know how it's working.

I do wonder if wheel cleaner will just take sealer/wax right off...

 

[Peter B]

I question the the ability of wax to stand up to wheel cleaners and some other cleaners out there because most cleaners are designed to cut through and break up things like bugs, tar, oil, break dust, and organic/non organic compounds that stick to your car.

 

[Saskatchewan17]

I question the the ability of wax to stand up to wheel cleaners and some other cleaners out there because most cleaners are designed to cut through and break up things like bugs, tar, oil, break dust, and organic/non organic compounds that stick to your car.

I know that the Eagle1 AtoZ is non acidic and works very well. I don't think it strips off wax or sealant. It's worth the gamble though IMO. Check it out:

The proof is in the pudding

Nuff said.

From Autopia.org, a detailing forum.

 

[Addison]

From Autopia.org, a detailing forum.

fixed

 

[BlackCherry06]

If waxing the rest of my car is any indication, I've found that a fresh wax job actually attracts dust. I waxed my car last friday, and yesterday I noticed that it's completely coated in a fine brown powder.

A clean, oil-free surface will resist dust better than anything. Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[Saskatchewan17]

fixed

Thanks. Fixed.