dfwjohnd

iTrader: (6)

Awaiting the shipment of my fully polished wheels (not exposing which wheels they are yet ) but they don't have a clear sprayed on them- it will be a "bare" polish.

I made a list on my computer of a couple of brands to do more research on but of course I can't find it anymore. If anyone has a suggestion or any tips/tricks- I would greatly appreciate it.

dfwjohnd

iTrader: (6)

nobody?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

What exactly are you asking for? Your first post mentions nothing about what you need... Just that you bought some wheels, had a list of some brands of something that you lost, and are looking for a "gel"... going to need some more info as to what a "gel" is.

Do you mean polish? Sealant? Coating? Tire Dressing?

sydtoosic

since the wheels don't have a clear coat, i would suggest a coating... 22PLE, (for wheels of course)OC2.0, G Techniq has a good wheel coating. or you can just have a few coats of clear applied.

dfwjohnd

iTrader: (6)

I'm not exactly sure what I need is the problem. Lets put it this way:

My Goals:

-Find out if there is any products in particular I need when I'm cleaning the wheels considering they are bare metal & fully polished.

-Should I coat them with something initially or just wait until they get dirty, use w/e suggested product to clean them and then coat afterward.

-What would be best to coat them with if anything?

-Was suggested I look into P21s for cleaning and Poor Boys product for coating, anyone have an expierance with any of those products or could steer me a different way; keeping in mind of the bare/polished wheel?

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Bare metal wheels can be a huge PITA to maintain... especially if this is a daily driven vehicle and they will be subjected to many miles of use.

In general, water droplets, dirt, tar, etc will all cause damage to the wheels that will require regular cleaning and polishing to remove since there is no clear coat to protect the surface.

At the very least, you would need a quality metal polish like Optimum Metal Polish and a sealant like Poorboy's World Wheel Sealant. The sealant will act as a sacrificial, temporary barrier that will help to provide some protection between the bare metal and the elements. You may also consider picking up a "power ball" type of attachment to make wheel polishing easier so you do not have to do it by hand.


If you want to coat the wheels (which I would HIGHLY recommend), you should do it immediately when you get the wheels before they are installed or driven on. The wheels should be lightly polished to remove any residual contamination that may be on them from production/shipping/etc, then thoroughly cleaned with an intensive cleaner like CarPro Eraser. Then they can be coated with a ceramic wheel coating such as Opti-Coat, 22ple VM1, or CarPro DLUX. These coatings provide the same type of sacrificial barrier as the sealant mentioned before, but the ceramic coating will last much longer and provide more protection for the wheel. (note: if you apply a coating to the wheel, and then use a polish on top of the coating, you will remove the coating!)

See previous answer for 3 examples.

P21S Gel Wheel cleaner is a great, safe wheel cleaner. I would recommend it. I already mentioned the PBW Wheel Sealant, it works fine, but a ceramic coating is superior in terms of durability and protection. If you do not mind applying the sealant every month or two, then PBW Wheel Sealant is a great, low cost option.


Let me know if you have any more questions.

-Zach

dfwjohnd

iTrader: (6)

Wow, what an awesome response! Please give this man a round of applause I'll be looking up all these products when I get home shortly. Thanks for the links as well!

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

I would just go ahead and get them clear coated now before you put them on the car.

Between the brake dust, heat, moisture, road debris etc.. no amount of 'gel' or wax is going to do anything .

Your wheels will be dull and beaten up within a few short months.

dfwjohnd

iTrader: (6)

Thanks again for the great response! I just have a couple of follow up questions-

I'm planning on going the PBW wheel sealant route because after reading up on the other products they seem a little 'harsh' thats not the most ideal verbiage but I can't think of the right word the very second. The other sealant products offer a very long period of protection by statements like "a second clear coat" or "2 year protection." If I did go that route would it take away from any of the shine of the bare metal polish? I was told that if I did spray a clear on the wheel after the polish that it would not be as shiny and that the imperfections of the polish would be more evident; thats why I opted for the bare metal finish w/o clear.

I will definitely be picking up the CarPro eraser to clean them up before applying the PBW if I do in fact decide to go down that route. But you mentioned Optimum Metal Polish, when is this applied in process. From my understanding, (going down the route I'm going) I would first clean with the CarPro eraser, then apply the PBW? OR does the Polish go in-between these two steps?

-Do you prefer the CarPro eraser over the P21s; have you used both? Or did you suggest the CarPro in particular for my case?

-Really noob question: I'm assuming you mentioned getting a "power ball" type product for the polishing or do I need to use that for the PWB as well?

Thanks,

dfwjohnd

iTrader: (6)

yupyupyupyup

dfwjohnd

iTrader: (6)

yesyesyesyes

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like you may need a brief description of some of these products as you don't seem to understand the differences....


Sealant - Product used to protect the surface beneath it from environmental contaminates. This product contains no abrasives and is simply a sacrificial layer on top of the paint (or wheel in this case) that will need to be reapplied regularly to maintain protection. Sealants can be removed or degraded with chemicals (even car washing shampoos if not diluted properly).

Coating - A product that is used to protect the surface beneath it from environmental contaminates. This product provides much more durable protection than a sealant, but it is not easily removed as it forms a chemical bond to the substrate beneath it. The surface must be polished to remove the coating.

Polish - A liquid that contains micro-abrasives that are used to remove a fine layer of material in order to produce a flat, glossy surface. These products do not provide any layer of protection, so after polishing, the surface needs to be sealed or coated.




The coatings that I previously mentioned would not reduce the shine of the wheel... in fact, they may enhance it. A clear coat may also enhance the surface if applied properly and then properly polished. A clear coat will have a texture to it after spraying. This would need to be sanded and then go through several polishing steps to refine the surface so that it is perfectly flat and glossy. This is the same process as painting a vehicle with a clear coat.



CarPro Eraser and P21S are NOT the same product... Not even remotely in the same product category. P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner is a product designed specifically for cleaning dirt and contamination from wheels. CarPro Eraser is an intensive oil and polish remover that is to be used after polishing to ensure there are no residual oils on the surface before protecting the wheels. This is most important when using a paint coating because if there are residual oils, the coating may not bond well.



The powerball (or similar attachment) would be used for polishing. You simply wipe the PBW Wheel Sealant on by hand with a foam applicator pad... the sealant does not need to be rubbed in or anything. Just wipe a very thin layer on the surface, let it set as indicated by the instructions, and then wipe off with a clean soft microfiber towel.




Just to clear things up....

For a bare metal wheel (no clear coat), your wheel will be subjected to a lot of dirt and grime, and there will be no permanent means of protection to protect it from oxidation, spotting, pitting, etc. You will need to use a polish regularly to eliminate these defects. After polishing, the wheels need to be sealed to help reduce the damages in between major cleaning. The wheels should be cleaned (soap and water if not too dirty, or wheel cleaner if dirty) on a weekly basis, or perhaps wiped down with a quick detailer on a daily basis if they are not too dirty.


For cleared wheels, you will simply need to clean with wheel cleaner or soap and water. You can also seal them for easier maintenance, however since they are clear coated they will already withstand the wear and tear much better. The biggest thing is cleaning them regularly.


-Zach