Hi there,

I know a lot of you guys live in winter climates and have lots of experience, so figured I would ask here. I have a job assignment in Chicago for 14 months. So I am here 5 day a week and then fly home for the weekend. So I had my Lexus LS shipped out here. The car stays outside, and gets driven during the week. It has SSR Vienna wheels on it. They are 3 piece wheels and the lips are shiny (I assumed polished, I am attaching a picture).

Every weekend before I go back to the west coast, I wash the car, since it gets snow/rain/salt from the mid western roads. However this last weekend, ONLY THE LEFT REAR wheel looked strange. The lips of the wheel doesn't shine at all. It is very dull and looks like little specks all over. So I scrubbed them pretty hard (just regular car wash soap) with my microfiber towel, but it is very dull for some reason.

Any idea how/what happened or how to fix it. Appreciate some help.



HERE IS THE BEFORE PICTURE.

 

Here is the after wash picture. All other 3 wheels have perfect shine, except this one

 

one more close up

 

looks like clearcoat damage from the salt...maybe try a wheel polish?

 

Weird that it is on one wheel, but it is what it is. Not a bad idea, will pick some up (I have nothing here..so always have to buy something..given temporary location). Once back in CA, easy to polish them up.

Thanks!

 

yea other people should be chiming in about ur situation so more advice for you.

 

I used to have that problem with wheels on other cars I've owned. It taught me to put a set of dedicated steel wheels on the car for the winters. Gave me an excuse to buy dedicated snow tires and save my good wheels for the warmer months. Salt and sand mixture is quite damaging to those kind of wheels.

 

Yeah I realize that. But Jim, this is my beater car, so I am not too worried about it. However, I am **** enough not to like the way this wheel looks.

Given you have experience with this, what do you recommend to get it looking like the other 3 wheels?

 

Mothers Chrome and Mag wheel polish will do the trick, that and steel wool, then meguiars #26.

 

I like the Meguiar's All Metal Polish but there are a lot of fine products that will bring it back. After you get some warm weather you might want to have the wheel stripped, polished and resprayed with a CC. That style of wheel does not do well in the midwest winters.

 

Thanks for the help guys! It is my last and only stop in the midwest in my life.

 

Hey, wait until summer before you decide. It's a great place for three of the four seasons. Also plan on a couple days to trip up to Milwaukee during the SummerFest gala.

 

Yeah Jim I have a bunch of trips planned. I did a 28 day cross country road trip last year in my Lotus, was fun. This year we have a road trip to Alaska planned.

In the midwest, as summer approaches, I am planning on exploring MI, WI for sure. Tell me a bit more about the Summer Fest gala.

More I spend time away from the west coast, more I appreciate it.

The midwest is a nice place, but not for **** OCD car owners like myself.

 

The Worlds largest music festival.

11 stages, 11 days and 700 bands. Excellent entertainment to suit any taste. Food to die for from many of the areas leading restaurants. Reasonable prices. Great fun for everyone. Families, young, old everyone has a great time. Well organized and quite a safe place. Located on the lakefront near Milwaukee's downtown area. Easy access and good parking availability. Really done right.

http://www.summerfest.com/flash/#
http://wisconsin-travel.suite101.com...t_milwaukee_wi
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/h...mmer20.article

Google Milwaukee Summerfest for more. This has been a happening for over 40 years. It's a quick drive to Milwaukee on I94. It's really easy to have fun in Milwaukee.

I take my winters to Cape Coral, Florida to get out of the midwest winter slop. Milwaukee got about 8-10 inches again over the last day or so. Chicago got a mess too. It's been sunny and 78-80 here every day. My car stays pristine here in the winter.

 

Are you anywhere close to Hales Corners? I have 3 of my cousins living there which by the way I have never met yet but am planing to do so in the near future. Perhaps this coming summer would be a good time to do that. Would also like to see this Milwaukee Summerfest and have a gemuetliche zeit ha,ha...Hope you are enjoying your stay in Florida