Now that you have made a significant investment in the wheels for your car you’ll want to take the very best care of them. Some simple steps will help maintain the look of your wheels for years to come…
Modern wheels enhance your car’s appearance and performance but there’s a catch. You must take extra care if you want them to stay looking good. The biggest challenge comes when heated dust particles from your brake pads settle on your wheels and get baked on (notice that your front wheels especially have that coat of black dust on them?). Leave it there for too long and a process known as “galvanic corrosion” will set in and destroy the wheels finish. Sounds horrendous, doesn’t it?! Five minutes work on the weekend will keep it at bay (or a coffee and read of the newspaper at Car wash Café will suffice).
Painted Finish First of all, make sure you wash your wheels when they are cool. It can be much harder to clean wheels effectively when they are hot and you also run the risk of warping your disk brake rotors if they are cooled rapidly with water.
As the finish on your wheels is similar to your vehicle’s paint job (in most cases), we recommend that you use water and a mild detergent that is designed for washing vehicles. Refrain from using chemical cleaners as many of them contain caustic substances that can damage the clear-coated finish by clouding or even removing it. If you wash your vehicle regularly there should be no need to use them.
It’s a great idea to wax your wheels 3-4 times per year to maintain the new look and also keep road grime and the elements from damaging the finish.
Chrome The same rules apply as above though greater care is required as chrome plating is generally more delicate. Be sure not to use any abrasive chrome polishes as this could scratch the chrome plating. If you live in a climate where road salts are used in winter, we recommend removing the wheels during this time. Chrome wheels will rapidly pit and become cloudy due to long term exposure to the chemicals in road salts.
Note: If you do wish to use a specific wheel cleaner, bear in mind there are two types: Acid-based: many car detailers and car washers use these to get the job done quickly with the least amount of effort.
Non-acidic or acid-free: These are much gentler on the wheel though will require a touch of elbow grease (effort) combined with a soft sponge.
As with anything in life, take good care of them and they will last a long time. Otherwise, we look forward to supplying you with another set of wheels in the not-too-distant future.
Tighten your nuts Sound painful? It won’t take that long. Perhaps when you get your car serviced ask the team to check this for you. It’s rare that they will work their way loose but when they do, you may get to see your beautiful wheel trundling off down the road whilst you fight for control of your vehicle.
Careful Driving Wheels and gutters are notoriously bad at getting along. Indeed, some drivers are themselves notoriously persistent in introducing the two. The most obvious solution? Don’t hit them. Still, with that said, perhaps we can offer some more pertinent advice:
Depending on the scale and severity of the damage, many alloy wheels can be repaired. Contact the distributor from whom you originally bought your wheels to discuss