Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

[akimel]

Next to cleaning the interior windshield, waxing the wheels is my least favorite detailing job. What's the point? I honestly cannot tell a difference after I've waxed them, and the wax doesn't seem to last very long at all. Waxing, or sealing, the wheels is supposed to make subsequent clean-up easier, and maybe it does for one or two washes, if one only uses car wash solution on the wheels and if whatever one uses on the tires doesn't drip down onto the wheel face and if the detailing gods have decided to be merciful. But given the investment of time required to wax the wheels and the lack of wax longevity, it just doesn't seem worth it.

I have used NXT as my wheel sealant. Currently I am using Collinite 476s. I honestly don't think it matters what one uses, at least on my two Hondas. I attend to the wheels regularly. Brake dust is not a huge problem. Spray the wheels with some APC, agitate with a brush, rinse, and--voila! the wheels are clean.

So why worry about waxing the wheels. What's the deal?

[cnfowler]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

Al, I have no idea. I, personally, have never waxed a wheel in my entire life. Like you stated, spray a cleaner on the wheel, agitate, spray off. Seriously, how much easier can it get? I doubt the ones who wax their wheels can tell you the brake dust comes completely off with just a stream of water. Given the time it takes to properly wax a wheel then buff off the residue, I could have cleaned 4+ wheels. It doesn't add up to any time savings to me.

Colin

[NC Miata in NC]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

Yeah, I've recently come to a similar conclusion.

I used to wax my wheels every time I waxed my car. But since I started fully polishing my cars, usually I'm too tired by the time I'm done and I just skip waxing the wheels.

So far, after years of not waxing them, the wheels still look brand new on both my car and my wife's car. Of course, like you, I do wash them at least every other week, so maybe waxing them helps if you wash it a lot less often?

[Rthario]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?


I was curious as well. after reading countless threads about wheel waxing, I decided to give it a try. BMWs are well known for their brake dust, and let me tell you, they are bad.

After cleaning the wheels with Wheel Brightener, my wax/sealant of choice was M20, I chose this because of its durability. I used a micrfiber pad to apply the wax to each wheel and allowed it to cure for 20 minutes. After the application, they did not seem to have any more gloss but they did feel slick. Over the next few days I constantly checked the wheels to see if there was any more/less brake dust. I would like to say there was less but maybe I was trying to convince myself that my work had paid off.

I typically wipe down my car 2-4 times per week with Synthetic Sealant just to keep it looking nice, especially in Az with all of the dust. When I do this, I wipe down the wheels too. I use Last Touch and a microfiber for the wheels. The first 5 times I did this, the brake dust wiped right off with no problems. After five or so times, you could tell the protection was breaking down. Even with just misting the wheel with the detailer the brake dust was rolling off. This is not to say that they would come clean with a stream of water, there is some elbow grease required.

Im I a believer ? Yes and no. Like you said, there is some time associated with this process and I suppose you have to decide for yourself if it is worth it. I will probably do it again but Im not going to do it everytime I wash the car. I think that the heat and elements associated with the wheels is too much for the wax/sealant to withstand.

Just my experience. Good Luck.

[PorscheGuy997]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

I agree with you guys; waxing the wheels is not a great solution on daily drivers.

In the past, I have tried just about everything to add a little protection or prevent the brake dust from stick as badly. While the dust does seem to come off a a bit easier, it maybe lasts for a month at most.

As a winter storm is approaching, I will go over the wheels with M135 or another spray detailer with some form of protection. It works okay, but the idea is to provide a quick barrier before the wheels are washed again.

[tguil]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

Come on, guys. Where is your energy and your obsessive compulsive detailing disorder symptoms? I've waxed the wheels on my vehicles for over fifty years and hopefully will be at it a few more.

Tom

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

Waxing can be a pain, which is why I find UQD to be a great solution for my wheels. After washing my car and the wheels, I dry them while applying UQD. This adds a noticeable slickness and I find that the brake dust is easier to remove next time I wash it.

The key is keeping it up after every wash.

[RtN]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

I have yet to test this product out, but this seems like it could work.

http://nanolex.de/en/products/premium_alloy_sealant

[termigator69]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

I stopped waxing my wheels years ago because I thought the same thing you guys did. Nothing seem to make a difference. Brake dust still stuck to everything like glue. I tried the Wheel Clean by EagleOne and it does keep the brake dust from sticking, but it left a very visible milky film on the wheels. Sort of defeated the purpose of keeping the wheels clean.

I just tried the Wheel Protectant from ArmorAll and I have to say, so far I'm very impressed. I sprayed it on the wheels of cars at the beginning of last month and it has definitely made a difference. The wheels have definitely looked cleaner the last month and the little amount that sticks on easily washes off with regular GC shampoo.

[Shawn T.]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

Hmmmmmm, an armor all product that I can make use of finally. I have seen this same product at Autozone but never heard anything about it so was skeptical. I may have to pick some up and try it out. Thanks for the tip.

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

I lean both ways. Some times I wax, most not. I just use quik wheel detailer and they come out looking great.

[corolla619]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

i do wax my wheels regularly but both sets i own are work(which are 2500.00 wheels)and a set od bbs(which are 2200.00 wheels). they are both powder coated black with a machined lip. basically the reason i do it is for the depth and shine it gives the black powder coat. i have noticed that pros=brake dust/enviroment dust come off easily with a quick qd. cons=everything sticks to them. i maintain this with uqw and it lasts quite sometime. maybe it's the ocd in me but it helps me protect my investments and at the same time makes cleaning them so much easier.and the results are great too.

[gto_don]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

I just refuse to apply the brakes when driving...problem solved! LOL...just kidding of course (maybe).

I, too, have not waxed my wheels in years. Just a good wheel brush/mit, rinse and dry with MF towel and I'm good to go.

[Tuck91]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

Well, depends on the wheel.

Some look better after a rub down with A12 or M20

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Waxing the wheels--what's the deal?

Well, depends on the wheel.

Some look better after a rub down with A12 or M20

This is true. I definitely will still wax wheels (always with a cleaner wax, myself) on occasion, but for weekly maintenance, I lean on UQD for its ease of use.