wheel brightener?

[CumminsCrazed]

im just wondering what wheels can NOT be sprayed with WHeel Brightener, i know it says not for use on polished aluminum or anodized wheels, but lets get more specific, are we talking ram polished alum, CC polished alum and what wheels are considered anodized.

I have wheel brightener, and i want to be SURE i know what wheels to NOT use it on,

Help me out guys

[Lasthope05]

Re: wheel brightener?

Do not use it on any anodized, powdercoated or bare aluminum wheels, polished or not. It will quick tarnish and oxidize any and all types of bare aluminum and leave a milky stain on the surface. It is only safe to use on clearcoated or chrome wheels.

[CumminsCrazed]

Re: wheel brightener?

so what exactly is considered "anodized"

[Lasthope05]

Re: wheel brightener?

There are no factory anodized wheels so you wont have to worry about that. The only time you'll come across anodized wheels are if they are aftermarket and with them you do not polish or use any type of strong wheel cleaner on the.

An anodized wheel is basically a bare aluminum wheel that is has been oxidized with a color coating. The anodized coating is really thin and can easily be removed with any type of metal polish. Clean only with soap and water. You treat it as a bare aluminum wheel without polishing.

[CumminsCrazed]

Re: wheel brightener?

so how will i know IF its anodized or painted aftermarket wheel

[Lasthope05]

Re: wheel brightener?

You can tell because they will always have a that aluminum look. They can either be a brilliantly polished or a brushed look.

Iono, i cant really put it into word since I can usually tell if the wheels are aluminum or not.

Anodized wheels is really just tinted aluminum. They are not a deep full color like painted wheels. You will be able to see the base metal(brushed grain/polish aluminum) beneath the coating.



You see how its essentially just tinted with a color coat but you still see the base metal/grain underneith.

[CumminsCrazed]

Re: wheel brightener?

so like....man this is confusing! lol any like....visuals of anodized wheels?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: wheel brightener?

If you have factory coated wheels, and that would include clear coated aluminum, then you can safely use Wheel Brightener. Just be sure to follow dilution ratios and only work on one wheel at a time - you don't want this or any other wheel cleaner to self dry on the surface.

Anodized wheels are almost always aftermarket - the potential for damage due to the delicate nature of the finish would lead to too many warranty claims, as would true bare, high polished aluminum. Wheels marketed as "Black Chrome" are usually anodized but that word "chrome" makes some believe that even our Hot Rims Chrome Wheel Cleaner is safe. It most definitely is NOT, nor is Wheel Brightener on that surface.

True chrome wheels are compatible with Wheel Brightener, too. Since Hot Rims Chrome Wheel Cleaner is actually more aggressive than Wheel Brightener, that compatibility only makes sense.

Painted and clear coated wheels, whether factory or aftermarket, are also compatible with Wheel Brightener, but make darn sure you don't have painted spokes and a bare, polished lip. There's just no safe way to avoid spraying the product onto the lip when cleaning the spokes, so use a product designed for the most delicate surface on that wheel.

There are a couple of other things to keep in mind, however, when working on wheels. If you have a clear coated aluminum wheel and the clear has been compromised in some way, either curb rash or where a wheel weight was previously applied but poorly removed, then a cleaner might be able to leech under the clear at that spot and stain the underlying aluminum. You'll get a veiny looking pattern if this happens, and the only way to fix it is to strip the remaining clear and recoat the wheel. Aftermarket brake calipers can be problematic as well since many are powdercoated and sometimes surprisingly delicate - too delicate for Wheel Brightener and definitely too delicate for Hot Rims Chrome Wheel Cleaner. The chrome wheels on the C6 Corvette Z06, for example, are perfectly safe for use with either of these products, but the factory calipers are not. This appears to be a "running change" with this particular car, and there is simply no way for us to know about such changes after our product is on the market. And there's really no good way for the user to avoid spraying the calipers while spraying the wheels.

If you are ever in doubt and have a job that needs to be done today, and you have no way to confirm the material you're working on (remember, high polished aluminum can look just like chrome) always err on the side of caution and stick to soap and water.

A quick way to tell, however, if the surface is bare aluminum or either coated or chrome is to apply a small amount of metal polish (Hot Rims Mag & Aluminum Polish comes to mind) onto a clean wheel with a white terry cloth applicator. If the applicator immediately comes up black as soot, you've got bare aluminum. If not they're ether coated or chrome. Proceed accordingly from that point.

[CumminsCrazed]

Re: wheel brightener?

thats what im talkign about Mike!!!!

Thanks for the reply

and lasthope thanks for the pics, helps a lot!