How to protect and clean my wheels?

[finalbean]

I have a Convertible with the Sidewalk package, and it comes with the Nightspoke alloy wheels which seem to have a slightly rougher, black anodized-ish finish on much of the surface. See pic below. Should I go ahead and protect and clean these wheels the same way I would others (wheel shield / other wax or sealant, and wheel cleaner) or do I need to treat them differently? Thanks in advance!

[kenchan]

i would probably just use car shampoo/boar's hair brush or QD and then Hydro.

[Modnar]

Is it a bad idea to Hydro your wheels if you've still got a fair amount of nastily caked on brake dust bits that you just can't seem to get fully removed yet?

I have what I formerly thought was lots of tiny rust spots on my wheels, but it turns out it's just really vintage brake dust, and I'd like to avoid making it even harder to get off than it already is.

[heyduard]

Originally Posted by Modnar

I have what I formerly thought was lots of tiny rust spots on my wheels, but it turns out it's just really vintage brake dust, and I'd like to avoid making it even harder to get off than it already is.

hmm. got used clay bar? That'll get the spots off. Then marinate with wheel guard, >insert polymer wax<, etc. Throw 'em on the barbie! and.. whoops, wrong forum. :D

[lotsie]

Originally Posted by Modnar

Is it a bad idea to Hydro your wheels if you've still got a fair amount of nastily caked on brake dust bits that you just can't seem to get fully removed yet?

I have what I formerly thought was lots of tiny rust spots on my wheels, but it turns out it's just really vintage brake dust, and I'd like to avoid making it even harder to get off than it already is.

I would not seal those wheels until you get them clean. If a wheel cleaner is not doing it, try some Simple Green cleaner, that should get it off.

Mark

[kenchan]

^^ +1, i would also recommend not Hydro-ing until you get that layer of
gunk off.

ive had good luck with simplegreen myself. 50/50 with water.

[Prima Car Care]

Modnar-

I would definitely recommend getting the residual brake dust off ASAP. IMO, it's not so much an issue of Hydro (or any other synthetic wax for that matter) sealing it in but rather leaving the brake dust on there any longer.

Sealed in or not, the longer the brake dust sits on your wheels, the longer it has the opportunity to etch away at them.

*So really get after it as soon as you can to prevent etching or further etching.* Brake dust stains and stubborn brake dust can be removed but etching is permanent (unless you have them fixed by a pro wheel repair guy, which can be expensive).

If cleaners (wheel cleaners, Simple Green, etc) or cleansers (Wheel Shield- now Wheel Armour, etc) don't work, you can also try abrasives:

If your wheels are clearcoated (they probably are), then just use a paint abrasive like Prima Swirl or Meguiars Scratch-Off (and remember in either case to work the abrasive for several minutes per section).

If your wheels are bare (non-clearcoated) then use a metal polish.


Note that in some cases where the etching caused by the brake dust is severe, what seems to be brake dust stains will not come off. This is because what you're really seeing is pitting- etching where the metal has been eaten through to form a small pit. If you clean, cleanse, and/or abrade out the stubborn brake dust though, you should be able to see when its a pit and not a stubborn stain. In other words, stains often fill pits, disguising them as just stains.

Good luck!

-Heather

[Prima Car Care]

Originally Posted by finalbean

I have a Convertible with the Sidewalk package, and it comes with the Nightspoke alloy wheels which seem to have a slightly rougher, black anodized-ish finish on much of the surface. See pic below. Should I go ahead and protect and clean these wheels the same way I would others (wheel shield / other wax or sealant, and wheel cleaner) or do I need to treat them differently? Thanks in advance!

I don't know these wheels specfically but I can tell you that it is rare that anyone does "real" anodizing anymore so it's not likely that they are.
(one way to tell can be to feel the outer edge, like where the black and silver meet- if it is extremely razor sharp then they might be anodized and if not then they are probably clearcoated)

Since they're probably clearcoated, then you can treat them just like most common wheels.... wheel cleaners (pH-neutral or light bases are still best) and sealants such as regular synthetic waxes you'd use on your body paint or wheel-specific waxes such as Wheel Shield (now Wheel Armour).

If they are anodized then the only change would be to make sure you definitely use a pH neutral wheel cleaner (note that Simple Green, which is a common product, is not pH neutral). Otherwise, you can also wax anodized wheels too. The wheel-specific products will bond better to the metal than non wheel-specific products and will thus have greater durability. There are also metal-specific waxes such as Wizards Power Seal which will yield the best durability on metals. That said, all of the above waxes will work fine- just with varying durability.

If you really want to find out if they're clearcoated or anodized, then your best bet is to check with the manufacturer. I've heard cases where wheel retailers, although with the best intentions, sometimes answer the question incorrectly. The manufacturer will always know for sure!

-Heather

[Quesera]

So, any Sidewalkers figure out if the nightspokes are anodized or clearcoated? Mine have 300 mostly freeway miles on them so I'm hoping they aren't too brake-dusty yet.

I was also curious as to how much ($$$) a new nightspoke might run if I met up with an unfortunate pothole in a dark alley or freeway or whatever.