Chrome Wheel care.

[02GTLR]

I am going to pick up new chrome cobra wheels tomorrow. I was wondering if I should treat them to anything before getting the rubber and throwing them on the car. Also what I might need to do for regular maintenance for them. They will unfortunatly see the not so friendly winter months of Michigan.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[I DiDio I]

honestly.... don't put them on until the spring... You would be suprised what the snow and road salt can do to a perfectly good set of wheels. I live in NY and the person I bought my mustang from didn't change his wheels in the winter - the chrome tri-bars might as well just be bare metal tribars. I bought a set of chrome bullitts, im actually taking them off this weekend for the winter and im puttin back on the stripped chrome tribars. Keep what you have on there now and throw on the chrome in the spring. Believe me you wount regret it.

 

[O.D. Showtime]

Just put a **** load of wax on them. If you use Zaino, I would highly recomend that for chrome. Throw on as many coats of wax as you can before you put them on the car. Other than that, when they do go on the car, just make sure to wash them at least once a weak using a non-abrasive wash mit (buy a regular cotton wash mit and use it strictly for the rims) and some wheel cleaner. Meguiars and Eagle One wheel cleaners work good and don't do damage to the wheel. If you clean them often, you won't have to deal with brake dust buildup that will eventually eat into the rim. May even want to switch to some Hawk brake pads b/c they don't cause nearly as much brake dust as stock brake pads. I'd say once a month if you have time and the effort, jack the car up and take the rims off to give them a really good cleaning (which would include cleaning the inside of the rim where you can't get to unless the rim is off). Then buy some Mother's chrome polish to keep em shiny. Good luck

 

[98stangv8]

what the 2 guys said above are really good. I would not use zaino for protection though...it is a polish, and not a wax, and thus will not provide as much protection as a wax could...such as turtle wax extreme (which I like better than zaino, and it protects). I would wait until the spring though, just to miss the salt and such. One of the biggest things as mentioned above is to make sure you jack the car up and clean the inside of the rims...most people miss that and it makes a huge difference!

 

[O.D. Showtime]

I would not use zaino for protection though...it is a polish, and not a wax, and thus will not provide as much protection as a wax could...

Zaino is wax my friend. The only polish available by Zaino the last time I ordered was their glass polish and their Z5, which is the equivalent of 3M's Imperial Hand Glaze. It is nothing more than a filler wax, designed to "cover"/fill in the scratches polishing missed. Zaino Z1 and Z2 are both considered synthetic waxes. Synthetic wax lasts up to six month under normal conditions, whereas carnuba wax (Turtle wax) only lasts, on average, sixty days.

 

[spree]

Technically, Zaino is a sealant. I have no idea why they refer to it as a polish.

 

[98stangv8]

Zaino is wax my friend. The only polish available by Zaino the last time I ordered was their glass polish and their Z5, which is the equivalent of 3M's Imperial Hand Glaze. It is nothing more than a filler wax, designed to "cover"/fill in the scratches polishing missed. Zaino Z1 and Z2 are both considered synthetic waxes. Synthetic wax lasts up to six month under normal conditions, whereas carnuba wax (Turtle wax) only lasts, on average, sixty days.

as far as performance...I got with what performs better for me. I used to swear by zaino, then I tried the turtle wax extreme stuff they just put out, and it repelled dust and dirt a TON better than zaino ever did.


straight from zaino:

Z-2 Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes


polish..not a wax...there have been several threads on this topic around here...

 

[JimC]

Just make sure you know the difference between a polish and a wax before you buy their products or you'll be waisting your money.