How To Properly Care For Your Clear Coated Wheel Rims

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How To Properly Care For Your Clear Coated Wheel Rims

20 January 2017
 Categories: , Articles


If you invest in expensive Rohana wheels or other types of rims, then you likely want to protect your investment as much as possible. This is especially true if the wheels have a clear coat covering the metal. To learn about care tips, keep reading.

Consider Changing Your Brake Pads

While brake pads may seem as though they have very little to do with your vehicle rims, this is not the case. Brake pads release a great deal of dust and the majority of the debris ends up on your tires, rims, and the undercarriage of your vehicle. Unfortunately, the dust is not simply dust. The vast majority of brake pads are semi-metallic. The pads are made with resin or rubber, and small pieces of metal are mixed in. The metal is copper, brass, steel, or graphite. When you press on the brakes, a small bit of the pad is worn away. This releases a dust that contains small, metal particles.

The metal particles from the brake pads can easily scrape and scratch the clear coating on the outside of your rims. To stop this from happening, think about changing your brake pads to a type that does not create metallic dust. Ceramic pads are your best option. These pads are more expensive than traditional varieties, but they will not wear down nearly as quickly as semi-metallic or organic types. Also, they are made with ceramic fibers that do not create a dust as they wear down. This keeps the rim safe from damage. 

If you do decide to change your brake pads, you should know that the rotors are likely to create a bit of dust no matter which pads you add to your vehicle. While the steel dust is unlikely to scrape your rims, you should still exercise caution.

Clean The Rims Carefully

If you want to prevent clear coat scratches, then you should clean your rims carefully. In general, if a material is safe for use on your car body, then it can be used on your rims. For example, you would not spread a highly abrasive polishing compound on your car, so you should not use this type of product on your rims either.

Polishing compounds scratch the clear coat on the rims just like the clear coat on your vehicle. This is also true of any material that contains acids. Acidic cleaners are commonly used for rims made from steel alloys. The acid forces rust to break up and free from the metal. However, acids can etch the clear coating. Also, try to stay away from cleaners that are meant to clean rims quickly with spray on and off compounds. Harsh chemicals in the cleaners can damage and dull the rims.

Purchase some automotive soap or a rim cleaner made specifically for clear coated rims. You want to remove any rotor or brake pad dust from the rims first, so spray them with your hose. Strong sprays of water with a heavy duty nozzle, like a fire hose variety, is a good choice. Add the soap or cleaning of your choosing to the rims and then scrub with a wheel brush. Rinse afterwards and dry with a microfiber cloth.

Polish When Necessary

When you complete your cleaning, you should inspect the clear coating on your rims to look for signs of damage. If you see some scuffs and scrapes, then you can use a mildly abrasive polishing compound. Most products are paint polishes like the ones you would use to buff scuffs from your vehicle. If you have a vehicle polish, then you can use this safely on the rims as well.

Use a cotton cloth, microfiber cloth, polishing wheel, or a polishing sponge to add the polish to each rim. Use only a small amount of the polish and spread it evenly across each rim. When you are done, use a detailing clay to lubricate and protect the rims.