If you drive you car every day, including driving through rain, how do you maintain the polished finish of your wheels? Most 2-piece wheels utilize a polished aluminum barrel that is NOT clear coated which makes it vulnerable to water stains mixed with brake dust and anything else thrown at it.

My RO_JA Formula 5's are a PITA to keep pretty. So bad in fact that I'm thinking of getting rid of them for something else. If I can find an easier solution to maintain the polished finish from the elements then I will keep them because quite frankly I love how they look on my car.

The lip is easy to polish since it is easy to get to but its the inside of the wheel that looks like crap. And no, simply wiping it off will not work. It requires more thorough cleaning/polishing.

Anybody else experience the same thing?

brand new


a few weeks of everyday use

 

Nothing you can do really except clean them the best you can. With my Volks, I just took them off today and completely waxed the inside and out and the lip looks and feels great. It still doesn't take out the scratches and nicks I have gotten from rocks kicking up on my lip in the rear, but I am sure the coat of wax will help me clean them easier in the future.

 

Now that I think about it, doesn't Rays apply a special clear on their polished lips?

 

That looks like buildup inside the wheel. Do you clean your wheels inside and out when you wash the car?

Personally, whenever i apply a coat of polish to my car, i always throw a coat on the wheels. It makes the cleaning process much, much easier since the dirt falls right off.

 

I just wash them regularly, the face and just the indented part of the inside of the wheel where the water gathers. The iforged are clearcoated front and back over the polished portion.

drying tip for wheels with a valley like ours: I use a turkey baster to suck most of the water out after washing.

 

haahaa
i do that too!! but i use a huge syringe(w no needle) instead of a turkey baster.

 

how often do you guys wash your wheels? do you guys wash them seperately or along with the rest of the car?

 

I clean mine about 3 times a week just to keep the brake bust off

 

I use an air compressor to blow the wheels off after washing. I wash mine every time I wash the car, which is once a weekend. They take me about as long as washing the rest of the car.

 

I use an air compressor as well. You can also get an electric leaf blower to dry the car after washing including the wheels. Some of these things can have up to a 200MPH blast of air. They are relatively inexpensive.

 

I have been thinking the same thing. I just got my volks on, they look amazing, but it seems no matter what i do the lip gets little scratches/scuffs. I am thinking about changing out my brake pads so that I get less dust and have 2 clean less often.

 

The lip is worth it. I know guys who have polished lips BIGGER than that, they don't complain. The shine is awesome, and that's what attracts.

My Volks with clear coat lip are still a pain in the *** to keep clean.