# Wheels off - first time advice needed for products



## PaulDW (Oct 23, 2020)

Hi all, so my usual is wheels on where Im doing the rest of the exterior of the car so do wheels first with BH Surflex at 1:10, let it dwell and then agitate and pressure spray off, not bothered using tyre dressing or fallout remover. Well, that's a lie I used some Autoglym magma once to see what it would do a few months ago.

BUT... I managed to pick up another set of alloys (exact same) for a bargain price on ebay and they've sat in the shed for the last few months and are very clean looking, used but clean.

So, Im thinking it's time to get the old ones off and new(er) ones on and I'd like to treat them to a proper clean and protect.

My plan is to BH Surflex, dwell and agitate then power wash. 
Then I thought the Magma Iron / fallout remover and obviously power wash off ... BUT

then what? I've seen a few of the DW vids and it talks about claying (which I've never done) and protecting with something called Poorboys wheel sealant? Seems to be a fairly popular choice?

Is there anything else anyone can think of that I should do while there or another product they would recommend?

PS. I'm adept at the jacking, chocking and safety aspect so no need to worry on that front :driver:


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## NorthantsPete (May 18, 2016)

If you like BH, then they do an actual wheel cleaner

I use G3 pro wheel stuff also doubles as a fallout remover - its touchless wheel cleaning but aggravate and it all comes off.


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## nicks16v (Jan 7, 2009)

If you are going to town with them, then you may as well go the full 10 and get them as perfect as you can and then put a ceramic sealant on them as the Poorboys wont last that long. Clean with BH Auto wheels, as that will get most of the Iron off them too, a tar remover to get stubborn tar off, clay them, polish them and then panel wipe and ceramic coat them inside and out. Just my opinion though, do whatever stages you feel you want to go to.


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## RS3 (Mar 5, 2018)

Yeah, if its a rare opportunity, go the whole hog and the same with the arches and suspension etc.


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## \Rian (Aug 23, 2017)

Last time I did mine I used

Heavy duty degraser mixed 1:10 (basically surfex) use this to scrub the tires aswell

Fall out remover

Tar remover

Clay bar

Polish

Panel wipe

Ceramic coat































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## macmaw (Mar 5, 2007)

As above really. 
Full decontamination, wash, rinse, iron fallout remover then tar remover. 
Clay, polish if required. 
Good panel wipe and coat with G-Techniq C5 as above, or Carbon Collective Platinum Wheels
These products are just as easy to apply as PB wheel sealant etc. but will last a lot longer. 
CCPW will last for up to two years. 
Cleaning is also much easier with these products applied.


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## PaulDW (Oct 23, 2020)

NorthantsPete said:


> If you like BH, then they do an actual wheel cleaner
> 
> I use G3 pro wheel stuff also doubles as a fallout remover - its touchless wheel cleaning but aggravate and it all comes off.


I like that idea though given i have the Surflex HD and the autoglym magma I might as well use them up? Unless there's a specific benefit to your thoughts? (other than being all in one obviously  )



nicks16v said:


> If you are going to town with them, then you may as well go the full 10 and get them as perfect as you can and then put a ceramic sealant on them as the Poorboys wont last that long. Clean with BH Auto wheels, as that will get most of the Iron off them too, a tar remover to get stubborn tar off, clay them, polish them and then panel wipe and ceramic coat them inside and out. Just my opinion though, do whatever stages you feel you want to go to.


Im assuming for claying I would want something not too aggressive given the alloy? Sorry never used clay so a bit new to me. 
As is ceramic coating, would this be something that would be difficult for someone thats new to it, or are the instructions fairly self explanatory?


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## PaulDW (Oct 23, 2020)

macmaw said:


> As above really.
> Full decontamination, wash, rinse, iron fallout remover then tar remover.
> Clay, polish if required.
> Good panel wipe and coat with G-Techniq C5 as above, or Carbon Collective Platinum Wheels
> ...


Just had a look £40 :doublesho BUT if it does what it says it would be worth it for sure.

Now a stupid question and I think I already know the answer is YES but.....

Does this wheel sealant only go on the face of your wheels, ie what you see rather than the barrel?

Assuming Im right and it doesn't go on the barrel, what would be a recommendation to try and protect them too? Just to make future cleaning on car easier?


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## PaulDW (Oct 23, 2020)

RS3 said:


> Yeah, if its a rare opportunity, go the whole hog and the same with the arches and suspension etc.


Just watched that, fair play that's a lot of work!


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## Itstony (Jan 19, 2018)

As Ryan has shown, that's how you look after wheels. Seem to comment the very same too often. It's not aways convenient or easy to find the time to do the job right or often, but once done they are so easy to keep clean.
It's surprising how many people look at the wheels first, not all look at panels first.
twice a yer (if lucky) and they are so easy to keep clean, not if neglected. 
Fallout and hard chemicals not required if protected, but still try to use and wasted. 
it really is worth the effort to keep them clean thereafter, even if it seems it wont be. Protect, shampoo wash, QD with FSE and good to go. Next time as easy.


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## RT1994 (Jun 25, 2019)

PaulDW said:


> Just had a look £40 :doublesho BUT if it does what it says it would be worth it for sure.
> 
> Now a stupid question and I think I already know the answer is YES but.....
> 
> ...


You can apply wheel sealant/coatings to the whole wheel (face, barrels etc) to protect them as this helps massively when you come to cleaning/maintaining.

I ceramic coated my wheels for the first time a couple of years back and would 100% recommend it. Yes it takes a fair bit of time putting in the prep work and getting that right but if you're going through all of that effort anyway then you might as well ceramic coat them.

If ceramics isn't for you then there are plenty of good sealants instead. Poorboys gives a lovely finish but lasts a couple of weeks if that. I'd opt for something like Wowo's Crystal sealant or even Soft 99 Fusso which lasted a good few months for me on wheels :thumb:


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## macmaw (Mar 5, 2007)

PaulDW said:


> Just had a look £40 :doublesho BUT if it does what it says it would be worth it for sure.
> 
> Now a stupid question and I think I already know the answer is YES but.....
> 
> ...


Apply the coating to the entire wheel, faces, rims, spokes, barrels.


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## nicks16v (Jan 7, 2009)

PaulDW said:


> I like that idea though given i have the Surflex HD and the autoglym magma I might as well use them up? Unless there's a specific benefit to your thoughts? (other than being all in one obviously  )
> 
> Im assuming for claying I would want something not too aggressive given the alloy? Sorry never used clay so a bit new to me.
> As is ceramic coating, would this be something that would be difficult for someone thats new to it, or are the instructions fairly self explanatory?


I would ceramic coat the barrels too, and its just as easy to apply it as you would a wax, just follow the instructions and you will be fine. As for Clay a soft one should be enough unless its really caked in stuff, BH do a good one you should try.


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## Forsh (Jun 13, 2014)

PaulDW said:


> Im assuming for claying I would want something not too aggressive given the alloy? Sorry never used clay so a bit new to me.


Why are you concerned about claying? Are the alloys polished bare ally?

unless they are, clay is what I find really gets them clean for the first attempt at getting a used set mint
After that, even if you just waxed them, cleaning is a doddle


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## PaulDW (Oct 23, 2020)

Forsh said:


> Why are you concerned about claying? Are the alloys polished bare ally?
> 
> unless they are, clay is what I find really gets them clean for the first attempt at getting a used set mint
> After that, even if you just waxed them, cleaning is a doddle


maybe not concerned, a little anxious maybe due to never having done it before. Ill likely get some soft clay and watch some youtube vids before doing it .


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## \Rian (Aug 23, 2017)

PaulDW said:


> maybe not concerned, a little anxious maybe due to never having done it before. Ill likely get some soft clay and watch some youtube vids before doing it .


Think of it this was a cars paint is softer than aluminum and you can clay that.

Most wheels have a durable powder coat finish or atleast a clearcoat

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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

WhiteShark FK1000p is a high temp wax seal, which will see you through the UK winter...you can wash with shampoo then. 

For me now that wheels off is an essential first event, so some form of ceramic will perform better #C5 or something similar. 

To keep taking the wheels off is a busy task just to wax them again so ceramic is the way to go..

John Tht


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## kingswood (Jun 23, 2016)

C5 is the only thing worth using if you're going through the trouble of wheels off etc.

I had two sets for a while, along with winter tyres. great idea in principle but didn't do enough miles or travel far enough to warrant it.


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## Trix (Jul 1, 2006)

Been looking at doing this for a while as I find cleaning wheels the worse part of maintaining my cars. How do you guys keep the wheels clean after they've been coated and how easy is it?


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

Trix said:


> Been looking at doing this for a while as I find cleaning wheels the worse part of maintaining my cars. How do you guys keep the wheels clean after they've been coated and how easy is it?


After they've been coated, it's simply a case of washing them with shampoo and a series of mitts and brushes.

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## RS3 (Mar 5, 2018)

My local detailer suggests fallout remover (gtechniq certainly) does not degrade C5 at all and recommends its use as a wheel cleaner on coated or uncoated wheels. I've noticed though that it makes calipers go brownish if they aren't painted so care is needed.
My wheels had C5 on from new but found the beading stopped within months. I've been using waxes ever since but will have another go with it when I get the chance.


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## olliewills (Feb 10, 2017)

When I did my wheels some months ago my process was as follows:

1. Wheel off the car
2. Pop out centre cap
3. Thoroughly coat all faces of tyre and alloy with BH autowheel (you can ignore the tyre tread obviously). 
4. Leave to dwell then agitate with whatever brushes you have that allow you to access all the nooks and crannies of your particular alloys.
5. Deep rinse of the wheel and dry with preferred method

(You may need to repeat steps 3-5 if you have stubborn baked on grime)

6. Tar remover of your choice over the entire alloy, not just on obvious tar spots
7. Another rinse and dry, (optionally wash with a shampoo if you feel inclined)
8. I only needed to lightly clay the wheels from one side of the car, the other side were plenty smooth to my feel
9. Yet another deep rinse and dry. Made absolutely sure the whole wheel was completely dry (easy for me as my French garage was over 30 degrees!)
10. Went over the wheel with BH cleanser fluid (panel wipe/IPA, your choice)
11. Wipe alloy with a clean towel
12. Applied Wowos Crystal Sealant to one side of the alloy at a time, buffing off immediately with a plush towel
13. Left to cure before putting the wheel back on the car

NOTES:
- I also cleaned the centre caps and wheel nut covers with a similar process
- I did one wheel a day during lunch while working from home. You could easily do it over two weekends if you needed to, no reason it all has to be done in one session
- I came back at another time and really scrubbed the tyre sidewalls with multiple hits of surfex before applying WWCS to them without buffing off. I did this because I was curious, but it's still holding up well to my surprise, longer than any other dressing I've ever tried!
- with WWCS on the wheels, they are ridiculously easy to clean now with just a fingered noodle mitt and shampoo bucket. It takes a couple of minutes per wheel, simples!

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## PaulDW (Oct 23, 2020)

Well Ive ended up buying a wheel woolie, large size carbon collective sealant, bilt hamber soft clay and needed some gtechniq G6 as was low so all on its way from Clean and Shiney. Forgot to add panel wipes :-/


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## macmaw (Mar 5, 2007)

PaulDW said:


> Just had a look £40 :doublesho BUT if it does what it says it would be worth it for sure.


That's for the 30ml. 
You only need 15ml for one set of wheels


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## PaulDW (Oct 23, 2020)

planning on doing 2 coats though


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## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

I prep mine and use FK1000 on fronts and barrels, twice a year, the rest I wash with a mitt and the barrels with a brush and normal shampoo.
Haven’t used a wheel cleaner or iron out kind of chemicals for around 8 years, hence my bells and callipers look still like new, never touched.

You can go the whole road on ceramic, or you can keep it easy and spend a little time twice a year and use a resistant wax.
Realise even when ceramic coated you still need to take the wheels of as there is always edges you cannot reach, like on the raingutter wheels on BMW and. Vauxhall (what designer thought that was a great idea.

If you use winter tyres on different rims, you change the wheels anyway twice a year.
I haven’t been convinced yet by ceramic, but many think it’s the best thing since slice bread.

FK1000p 50 wheels for £15 or ceramic 4 wheels for £40, maybe I am to tight fisted.:lol:


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## roscopervis (Aug 22, 2006)

kingswood said:


> C5 is the only thing worth using if you're going through the trouble of wheels off etc.
> 
> I had two sets for a while, along with winter tyres. great idea in principle but didn't do enough miles or travel far enough to warrant it.


Ceramic coat by all means, but C5 isn't the best wheel ceramic coating by a long shot. It's not particularly durable, repellant or self cleaning as far as ceramic coatings go so it's not the only thing worth using!


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## PaulDW (Oct 23, 2020)

roscopervis said:


> Ceramic coat by all means, but C5 isn't the best wheel ceramic coating by a long shot. It's not particularly durable, repellant or self cleaning as far as ceramic coatings go so it's not the only thing worth using!


I've got some of the carbon collective stuff on the way as that seems better thought of than the C5


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## SadlyDistracted (Jan 18, 2013)

kingswood said:


> C5 is the only thing worth using if you're going through the trouble of wheels off etc.
> 
> I had two sets for a while, along with winter tyres. great idea in principle but didn't do enough miles or travel far enough to warrant it.


Not just C5 which I've previously used for a decade+, KKD's R-Evolve X is very highly recommended by many, I used last time on my winter's, but they're not going back on for a month or so yet for me to find out if better than C5.


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## roscopervis (Aug 22, 2006)

I can give you a spoiler alert SadlyDistracted.


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## dholdi (Oct 1, 2008)

roscopervis said:


> I can give you a spoiler alert SadlyDistracted.


Come on then, get your opinion out in the open


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

dholdi said:


> Come on then, get your opinion out in the open


Unmatched performance and durability... however it's application is not the easiest nor most forgiving..As good as it is, I generally would warn newbies off it, especially where the alloys are a dark colour or have an intricate design, the potential for obvious finish-spoiling high spots is far greater, and with Revolve unless you catch them early you're going to need to machine polish them off. Most paint ceramics can be removed by finger polishing but a high spot of Revolve that has fully cured is a lot more stout.

The exceptions to this are if you're applying by airbrush or allowing to self-level (light coloured alloys only), again neither likely for a newbie. C5 is a very forgiving starter coating, Revolve is the logical progression if you've confidence in your ability and can follow instructions.


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

Caledoniandream said:


> I prep mine and use FK1000 on fronts and barrels,





Caledoniandream said:


> I haven't been convinced yet by ceramic, but many think it's the best thing since slice bread.
> 
> FK1000p 50 wheels for £15 or ceramic 4 wheels for £40, maybe I am to tight fisted.:lol:


With all due respect, FK1000 is a dust and dirt magnet and is no substitute for a wheel ceramic. The notion that a High Temp wax would avoid the need for periodic chemical decon is flawed in every way - that said, end-results are in the eye of the beholder.


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## atbalfour (Aug 11, 2019)

olliewills said:


> 3. Thoroughly coat all faces of tyre and alloy with BH autowheel (you can ignore the tyre tread obviously).


I would not recommend using (wasting) BH Auto Wheels on tyres.. it's a very expensive product and it won't clean as well as a dedicated APC (e.g. Surfex) which itself will not clean as well as a dedicated tyre/rubber cleaner - e.g. Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner, AutoGlanz Rebound etc.


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## dholdi (Oct 1, 2008)

atbalfour said:


> Unmatched performance and durability... however it's application is not the easiest nor most forgiving..As good as it is, I generally would warn newbies off it, especially where the alloys are a dark colour or have an intricate design, the potential for obvious finish-spoiling high spots is far greater, and with Revolve unless you catch them early you're going to need to machine polish them off. Most paint ceramics can be removed by finger polishing but a high spot of Revolve that has fully cured is a lot more stout.
> 
> The exceptions to this are if you're applying by airbrush or allowing to self-level (light coloured alloys only), again neither likely for a newbie. C5 is a very forgiving starter coating, Revolve is the logical progression if you've confidence in your ability and can follow instructions.


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

That is just not true have FK on my newly powder coated rims, I only wash with car shampoo, been over a year plus not needed to de-tar them. They do get cleaned a few times a week...so a great result for those in the know from daily experience.

As said I only wax them twice a year, yet will put C5 on the new car when I get it,see if that too will hold up on these bad winters from the same washing process.

John Tht.


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## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

Titanium Htail said:


> That is just not true have FK on my newly powder coated rims, I only wash with car shampoo, been over a year plus not needed to de-tar them. They do get cleaned a few times a week...so a great result for those in the know from daily experience.
> 
> As said I only wax them twice a year, yet will put C5 on the new car when I get it,see if that too will hold up on these bad winters from the same washing process.
> 
> John Tht.


Correct mine holds up 6 month or 9000 mile, well prepped, FK and just wash them, never use a dedicated wheel cleaner or iron out product when wheels are on the car.
Bells and callipers still looking like new.

Yes ceramic probably does exceed that, but my wheels have to come off twice a year to put/take of winter tyres, and I can prep and wax all 4 in a couple of hours
Not relying on temperature or humidity.

Regarding FK a dust magnet, only until the first wash.

But everyone to their own, that makes this game fun and enjoyable.


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## Kenan (Sep 7, 2015)

Iv just done 2 on my car, the other two another night after work next week. 

Used Fusso Coat as this lasted almost 2 years on my last car (weekend use) and was easy to clean with just soap, I hate cleaning wheels so anything to make it easier. 

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## roscopervis (Aug 22, 2006)

atbalfour said:


> Unmatched performance and durability... however it's application is not the easiest nor most forgiving..As good as it is, I generally would warn newbies off it, especially where the alloys are a dark colour or have an intricate design, the potential for obvious finish-spoiling high spots is far greater, and with Revolve unless you catch them early you're going to need to machine polish them off. Most paint ceramics can be removed by finger polishing but a high spot of Revolve that has fully cured is a lot more stout.
> 
> The exceptions to this are if you're applying by airbrush or allowing to self-level (light coloured alloys only), again neither likely for a newbie. C5 is a very forgiving starter coating, Revolve is the logical progression if you've confidence in your ability and can follow instructions.


That, though there are methods and techniques, even for newbies to help get it right on most if not all wheels. It's basically about learning it's flash and removal time. It isn't that long so you start off with the rear of the spokes/faces of your first wheel, you basically experiment here as you can't see and you build up to the point where it's a problem to wipe off and figure out the time. Once you know that, knock off 10-15 seconds and do not exceed it.

You can also experiment with self levelling on the backs to see how well it's doing. I personally don't buff off in the wheel nut barrels and other places where a slightly thicker film will be beneficial and the product looks fine unbuffed. It settles down further over time even more.

On the faces and rims etc, you have your time in which you know you have to buff, that is basically it.

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