Just looking at my front wheels after the new tires were installed . I see that even thought there are a lot less wheel weights it looks like I need to do some clean up of old weight glue. When I 1st bought the car I pulled all of the wheels and cleaned and waxed them. At that time I had some left over mothers wax and used that on the painted wheels. It came out good but I was wondering for those who do wax their wheels is there any special wax that you use or just use off the shelf car wax.

 

The best wax for wheels is collonite- look it up, people swear by it. It wasnt even intended for automotive use. It was engineered for insulating electronic in aviation. It has a cult following.

My suggestion would be different. Clean with clay bar- protect with ceramic coating.

 

I'm not familiar with ceramic coating. Is this just a spray on clear coat type of material. Do you have a brand in mind . I haven't seen any of these products in my local auto parts stores so I'll have to look .

 

Been using Collonite waxes for 20 years. They rock, last a long time with good depth. That being said, I like to put a sealer first. Black Diamond sealer does a great job is easy to put on and take off.

I have used two different Collonite waxes:

Collinite 915 Marque D'Elegance Carnauba Paste Wax - great depth, harder to apply. Great if you are detailing 4+ times a year

Collinite 476s Super Doublecoat Auto Wax - almost as good depth, very easy to apply. Great if you are doing 2-3 details a year. Very durable.

Collinite 845 Insulator Wax - haven't tried yet, but would like to.

 

CQuartz makes a sealer for wheels, just got mine for Amazon for @$37 shipped... great stuff! No more waxing

 

Yes collinite the way Moses spelt it, what I wrote is probably some nighttime colon aid.

Insulator Wax is their toughest. Developed to insulate metal (instead of tape)

Ceramic coating is perfect for wheels, easy to apply, just wipe on. last 3x longer, most importantly repels dust and water. gives scratch protection when you wash wheels full of metal dust.

CQuartz Dlux Plastic & Rubber Coating (SKY Kit) - www.CarPro-US.com

 

I have used Collonite Insulator for years, works great. I use it all over my Jeep and have used it for rims on other cars. Lasts pretty well.

 

Quick heads up,
All waxes are fairly easy to wipe off after really dry.
Collinite insulator wax will require an act of parliament to shift it if you put too much on and leave it to check email. However, thats what makes it so damn good. The fact that its not easily removed. Remember, it was not intended to be removed. Its intended to form a tough film. So when I have applied it to wheels, I dont even buff it off, except on the really flat and readily visible parts.

 

Another vote for Collinite 476 ........ lasts and lasts and lasts and .............

 

jagtoes:

Strip any excess glue from the wheel weights using GooGone. Spray with Sonax wheel cleaner to remove any iron. Then strip wheels by washing with Dawn detergent and warm water. Rinse, dry. Then clean with 70/30% isopropyl alcohol, then give the wheels and the inside wheel barrels a coating of Pinnacle Black Diamond Wheel Coating which is a nano ceramic wheel coating.

Here's what I use on my wheels. The blue on the chrome wheels is the blue sky here in New Mexico reflecting off the chrome on my Corvette C7 wheels.

Using a nano ceramic wheel coating it will make the wheels very easy to clean and will help clean any brake dust that might appear on the wheels.

The Pinnacle Black Diamond line of nano ceramic coatings are very high rated.
I use these products on all of my premium sports cars. They can be purchased via autogeek.net

If you are very serious about applying a premium nano coating to your paint, wheels or glass, I highly suggest that you research these products that I have personally used for many years.

A professional detail shop using the same products and coatings will cost over $1200 to $1500 for the same work you can complete as a DIY project. Makes a great weekend project. DIY cost under $125.00 to $150.00. One bottle of each product will about 20-25 cars.

Maintaining the vehicles after the coating is so easy. There is no need to apply wax to the paint surface after applying the nano ceramic coatings.

Click the thumbnail images to enlarge and click again for full screen viewing.

 

Tip of the day,
Collinite better than RainX on Windshields.
Try it, you will never use anything else.

 

Didn't know that was their toughest, thanks. Will order a bottle of that on my next supplies purchase (which is coming soon).

 

Richard, what tires are those pictured on you Jag.

 

Queen and Country:

The tires on the Jaguar XKR are Hankook Ventus Evo V12.

I have had them on the Jaguar XKR for a few years now. The ride is quiet and smooth and tire wear is very good. Price was great here in the USA.

 

Slightly off topic: I use the same tires as Richard on my XK, the Hancook Ventus Evo V12 . They are smooth, quiet, and they look superb. Best of all, they are (relatively) reasonably priced, even in Canada.
Now, back to the topic. I use Autoglym polish on my wheels. The result is that a dry microfibre cloth removes all the brake dust and road dirt easily and quickly, leaving the wheels clean and shining.
And regarding windscreens: I have regularly used carnauba wax (but one with a cleaner in it, like the Mothers formulation); this accomplishes several things: it cleans and smoothes the glass, it gives the glass a slippery surface that makes bug splatter simply float off, it makes rain bead and run off, most often eliminating the need for wipers (especially on the highway), and it gives the glass a beautifully clean shine. And, no, it does not interfere with the wider operation.

 

I use a squeegee with soap and water inside and out. They come out so clear, clean, and streak free, I would not do it any other way. It's a lot quicker than most other methods too. I have two size squeegees.

 

^^^^^^^^ THAT^^^^^^
I've used waxes in many forms on all my glass. Usually I have no need for the wipers unless the rain is very light or very heavy. The water just blows away in the wind.

 

Consider "polishing" the windshield as we call it here in the USA. Then apply a nano ceramic glass coating once polished and buffed. The results will be superior and will repel water, snow like nothing you have ever seen.

I use the "glass polish" with a 3" Griots Garage buffer and am "orange" buffing pad. The key to an extremely clean windshield or windscreen is the polish. If the glass is not polished, no matter what you apply, the result will not be the same.

Of course, I always have photos to go with my text when available. Yes, I have lots of fine detailing supplies and equipment to make sure my vehicles are kept in better than showroom condition. I really enjoy detailing the vehicles as a DIY project.

Click the thumbnail image to expand then again for full screen.