Polished wheels
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9
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From: Minnesota
Polished wheels
I just bought a new C5 with the polished wheels and am wondering what is the best and safest way to polish them. Can you use mothers or is their a coating on them? Thanks
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,479
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From: NY
Cruise-In III Veteran
St. Jude Contributor
The wheels have a clear coat on them just like your paint. Use whatever product you use on the paint for the wheels also. I personally use Zaino Z5 & Z2 on my 2002 factory polished/clearcoated wheels.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Chicago Crew
Lord of the Tree
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10, '16
Originally Posted by Silver2002
The wheels have a clear coat on them just like your paint. Use whatever product you use on the paint for the wheels also. I personally use Zaino Z5 & Z2 on my 2002 factory polished/clearcoated wheels.
Exactly......I use the same Meguires Gold Class wax on the wheels that I use on the paint........They turn out pretty good 
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: Tampa FL
I use Wheel Wax on my chrome wheels. I also use it on my other car's allow wheels. It seems to hold up better than anything else. If you talk to Wheel Wax they say it has a higher heat resistance than waxes. Makes since if it's on the wheels next to the road and hot brakes. Carnaubas will melt off quickly. I like the look too.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 218
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From: Dallas Texas
This goes to Silver 2002
Are your rims high polished aluminum?
I have a 2004 with these type of rims. I use Zanio on the paint. My question is due you use a clay bar on the rims and then wax or just the wax?
I'm have to say I'm still confused on what the best way to treat the high polished rims on my 2004. I do use the Zanio soap and follow it up with windex, but parts of the rims still have a slight haze to them that I wish I could eliminate or at least reduce to a minimum.
Truck Guy
I use to use Meguires but now use Zanio. However the picture of your rims looks pretty good.
Are your rims high polished aluminum?
I have a 2004 with these type of rims. I use Zanio on the paint. My question is due you use a clay bar on the rims and then wax or just the wax?
I'm have to say I'm still confused on what the best way to treat the high polished rims on my 2004. I do use the Zanio soap and follow it up with windex, but parts of the rims still have a slight haze to them that I wish I could eliminate or at least reduce to a minimum.
Truck Guy
I use to use Meguires but now use Zanio. However the picture of your rims looks pretty good.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 4,559
Likes: 28
From: Amarillo TX
Originally Posted by vettesrm
This goes to Silver 2002
Are your rims high polished aluminum?
I have a 2004 with these type of rims. I use Zanio on the paint. My question is due you use a clay bar on the rims and then wax or just the wax?
I'm have to say I'm still confused on what the best way to treat the high polished rims on my 2004. I do use the Zanio soap and follow it up with windex, but parts of the rims still have a slight haze to them that I wish I could eliminate or at least reduce to a minimum.
Truck Guy
I use to use Meguires but now use Zanio. However the picture of your rims looks pretty good.
Are your rims high polished aluminum?
I have a 2004 with these type of rims. I use Zanio on the paint. My question is due you use a clay bar on the rims and then wax or just the wax?
I'm have to say I'm still confused on what the best way to treat the high polished rims on my 2004. I do use the Zanio soap and follow it up with windex, but parts of the rims still have a slight haze to them that I wish I could eliminate or at least reduce to a minimum.
Truck Guy
I use to use Meguires but now use Zanio. However the picture of your rims looks pretty good.
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Drifting
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,479
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From: NY
Cruise-In III Veteran
St. Jude Contributor
I wash my wheels with my usual Z7/water mixture and use an old wash mit. Once they are dry, then I apply some Z5 or Z2. I don't use Windex or anything in between.
As for the haze, that is clear coated into the wheel. What they do is polish the aluminum and then clear over top. Without removing all of the clear and re-polishing the wheel, there is really no way to remove this, you can just hide or reduce it by polishing. I would not recommend removing the clear or using a metal polish as this usually does way more damage than good.
As for the haze, that is clear coated into the wheel. What they do is polish the aluminum and then clear over top. Without removing all of the clear and re-polishing the wheel, there is really no way to remove this, you can just hide or reduce it by polishing. I would not recommend removing the clear or using a metal polish as this usually does way more damage than good.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,479
Likes: 1
From: NY
Cruise-In III Veteran
St. Jude Contributor
Just to be a little clearer, the haze I believe you are talking about is the haze from polishing the metal. ZaneO is correct, if there is haze in the clear then you can polish it out with products for the car's paint, but I have seen almost every C5 that has the polished wheels have the haze from when they polished the metal before clearing. My 2002 has this as well.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
Originally Posted by mhaber
I like the Mothers wax for clear coated rims. It cleans and protects. Any polymer is also good.
Mhaber ...which specific mothers wax do you use?
I've researched on the internet and came across a couple different ones from Mothers..that all appear to be clear coat safe.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,909
Likes: 4
From: Ponte Vedra Beach / London State: Dazed and confused
~ One man’s opinion / observations ~
Wheel Wax. When is a wax not a wax? When it’s a polymer.
When I first saw the question posed, “What’s a good wax to use on wheels?” My first reaction was none, they will not stand the sustained temps (200+oF) a polymer is more suited to this application as it is good for 325oF+
Wheel Wax is different from wheel polishes because it is not a polish; it is a wax formulated with space age polymers and resins, a heat resistant sealant and carnauba wax, which provides the ultimate protection for wheels. There are no ingredients in Wheel Wax that are harmful to wheels or their finish. Wheel Wax is treated to provide long lasting protection and formulated for ease of application
???I don’t profess to know how you can mix – oil, wax or water with a polymer as they all interfere with it cross-linking and durability, I’ll leave the answer to the Chemical Engineers (any offers on an explanation? TIA)
Truckguy- like your wheels
I tried Wheel Wax and was pleased with the results (about a month ago
and its holding up well so far)
~Hope this helps~
Knowledge unshared is experience wasted
justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ Jon
Wheel Wax. When is a wax not a wax? When it’s a polymer.
When I first saw the question posed, “What’s a good wax to use on wheels?” My first reaction was none, they will not stand the sustained temps (200+oF) a polymer is more suited to this application as it is good for 325oF+
Wheel Wax is different from wheel polishes because it is not a polish; it is a wax formulated with space age polymers and resins, a heat resistant sealant and carnauba wax, which provides the ultimate protection for wheels. There are no ingredients in Wheel Wax that are harmful to wheels or their finish. Wheel Wax is treated to provide long lasting protection and formulated for ease of application
???I don’t profess to know how you can mix – oil, wax or water with a polymer as they all interfere with it cross-linking and durability, I’ll leave the answer to the Chemical Engineers (any offers on an explanation? TIA)
Truckguy- like your wheels
I tried Wheel Wax and was pleased with the results (about a month ago
and its holding up well so far)
~Hope this helps~
Knowledge unshared is experience wasted
justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ Jon