Wheel protection is one of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of detailing your vehicle. When it comes to protecting your wheel, it’s best to use a solution that’s durable and doesn’t need to be reapplied frequently. Ceramic coating offers the best of both these approaches.
Many people associate ceramic with paints, but it’s also a great way to protect your wheels. If you don’t know if your wheels have already had ceramic coating applied, a good way to tell (while not fool-proof) is to see if water beads off of the surface. If it doesn’t, your wheels likely have not been protected by ceramic coating.
It is important to note that if you are using alloy wheels and looking to ceramic coat them, you will have to use a ceramic coating designed for exposed metal in order for the ceramic to bond properly.
What Is Ceramic Coating For Wheels?
Unlike wax, ceramic coating is a completely inorganic, ultra-durable form of protection. It’s UV-resistant, chemical resistant, and heat resistant, able to withstand the high heat, brake dust and tar commonly seen on the road. Instead of having to re-apply every few months like you would with waxes and sealants, ceramic coating will last up to 2 to 5 years.
How To Prepare For Ceramic Coating
First off, you are going to want to make sure that your wheel is clean of all contamination. It’s important to make sure that you are working with a clean slate, because applying a ceramic coating to a dirty surface can lead to brake dust, road tar, and other grime getting locked in under the coating, or even preventing the coating from bonding altogether. To get that clean slate you’ll need to thoroughly clean the wheel, starting with the least aggressive means possible and working your way up.
The first step on the ladder of aggression would be a simple water rinse, which will shake off any loose particles on the wheel. Follow up by washing with a premium car wash soap. Use wheel woolies and a wheel brush to get inside the spokes and fine features and loosen any remaining particles on the wheel. Make sure to inspect the wheel for any bonded brake dust or tar using a gentle wheel cleanser first. If bonded contaminants remain, more aggressive means such as brake dust removers can be used as needed. Not much force should be applied, let the product do the work for you. Now that the wheel is clean and dry, it’s time to begin the coating process.
How To Ceramic Coat Your Wheels
Make sure that you are using the appropriate prep product, which is typically included in most ceramic coating kits. When it comes to what ceramic coating you use, you are going to want to use a ceramic coating for wheels with high heat resistance, the reason being because of the wheels’ close proximity to the brakes.
When beginning the process, it’s best to apply to one small area at a time so you can easily keep track of what you’ve coated already. In our opinion, it’s beneficial to start with the back of the barrel first, and then end on the face, since that is the public-facing side. And once working on the face, start with the valve stems and work inwards, ending with the lug nut wells, which tend to trap the most debris. As such, it’s also important to keep dexterity in mind — using a coating saver applicator will allow you to get into hard to reach areas that a more rigid applicator would not.
Once finished, your wheel should have a super-glossy look, as if you could almost swim in it. It’s important to wait at least one hour before re-installing your newly coated wheel as the coating requires time to complete its initial cure.
How To Maintain Your Newly Coated Wheels
In order for the ceramic coating to maintain a strong bond with your wheels, avoid washing them for at least a week. After that, you are safe to wash it, which should now be easier than before it was coated. We recommend washing once every couple weeks or as needed to keep the coating in optimal condition.
From there, we also recommend applying a coating maintenance spray every few months or as needed to reinforce the coating’s durability and performance. If the vehicle is well maintained, the coating should last for 5 years or more. After that, you can rest easy knowing that your wheels will be safer than before, capable of handling and maintaining in different kinds of road and weather conditions.
If you decide to remove the ceramic coating from your wheels, you can attempt to do so by applying a strong solvent. If that doesn’t do the trick, you may need to move further up on the aggression ladder, in which case a machine buffer can be used in the removal process.
Ceramic coating wheels is the best way to ensure they stay in good condition. It’s stronger than wax and can hold up under the high temperatures experienced on the road. Are your wheels ceramic coated? Let us know how it’s working for you and if you have any tips for ceramic coating wheels please let us know down in the comments!
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