WHEEL AND TIRE CARE

Your car is an integral part of your life and lifestyle.  Not only is it a significant financial investment, but it reflects your personal image.  Just as clean, well-maintained, polished shoes are the finishing touch to a professional-looking wardrobe; clean, well-maintained, wheels and tires are the finishing touch to an immaculate showroom image for your car. Wheel and tire care is often an overlooked step in the car care process.  Neglecting these surfaces can negatively impact the overall impression but, more importantly, deterioration may result from the lack of proper care and maintenance.   

With the ever-increasing popularity and options available for modifying vehicles with wheels and tires, there is increased confusion about which wheel and tire products are the safest and most effective. The wheel category, with its complexity of exotic metals and coatings, seems to cause the most confusion.  Huge financial investments are being made on these aftermarket enhancements, and they require proper care just like all of the other interior and exterior surfaces of a car. The key is in knowing the right methods and products to use. 

People often choose the wrong wheel cleaner because they do not know what type of material(s) is used on their wheels or what type of coating, if any, is on them.  Different types of metals and coatings react differently to different wheel cleaning products. Making the wrong wheel cleaner choice can lead to discoloring, dulling, and permanent staining and ruin a set of expensive wheels in just one pump of the sprayer. 

To begin with, there are many types of coatings a wheel could have these days.  They could be chrome plated, painted, powder coated, polished, anodized, uncoated, or clear coated---just to name a few. With the variety of coating possibilities, it is critical to match your specific set of wheels with the appropriate wheel cleaner. When in doubt, check with the wheel manufacturer just to be safe.

Meguiar's Hot Rims^® All Wheel Cleaner was developed to answer the question about which cleaner to use on the diverse types of available wheels, including factory, clear-coated and painted wheels.  Enhanced with Xtreme Cling" foam technology, it offers equally effective cleaning results on all factory wheel types with the added safety of neutralizing foaming agents that aggressively attack baked-on contaminants, yet will not harm wheels or surrounding surfaces.

Chrome wheels are best cleaned with a wheel cleaner specifically developed to meet that need.  Meguiar's Hot Rims Chrome is a highly effective formula that is ideal for chrome wheels. For additional help in cleaning grooves and crevices, Meguiar's Gold Glass Wheel Spoke Brush reaches in between the tightest, hard-to-clean areas to safely remove dirt and brake dust.  It is important to keep in mind that if a wheel cleaner claims to be for use only on chrome wheels, it should not be used on any other type of wheel surface.

For exotic or sensitive multi-piece and multi-surface wheels which are commonly anodized or polished, we recommend using a ph-balanced car wash, such as Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash Shampoo and Conditioner and a safe, soft-bristled brush like Meguiar's Gold Class Versa-Angle" Wheel Face Brush.  These two items can be used with confidence on the most delicate of surfaces, including aftermarket brake components.  It is important to understand that in some cases, brake components are a completely different metal than those on the wheel surface.  There are calipers, rotors, and brake lines to consider, so when choosing a wheel cleaner, be sensitive to the brake components.  Are they aftermarket or factory?  Factory brakes are generally pretty tough when it comes to chemical resistance, but aftermarket brakes are more susceptible. We recommend using a neutralizing car wash that is compatible with the brake components so that there is no risk of damaging them.

Tires need to be cleaned and prepped as well.   Most people don't give a lot of thought to tires except as to how they look. Tires are designed to perform under extreme conditions of heat, at high speeds for long periods of time, and exposed to incredible forces of torque and flexing. They are also constantly exposed to ozone.  Ever wonder why tires turn brown?

Contrary to popular belief, it's not caused by tire dressings! There is actually a science behind the modern rubber formulas used by major tire manufacturers today that is both complex and interesting.  The rubber itself contains an ingredient called antiozonant, which helps to prevent the exterior rubber surface from cracking, oxidizing, and deteriorating.  The rubber is designed in such a way as to constantly work the ingredient to the outside of the tire to continually replenish the exterior surface with fresh antiozonant.  Once it works its way to the outside of the tire and is exposed to the ozone in the air, it turns brown.  The technical term for this effect is "blooming."  This is why a brown film on the surface of tires is visible.  Since antiozonant continually works its way to the outside of the tire every time its driven, it is constantly exposed to the ozone, and the browning keeps tires from looking their natural best, or dulls a high-gloss shine.

Using a tire cleaner will not only remove dirt, road grime, grease, brake dust and built-up tire dressing to make them look new again, but will prep them for tire coating. Extra dirty tires may require extra work, and Meguiar's Versa-Angle" Tire Brush makes that job easier. Designed specifically with safety in mind, there are two sets of bristles---super-scrub interior bristles to clean tires and non-abrasive outer barrier bristles to protect wheel finishes from accidental scratches.

Cleaning tires will not only allow tire coatings to last longer, but it will have less of a tendency to spray back onto painted surfaces.  Meguiar's Hot Shine Tire Coating, with patented anti-ozonant technology, replenishes tires' original antiozonants and keeps them looking blacker longer. It also delivers a high-gloss shine while preventing cracking, browning and premature aging.

If a dramatic, deep, dark "insane wet look" is the desired look, then Meguiar's NXT Generation Insane Shine" Tire Coating meets the need.  The spray and walk away application makes the process effortless and leaves tires with the absolute highest shine possible.  When dressing tires, we recommend thin coats and encourage wipe off of overspray and excess coating before driving.

Wheels and tires should be washed and cleaned prior to washing the rest of the car. For best results, work in a well-ventilated, shaded area on a wheel surface that is cool to the touch. This will help to avoid stains and spots. Thoroughly rinse one wheel at a time to remove loose contaminants. Spray the appropriate wheel cleaner onto the wheel from the bottom up.  When cleaning extremely dirty wheels or intricate designs, boost the power of the wheel cleaner with a bit of agitation using a Meguiar's Gold Class Wheel Face or Wheel Spoke brush.  Don't substitute an extra strength cleaner for a bit of extra effort.  This is a common and destructive mistake that many people make.  Choosing wheel cleaners that are too strong for specific wheel surfaces, or using common under-the-sink, multi-purpose cleaners that were never intended for use on wheels, may result in irreversible damage.

After cleaning each wheel, rinse it thoroughly to ensure that all wheel cleaner is removed, paying special attention to the lug nut holes. Dry wheels with high-quality towels that prevent scratching, such as Meguiar's Gold Class Ultra Plush Super Terry or Supreme Shine" Microfiber towels.  Once all of the wheels are cleaned, use a metal polish such as Meguiar's NXT Generation^® Metal Polysh on uncoated, polished wheels or Meguiar's NXT Generation Tech Wax 2.0 on coated or factory-painted wheels, to provide a protective coating and to create the ultimate gloss.

Keep towels, brushes, mitts, and sponges used for cleaning wheels and tires separate from those used on other surfaces until they have been thoroughly rinsed and washed to avoid inflicting scratches from road dirt and grime onto your painted surfaces. Whether working on wheels and tires, the hood or a bumper, replace a towel or mitt if it has been dropped because even the most minute piece of grit can cause major scratches. After washing and drying the rest of the car, give the wheels another quick wipe for a spot-free, mirror-like, bright shine. 

One more tip:  While working on wheels and tires, take the time to check the air pressure.  A properly inflated tire will last much longer and help to generate better gas mileage as well.  And, remember, wheel and tire care should be routinely included as part of the 5-step car care process to give your car a completely detailed, showroom look and to protect your financial investment.