Wheel Care & Maintenance

Treat your freshly reconditioned wheels with care, especially for the first 24 hours. They will be dry to the touch but you should not rub them.

Light rain or brief wetness should not damage your wheels, however, a great deal of water, a strong spray or prolonged immersion can damage the clear coat.

The clear coat will be fully cured in about 3 weeks. After that time, regular maintenance will be necessary in order to maintain the decorative appearance over a long period of time.  In order to maintain your wheels correctly, we offer the same advice, as do the manufacturers of premium alloy wheels.

These recommendations are as follows:

Do not wash freshly reconditioned wheels for 48 hours.

After 48 hours, wash the wheels by hand continue to wash the wheels by hand only for the first 3 weeks.

Always cool hot wheels with plain water before using soap.  Never wash wheels when they are hot.  Road salt, dirt and brake lining dust must be washed off thoroughly; otherwise wheel finish will corrode.

Do not use any cleaner or wax on freshly reconditioned wheels for 3 weeks.

After three weeks and after washing again, you can use an acid free cleaning agent on the wheels.  Any cleaner that uses acid will damage the clear coat and substrate.  It is very important to use ONLY a cleaner specifically made for aluminum wheels.  Eagle One makes such a product.

Also after 3 weeks, a hard wax should be rubbed into the clear coat and continue to do this about every two months.  The wax will help protect the skin of the clear coat from foreign matter build-up.  We have been told by many of our customers that Wheel Wax is a quality wax product made specifically for use on aluminum wheels.

Paint, abrasive polish or other abrasive agents should never be used.  Should the protective layer of clear coat become damaged, it should be repaired immediately.

AVOID CERTAIN CAR WASHES

Alignment rails on most car washes were designed before the arrival of the newer style tires.   With larger sidewall tires, the rim never gets near the rail.   However, low-profile tires allow the rim to ride below the top of the alignment rail, which can easily damage the edge of the wheel.

Hand care is the best treatment for premium wheels.   However, if you must use a car wash, try to find a “touchless” style system and avoid the places with alignment rails.