Question:What do you recommend for protecting aluminum
wheels?
Answer:Most original equipment aluminum wheels are clear
coated for corrosion resistance. You can generally use any type
of wax or sealer specially formulated for alloy wheels, or any
product that is designed for a base coat, clear coat finish.
CAUTION: Do not use any wax or polish that contains abrasives
on a clear coated wheel (chrome polish, rubbing compound, ordinary
wax designed for ordinary painted finishes or that "restores
faded paint." The abrasives in such products will scratch
and dull the clear coat on the wheels.
If your wheels are not clear coated, or the original coating
is worn away or damaged, you can clean the wheels with "mag
wheel polish" or fine steel wool to remove surface oxide
and dirt (and what's left of the old finish) -- then repaint the
wheels with a durable clear coat epoxy or paint designed for this
purpose.
Unprotected aluminum wheels quickly corrode and pit when exposed
to road salt and excessive moisture. If the corrosion continues
unchecked for too long, the cosmetic damage may be too great to
reverse. So if you don't want to drive around with ugly, pitted
alloy wheels, use some type of coating (wax, sealer and/or paint)
to protect them from the elements.
PROTECT THE INSIDE, TOO
When an aluminum wheel is mounted against a steel brake drum
or rotor, the different compositions of the two metals often lead
to electrolytic corrosion. Aluminum is the more reactive of the
two, so the wheel can corrode and "weld" itself to the
rotor or drum making removal very difficult. To prevent this
from happening, the face of the rotor or drum (or the back face
of the alloy wheel) should be painted. Another alternative is
to apply a light coat of lithium, silicone or synthetic brake
grease to the back of the wheel where it butts up against the
rotor or drum.
Another problem that sometimes plagues alloy wheels is porosity
leaks. When an alloy wheel is cast, microscopic pores and voids
may be left in the metal that allows air to slowly leak out of
the tire. High pressure casting techniques have reduced, but not
entirely eliminated, this problem. So some alloy wheels are painted
or coated on the inside to help seal the metal. If you've experienced
this kind of problem, and your wheels are not coated or painted
inside, they might need it.
