Best way to protect my alloy wheels

[farbbm]

I've recently purchased a second hand 5 year old BMW X5 (F15). The wheels fitted are the 20 inch 469M Style ones and have been refurbished with a diamond cut finish, as per the factory.

What I'd really like to know what is the best way/products available to protect them against brake dust, corrosion etc? I'm under no illusion that they'll stay perfect forever but wanted to keep them as pristine as long as I can.

[d_a_n1979]

farbbm said:

I've recently purchased a second hand 5 year old BMW X5 (F15). The wheels fitted are the 20 inch 469M Style ones and have been refurbished with a diamond cut finish, as per the factory.

What I'd really like to know what is the best way/products available to protect them against brake dust, corrosion etc? I'm under no illusion that they'll stay perfect forever but wanted to keep them as pristine as long as I can.

A thorough wash, decontamination and then dried and waxed will always be a good way to protect them... Keep them washed and look to repeat maybe twice a year

However, watch out for the lacquer blooming around the centre cap; they're well known for it unfortunately

[Jonny Wishbone]

I use Gtechniq C5, which is a ceramic coating and is really easy to apply. It makes cleaning them afterwards easier and the manufacturer claims a 2 year durability though to achieve that you’d probably need perfect prep - the best way of applying it or any other coating is probably wheels off and as dan says a thorough clean and decontamination first.

[gweaver]

Jonny Wishbone said:

I use Gtechniq C5, which is a ceramic coating and is really easy to apply. It makes cleaning them afterwards easier and the manufacturer claims a 2 year durability though to achieve that you’d probably need perfect prep - the best way of applying it or any other coating is probably wheels off and as dan says a thorough clean and decontamination first.

I did this. Wheels off, thorough clean, apply C5 (the first and only time I've used a ceramic), leave to cure overnight, refit wheels. The wheels are much quicker and easier to clean, and the ceramic is still there 2 1/2 years on - I don't do huge mileages, especially at the moment.

I don't think ceramic coating will prevent the white worm, though it might help. I think small stone chips and harsh chemicals at the car wash are part of the problem there.

[Belle427]

I can't be bothered to wax mine so after a deep clean i spray on gyeon wet coat once a month.
Seems to work well.
Key is to keep clean once a week with your chosen car shampoo.

[d_a_n1979]

Belle427 said:

I can't be bothered to wax mine so after a deep clean i spray on gyeon wet coat once a month.
Seems to work well.
Key is to keep clean once a week with your chosen car shampoo.

I've done both; now I just stick with Autoglym Polar Seal or their Aqua Wax; they both do a great job

As my wheels are very open spoked on my E39 touring, I've great access to all areas with a detailing brush etc; so it's rare I remove them now to clean

I am about to get my 'summer' set back from the powder coaters along with new PS4 tyres fitted; so I will give them a good wash and waxing before they get fitted

[d_a_n1979]

Jonny Wishbone said:

I use Gtechniq C5, which is a ceramic coating and is really easy to apply. It makes cleaning them afterwards easier and the manufacturer claims a 2 year durability though to achieve that you’d probably need perfect prep - the best way of applying it or any other coating is probably wheels off and as dan says a thorough clean and decontamination first.

Just been looking at that stuff to try on my newly finished alloys & summer tyres (well; when I collect them)

Does seem to get really good reviews!

[Podie]

Another GTechniq G5 fan here - does work well

[Jonny Wishbone]

d_a_n1979 said:

Just been looking at that stuff to try on my newly finished alloys & summer tyres (well; when I collect them)

Does seem to get really good reviews!

If you get it quick tip; bin the cheap, flimsy applicators in the pack - they look identical to the stuff my wife uses to take her eye makeup off. I use a soft foam wax applicator - it holds the liquid in so it maximises product usage and minimises waste with the bonus that it doesn’t fall apart like the crap supplied in the pack.

[gweaver]

Jonny Wishbone said:

If you get it quick tip; bin the cheap, flimsy applicators in the pack - they look identical to the stuff my wife uses to take her eye makeup off.

I bought some extra of those applicators, and used eight to do the four wheels - one for the barrel and face of each. They don't lint, unlike many makeup pads, and they don't absorb much of the valuable liquid, so there's very little wastage. I was able to do all four 17" 15 spoke alloys inside and out with 15ml of ceramic, and I think I could have used less.

Thin suede microfibres on a block are often used for applying ceramic to bodywork, but they wouldn't be much good getting into the tighter corners of alloy wheels.

[CeramicMX5ND2]

I wash mine off at least once a week, then use some furniture wax polish and a clean microfibre cloth.. Always look spot-on

[T-bagger]

I removed all 4 wheels over the course of the weekend, thoroughly cleaned them and coated them with Gtechniq G5 inside and out. Yet to assess durability, but with Porsche brakes kicking out loads of brake dust, that shouldn’t take long! In the meantime, they definitely have a deeper shine.

[farbbm]

Thanks for the replies, looks like I've got a couple of options to choose from. Although researching Gtechniq C5 after the recommendation, it does seem to do a very good job of protecting the wheels.

[gweaver]

The other product that is popular is Krystal Kleen Detail Revolve Wheel Coating.

It comes in a larger (30ml) bottle, which is slightly less expensive than the 30ml C5 bottle (I was able to make do with the 15ml bottle). I think Revolve is reputedly more durable, but trickier to apply - so perhaps less suitable for first time coating users.

[gweaver]

T-bagger said:

I removed all 4 wheels over the course of the weekend, thoroughly cleaned them and coated them with Gtechniq G5 inside and out. Yet to assess durability, but with Porsche brakes kicking out loads of brake dust, that shouldn’t take long! In the meantime, they definitely have a deeper shine.

Looks like you did a thorough cleaning job there - the shine does come through in the photo.

[Podie]

I recently bought a "Mystery Box" from www.bouncerswax.com as I've been really impressed with their waxes (I find waxing a car therapeutic and haven't bothered with the ceramic paint protection). As part of that, I actually got some of their wheel sealant, so I'm going to give that a go as I've run out of C5.

[Chubbyross]

During the first lockdown last year I took all mine off for a full decontamination and polish before applying Gtechniq C5. It’s amazing stuff, especially if topped off with Gtechniq C2 ceramic spray. The protection has now lasted over a year and the wheel usually just need a quick spray or wipe with car shampoo. You can also top up the ceramic coating periodically with the C2, rather than reapply the C5.

[stewies_minion]

Belle427 said:

I can't be bothered to wax mine so after a deep clean i spray on gyeon wet coat once a month.
Seems to work well.
Key is to keep clean once a week with your chosen car shampoo.

This. I believe I washed my C5 off too quickly so use Gyeon every so often. Wheels are very easy to keep clean and repel crap.

Also 100 times less effort.

[Shanksy87]

stewies_minion said:

This. I believe I washed my C5 off too quickly so use Gyeon every so often. Wheels are very easy to keep clean and repel crap.

Also 100 times less effort.

You should get a few years from any quality ceramic coating. The substance chemically bonds to the paint so they don't wash off, although they can degrade and fail if you don't prep the surface properly prior to application. Even if the wheel is brand new you want to use an IPA to clean the surface, if it used you need to invest way more time than a good clean.

I like wet coat but it is considerably less durable than a ceramic coating if applied correctly.

[gweaver]

Shanksy87 said:

I like wet coat but it is considerably less durable than a ceramic coating if applied correctly.

This is true. Spray and Rinse sealants such as Wetcoat are the easiest option and better than doing nothing, but they have to be reapplyed regularly and you can only expect good coverage on the face of the wheels.
I started to use Turtle Wax Dry and Shine to top my C5 last year, purely because it might extend the life of the C5 a little. It doesn't last well though.