It depends. Usually for polished wheels, you would use a product like Mother's Mag&Aluminum or Billet Polish to maintain the looks. As an alternative, you can use Rolite (one of the best), Nuvite, and/or Jeweler's Rouge if you are looking for something on the high end. Any of the above will contain a protective wax or sealant, so no additional protection is needed. A regular wax or sealant MAY stain the wheel, so you you need to take off a wheel and test a spot inside to see if its safe to use on your polished wheels. Just FYI, some have their polished wheels clearcoated or powder coated with clear to cut down on maintenance, but some wheels are porous and will outgas and the clearcoat may separate over time.
Chrome wheels on the other hand can be protected by a non-abrasive wax or sealant. A sealant is usually preferred since it will handle the heat transferred from the brakes better than a carnuaba wax. Any brake dust can be washed off when you wash or use a "for wheels only" dedicated claybar and/or a wheel brush to remove any remaining embedded brake dust. If you have wire wheels, use Luster Lace for polishing and protection of the spokes.
As I mentioned before, one should remove their wheels at least once a year to clean the insides. Any brake dust inside the wheel will eventually migrate to the outside increasing your maintenence.
Some people have asked about wheel cleaners. The best and safest I've used is P21S Wheel Cleaner or S100 Wheel Cleaner (actually the same product) and is recommended by many european car manufacturers. Eagle One A2Z All Wheel Cleaner is also popular and locally available at most auto parts stores. Just make sure your wheels are COOL, your car is NOT baking out in the sun or the air temp is too high (wait until sunset or early in the morning if its summer), and don't let the product sit more then a minute or 2 (read the directions and you can use a wheel brush or a sponge) before throughly rinsing it off. Otherwise it may stain your wheels, especially polished ones.
Hope this helps.
__________________
2002 Almond Pearl Limited Edition 27K
It\'s nice to be important, but it\'s more important to be nice.
http://sci-fi.ptenthusiasts.net/
|