|
New to detailing here; I just did my first job but skipped the wheels. What's the verdict on wheel sealants? Is it worth doing, and if so what's a decent product? My friend put on something called McKee's 37 Wheel Coating on his brand new wheels and it feels like it didn't do poo poo for protecting against brake dust, so I'm a little skeptical. Here's the results of wash, clay, polish, sealant, and finally wax. I think it turned out pretty well. It did hurt a little discovering like 15 rock chips though. 
|
#
¿
Jun 29, 2017 20:06
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 04:22 |
|
|
Mat_Drinks posted:Do you mean sealant like sealant wax or sealant like the treatments that have become popular like gtechniq? I guess I meant the fancy treatments. I thought about using regular sealant too but then I read that it's not designed for the temperatures that wheels experience. I haven't heard of gtechniq; sounds like it's worth looking into, thanks.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 1, 2017 05:27
|
|
|
Here's a weird question. After freshly applying wax, my car felt much softer to touch. It almost felt silky, and felt that way until today. I just did my first post-detail wash and that feel is gone now. Does that mean that the wax has been stripped? I used Optimum car wash which is supposed to be wax-safe, but I also applied the wax on top of a sealant so I suppose it wouldn't have bonded as well. Could it be gone already?TheGoatTrick posted:Heh, I just bought Gtechniq Cystal Serum Light and Exo V3 today. Will report back. I just looked this stuff up and, lasts 3-5 years?? Wow, this stuff sounds amazing. I'm curious how difficult it is to apply.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 2, 2017 05:39
|
|
|
Mat_Drinks posted:Did you follow the instructions on the bottle (soap to water ratio)? If so, you're probably fine, if not, then you may have gone overboard on the soap and may want to rewax. Test using a knuckle drag and a bit of a water bead test. Usually when I wash my car I dry with a spray wax (my current favorite is meguiar's) as that helps prevent water sports, any issues with drying, but also touches up the wax. One wash shouldn't kill a wax unless you used wayyy too much soap, used simple green or dishwasher soap, or used really lovely wax, but even the shittiest of wax should last one wash. poo poo, I may have used like 2-4x more soap than is called for. I kinda just eyeballed it. I guess I'll try re-waxing and seeing what happens next time with a proper soap mixture. It's dumb, especially because I hardly even touch the exterior, but I really like that soft feel. Also, too much soap couldn't have possibly removed the sealant too, could it?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 2, 2017 06:59
|
|
. Just because you wash em once doesn't mean they aren't still new and stain free.
|
TheGoatTrick posted:No. Before you go to the trouble of rewaxing, try applying a detailing spray. It will make the surface more slick to the touch. Oops, too late. I'll try this next time though. Also I'm not sure if it's placebo but I noticed a big difference in the shine pre- and post-wax so maybe it did get stripped afterall.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 2, 2017 18:42
|
|
|
TheGoatTrick posted:Missed this earlier. Wheel coatings don't prevent brake dust from sticking, they just make it easier to clean it off. I use FK1000P on my wheels and it gets pretty much all of the brake dust off with just a hose. Ok, to be fair they are a little easier to clean, but it definitely still requires more than just the hose. The corners also still get crud caked on and require scrubbing. I'll give that FK1000P stuff a try; I have a feeling that a paste will work better than the McKee's spray-on stuff. The car duster looks interesting. Would it be a good idea to forgo actual washes and just dust the car every week? I have it garaged and my last wash was 80% just to remove a layer of dust. For stuff like bug guts, I'm thinking of getting a rinseless wash in a spray bottle and just doing spot cleaning.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 3, 2017 20:11
|
|
|
That's awesome! Is that the arctic white or ceramic? I can't quite tell; it looks more like arctic white with the Gtechniq and more like ceramic with the OptiSeal. I'm amazed at how glossy the Gtechniq is though. That's without any wax on top?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 4, 2017 20:40
|
|
|
I would suggest doing the wash yourself if you're going to go through the trouble of stuff like clay and wax. I've never been through an auto car wash that actually got the car clean. That, and driving back from the wash will just get it dirty again before you start doing anything.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2017 08:57
|
|
|
Josh Lyman posted:It's been raining constantly in Atlanta so I'm feel like there's not particular dirt buildup? Plus the drive thru wash should clean the undercarriage. Remember how rain forms in the first place. Each drop is water vapor that condensed around a speck of dust. So all that water just leaves behind a bunch of dirt unless you wipe it away. That, and water won't wash off stuff like tar or grease. I realize that you mean that the auto wash will be "good enough" especially after rain takes off the caked on stuff, but the devil is in the details. You're going to have to spot clean a lot if you go this route. I actually hesitate to even say "spot clean" because in some cases the dirty "spots" are entire panels that still have a layer of dirt on them after the auto wash. Good point about the undercarriage though. Hikaki fucked around with this message at 17:23 on Jul 13, 2017 |
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2017 17:13
|
|
|
rdb posted:Woah, don't compound by hand, it's practically impossible to get enough heat and friction for it to remove anything and break down like it should. Part of how compound works is it breaks down into finer and finer particles from the heat and friction and in turn makes a better and better finish. You really need a DA and foam pads. I think there is a torq kit with chemical guys pads on amazon thats a good deal. Would compound be enough to fix a clear coat scratch that I can barely feel with my fingernail? I keep reading about wet sanding being the answer but the idea of sanding my car with my limited experience is scary.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 17, 2017 04:07
|
|
|
i just tried a rinseless wash and I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it's convenient because you don't need to deal with the hose and you can do it in your garage. On the other, I feel like it requires more time and work. You don't get the initial rinse so the wash mitt gets dirty faster, which means you're spending way more time cleaning the mitt. You have to be gentle while drying because there is no final rinse to wash away the remaining dirt. You have to completely wash and dry one panel at a time. I didn't try cleaning the wheels because I felt like they really need the initial rinse to get most of the brake dust off. I did bottle some of it and it works great as a spot cleaner though.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 17, 2017 22:28
|
|
|
InitialDave posted:Armor All aerosol tire foam is my usual choice. Seconding this. I'd call the finish "clean" but not "shiny". Easy to put on, no rinse required.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 25, 2017 00:52
|
|
|
The trick with cleaning glass is to use one rag to wipe off the cleaner, and then use another rag to wipe it dry. Streaks happen when you don't wipe the cleaner off completely. This tends to happen when you only use one rag because it gets saturated.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 17, 2018 23:41
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 04:22 |
|
|
nitsuga posted:Kind of looking forward to claying my car finally. It might not ever have been in its ten years. :-/ That's when you can really feel the deposits come out and it feels oh so good when it goes from scratchy to smooth.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 17, 2019 00:32
|
|