I am looking for some wax for my new 15" 7-hole wheels.(winter) What wax does everyone use? Can I use the wax I use on the body of my car? (Gold Class Meguiars or Yellow Tech Wax Meguiars)

~Neal Levy

2004 MC40

 

I use the NXT Techwax on my wheels.

The trick seems to be that after you put the wax on don't clean/wipe
your wheels while the wheels are warm. The wax tends to come right
off even if the wheels are slightly warm. I think the high heat from
the rotors cause the wax to float on the surface (not sure, just
a guess) and if you wipe it while the wax is still warm and soft, it
comes right off.

Therefore, I only wipe brake dust off waxed wheels when the wheels
are completely cold.

:smile: ive seen "wheel wax" sold at online wheels stores...the difference
between those and body panel wax might be the temperature range...
not sure completely, just a guess. but i hear they work pretty good
too.

 

Many folks on Autopia like to use Meguiar's #20 Polymer Sealant on wheels. I've also heard favorable reports about Michelin's Brake Dust Repellent. I'll be trying both soon and will let you know if either works better than NXT.

I'm also using NXT on my wheels right now...

 

cool! Please keep me posted.

 

While you can use car body wax on your wheels- it isn't as durable.

For info on wheel cleaning and care-
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp&techid=94

I use wheel wax. Seems to work ok but probably you'd need to reapply it about once monthly for better results.
see
http://www.tirerack.com/a.jsp?a=EZ3&url=/accessories/americanracing/wheel_wax.jsp
$11.95 at tirerack.
Call alex@tirerack.com and he can explain how wheel wax works.
Personally I rather enjoy the smell of it.
It makes me happy. Not quite like sniffing glue though. Less harmful.

 

I use Wheel Wax and I find it to work very well. On application is it pretty good at removing tough stains. After drying and buffing, brake dust tends to either blow off or bond very loosely so as to be easily wiped clean by lightly dusting with a dry cloth.

 

Don't use a carnauba-based wax on the wheels because the wheels get hot enough to melt it.

Polymers such as NXT, Zaino, probably Wheel Wax aren't affected by temperature and are said to work better.

I've used NXT on my wheels thus far and can't really see where it's made much difference. I still have the tiny black dots of brake dust that are virtually impossible to get off.

When I replace my wheels, I'm getting anthracite or black...

 

I keep hearing story like that over and over, but would you be able to back up your claim?

 

We use a product called RejeX on our various sets of wheels. It's not a wax so much as polymer coating that makes brake dust not stick as easily so there is less scrubbing involved with keeping them clean. It's a product originally dveloped for the aero industry to keep exhaust residue off of body work on helicopters.

Here's the site: http://www.pacificcorrosion.com/index.ivnu

 

Well, take a look here and you'll find that the melting point of pure carnauba is 83.1 degrees Celcius, which is 181.58 degrees Fahrenheit.

Given the heat generated by braking I don't imagine it would be terribly hard to reach that temperature on a wheel.

Now consider that the stuff that claims to be carnauba wax has a variety of other substances added to it to promote spreading, shine, etc. You couldn't spread pure carnauba onto the finish as it's too hard. These additives conceivably lower the melting point as they make the subtance spreadable onto the car finish.

Now for real world. Put a small glob of carnauba paste wax in your palm and then rub your palms together very fast. You'll find some minor melting of the wax taking place there - as well as a tremendous mess in your hands.

Now, wash the wax from your hands and go for a drive and use the brakes generously. Then hold your hand NEAR the front wheel (DON'T touch it) and feel the heat generated. Think it's hotter than when you rubbed your hands together? It sure is, and remember that the wax slightly melted from rubbing your hands together.

So that's my justification saying that carnauba won't hold up on wheels.

Have I actually tested it myself other than using the method above? Nope - I don't have a way to do so in a controlled environment. But I'm going on circumstantial evidence, common sense and logic.

If you can prove me wrong, please do so. I enjoy learning, even if it shows that I was wrong about something.

 

which brings up my question...what is the melting temp for NXT TechWax?

 

From the Meguiars Forum:

 

Hey gang,

I've driven a few weeks with NXT wax on the wheels. As kenchan said earlier in the thread, the dust wipes off pretty easily with a dry cloth. Not bad.

I'm now trying the Michelin product - I'll let you know if I notice any difference from the NXT. One thing's for sure: application of the Michelin stuff is very easy... just spray and wipe.

Meguiar's #20 review still pending...

edit: oops... misspelled "Meguiar's"

 

Hi everybody,

I've been playing with the two remaining products in my "test" for a while now. For those that don't want to read the whole thread, I was comparing Meguiar's NXT/Meguiar's #20/Michelin Brake Dust Repellent to see which performed best at making wheels easy to maintain.

Based on my experience, Meguiar's #20 wins over NXT and the Michelin product for keeping wheels clean. The following notes are based on my limited observations, and yours may be different. I just wanted to share them in case anyone was interested.

The Michelin product is easy to apply, but it doesn't reaaly seem to last long. I guess less durability is a good trade for the easy application, but it seemed like the wheels didn't have any kind of treatment after a day or so. In addition, wheels treated with the Michelin stuff actually seemed to ATTRACT dirt. My best guess for this problem is that the Michelin product has no abrasive; since the surface may be slightly "rough", even after cleaning/application, dust can stick to the wheel.

From my observations, #20 collected less dust and lasted pretty well. Since it has a mild abrasive, #20 provided a very smooth surface as well as a fairly durable coat of protection. Obviously it's more of a pain to apply than the Michelin stuff, but #20 lasts longer and brake dust (almost) hoses off.

The protection provided by #20 seems to last a bit longer than NXT -- not by a lot, but still enough to make a difference. Because of the observed durability advantage, #20 wins over NXT.

Hope somebody finds this info helpful. :smile:

 

the guys at wheelwax claim it's a polymer base and won't melt on your wheels. they also said it builds up and works better the more you use it. i've only had it a month, but it seems to be working. best thing to do is get a friend to split an order for 2 jars of it and you'll get free shipping.

 

hummmmmmmmmmm~!!! :smile: #20 ey? will try that next time.

 

I have been on WheelWax for quite sometime, and really like the results, like said above, the real results show after 3 weeks.

 

I'll be using Poorboy's Wheel Sealant in 4-5 weeks when I get my car.

 

Use NuFinish. It cleans as it seals and is not a wax. Also long lasting. Just used it on my 16 5-stars and could not be more pleased.