Tire Rims ... Care And Maintenance

How To Maintain the Original Beauty Of Your New Tire Rims

Once your new tire rims are installed, they look fabulous,  but if they aren't taken care of they can easily lose their beauty.

Here are a few pointers on how to maintain the beauty of your new tire rims.

When You First Get Them

Apply a coat of good quality car wax to help protect your new rims and make them easier to clean. Then re-wax them every now and then to maintain the protection and shine.

Give your tire rims the same care as the rest of your vehicle.

Avoid the use of abrasive cleansers, steel wool pads or polishing compounds.

Beware Automatic Car Washes

Just about every car wash uses stiff brushes to scrub wheels and tires which could harm your tire rims finish. Ask the employees or manager of the car wash if this can be turned off during your wash.

Don't Use Steam

Hot steam can dull or damage painted and clear-coat wheel finish on your tire rims.

Don’t clean hot rims; wait until they cool. Water dries much faster at higher temperatures. Thus, cleaning tire rims while they are hot may cause your mild soap solution to dry too quickly leaving spots or a film of soap on your wheels.

Clean Your Tires And Rims First

Tires and rims tend to be the dirtiest parts of your vehicle. So you will want to initially rinse away all loose dirt and then wash with soap and warm water.

By cleaning your tire and rims first, you won’t expose your washed car to the over spray as you rinse them.

Cleaning one tire rim at a time ensures that the soap doesn’t dry on one wheel while you’re cleaning another. Be sure to use a different sponge for your car’s body to prevent scratching the paint from particles that could collect while cleaning your wheels.

Clean Your Rims Regularly

Remember, they’re usually the dirtiest part of your vehicle because they're constantly exposed to the elements like brake dust, road tar, salt, stones and mud.

Your new tire rims are a valuable investment and you should protect them. Clean and care for them as you would the rest of your car.

I hope you've found this information of value for taking care of your new tire rims.

Care Questions And Answers

Q: How should I maintain my polished and chrome wheels? 
A: Washing your wheels with mild soap and water on a weekly basis will help to maintain them. Wash wheels when they are cool to prevent spotting. You will also want to periodically polish the wheels with a non-abrasive, aluminum polish (some recommendations: Eagle One, Mothers, Meguiar's). Absolutely no ammonia-based or acid cleaning solutions on the wheels (or the tires for that matter). Helpful hint from Ron in the Sales Dept: A light coat of car wax on the wheels diminishes the amount of surface contaminants adhering to the wheel.

Q: How often do I need to polish my wheels? 
A: We recommend regular maintenance. If you allow the wheels to dull too far, it will require extra work to get them back to their original luster. Polishing frequency depends on: 1. Wheel finish: Polished wheels require more polishing - hence the name! Chrome wheels require very little polishing if you regularly wash them. 
2. Weather conditions. 
3. How often you wash the wheels with soap and water. 
4. How you use the vehicle. 
5. Proximity to the ocean. 

Q: What precautions should I take at the car wash? 
A: Verify that they will not be using any chemicals, including ammonia-based or acid cleaning solutions, on the wheels (or the tires for that matter). 

Q: Can I run my wheels in the snow? 
A: We strongly recommend against running the wheels where road salt is used. The salt will surface pit the wheels. If you have to run the wheels under such conditions, immediately wash them down. If the wheels pit due to negligence, there is no warranty.

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They've got great prices, top brand names and reputation for fabulous customer service.