Seems to be a lot of discussion on some other car forums regarding an Armorall product called, "ArmorAll Wheel Protectant".

This product is applied to chrome, polished aluminum, or painted wheels after thoroughly cleaning and drying. It is said to repel brake dust.

A high post count of vehicle owners who have tried it, is in favor of it being quite successful.

I purchased it at Wal Mart for around $7.00 a can and after a VERY good cleaning and drying applied it to my painted wheels and barrels. I was not impressed with the results after allowing the wheels to dry for about an hour or so....seemed to have a slight dulling effect. I re installed the wheels (I had removed them for a rotation) and the car sat for about 2 days.

After driving the car for a couple hundred miles, over about a 2 weeks period, I washed the car with water only. I was impressed with the way the water and dirt just rolled off. Seems to be a moderately good product.

Note: Most of the success from the car owners who recommend the product is centered on the cleaning and drying issue. Along with allow the product to dry completely. Most stated you should not use any soap when cleaning the wheels after the application of product, or it will need to be reapplied.

My experience; a little expensive (a can will do maybe 6-8 wheels) if you drive through snow and mud alot and wash your wheels with soap. I probably will continue to use it on just the barrels of the wheels, since the rest of the wheel is easy to clean and accumulates little of the brake dust.

Your results may be different

Disclaimer.....I generally, do not like Armorall products. This is not a bad product. I do not own or work for the company and have no financial interest in the use or sale of the product.

 

Might be worth like you said putting on the inside of the wheels where you can see, but not really reach...

 

I have never used so called "Wheel Cleaners" because I usually have polished and/or chrome wheels. I have seen people rely on this to clean the brake dust/debris from their wheels and I have seen alot of dulling of chrome/ polished alloy wheels from this over a short amount of time. I feel the best practice for my SS polished wheels is a good deal of wax. When I had 20's on my Ranger, I would religiously polish them by hand every couple of days with premium chrome polish. I guess that helps with chrome wheels because I only lost $200 for what I paid for them when I sold them after 2 years of summer abuse. I try to apply a good deal of wax on the SS's wheels every two weeks and not clean them with soap ,when I wash the HHR, between polishing weeks. It really helps with the brake dust issue. A simple wipe down is all that is needed every two days or so. I am excited to see a cleaner that could work for me. Not to bash your experience with this product but I would like to to hear from others before I try this. I have seen too many wheels be destroyed by other products so called "wheel cleaners" to even try this. Sorry for the long reply!


Dave

 

OOOOOOOHHHH!!!!!


Baller!



I mistrust most wheel cleaners as the 'spray on-wipe off' variety need harsh chemicals to do the work.


Polished wheels, uncoated- I use Wenol.

Coated- wax (NOT cleaner wax)

Chrome- Wenol.


Of course, lately I haven't had time to worry about polishing anything.

 

SilverIceSS......

I think you misunderstand.

This IS NOT a wheel cleaner. It is a wheel coating, if you will, that SEEMS to repel brake dust.

Now, I DO NOT USE waxes on any of my vehicles. They do not hold up under the Arizona sun, so one would need to clean and reapply frequently to have any lengthly success. I use polishes and sealants of the "poly" type, which is on the wheels. So, as I said, I simply cleaned them with 409 soap, dried them well and applied the product (I do not believe in the "folklore" around Dawn dish washing soap).

But, I have no stake in your use. So I care not if you use it or not. I was just passing info along.

 

I tried the Mothers spray on wheels and tires it is TERRIBLE left a film on my black plack powered coated wheels really a mess.

 

They synthetic sealants are a better way to go on the wheels than a wax...

 

I tried it an it sucks.. It left a white film on my chrome rims

 

I simply wax my wheels with the same wax as the body. Works great!

 

According to the manufacturer and others who have had successful results, you put it on to thick. That was what I did originally when I mentioned that it made my wheels cloudy.

However, I'm not sure how long the product lasts. Some say if you use a strong stream of water (even without soap), another application is necessary. At that rate it's an expensive product.