[drunkrussian]

anyone out there bought aftermarket painted wheels (mine are white) and not taken them off during the Vancouver winter-time?

I know salt gets to wheels, but i think only under certain conditions and I'm not sure Vancouver has that much harsh weather nor that much salt on the road to cause a horror story.

Anyone have any personal experiences to share regarding their wheels + Vancouver salt on roads? Am I safe if i just leave mine on?

[racerman88]

just make sure you rinse off your wheels every day after driving around. That way the salt will not stick and pit your wheels. That happened to a buddy of mine with his grey rims.

[sonick]

Get a set of winter steelies and swap them out NOW before it snows!!!~~1

But real talk, just rinse them off with clean water (or if ur paranoid, a spray of wheel cleaner) each time you take it out in the snow.

[FatalCloud]

as long as your rim doesn't have exposed metal like a lip, then i wouldn't worry about it.

[Volvo-brickster]

just make sure you rinse off your wheels every day after driving around. That way the salt will not stick and pit your wheels. That happened to a buddy of mine with his grey rims.

Get a set of winter steelies and swap them out NOW before it snows!!!~~1

But real talk, just rinse them off with clean water (or if ur paranoid, a spray of wheel cleaner) each time you take it out in the snow.

uh...salt is used when its cold and freezing

if you are hosing off the wheels at a car wash joint thats fine and dandy...do it on your driveway / street and you are asking for trouble

[alex.w *//]

did you paint the white yourself?

[Amuse]

So when do they salt the roads?

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^

when its below 0C i guess

[drunkrussian]

did you paint the white yourself?

nope, aftermarket buddy club white rims, from the factory

[jigga250]

do they even salt the roads in vancouver? I thought they just used sand

[Lowered_Klass]

If you still have your stock wheels, throw them on. It's not worth risking it. Salt isn't your only concern, think of the long stretches of rain we get in the fall/winter. Those nice white rims will look pretty shitty, pretty quick. Unless you stay on top of it, and wash them regardless of the weather.

Can't go wrong with a set of 'beater rims' for the winter. Whether they are stocks, or some other used ones you pick up cheap. Save your nice ones for the nice weather :)

[Lowered_Klass]

do they even salt the roads in vancouver? I thought they just used sand

Yes they do, unless the temperature goes below -7C(??? I know it's somewhere around there), then salt isn't effective. Then they only use sand to help with traction.

[sonick]

uh...salt is used when its cold and freezing

if you are hosing off the wheels at a car wash joint thats fine and dandy...do it on your driveway / street and you are asking for trouble

Good point. I was assuming it would be parked in a garage, but I know the OP and he parks on the street, so I guess hosing it off wouldn't be the best idea.

[drunkrussian]

i can get a bucket of warm water and put it on...not that dangerous to do so where i park

also, what is "pitting"?

[godwin]

Aluminum is an alloy, so a chunk can get eaten away and form a pock mark.

i can get a bucket of warm water and put it on...not that dangerous to do so where i park

also, what is "pitting"?

[drunkrussian]

oic

thanks for the info/advice everyone!

but does anyone else have any personal experiences from here in vancouver???

[thumper]

this is not exactly what your question was asking but ... my friend had a set of rota knockoffs of sw388s (i forget what rota calls them). this was a 2nd set he used for non-summer driving. the gunmetal (grey?) finish went cloudy on them after about 2 winters, and it started to flake and peel around the stone chips he never got around to touching up (couldn't find a matching touch up paint he said). he lives in an apartment with no wash bay so he's not able to wash them every day, and with all the autumn/winter crap that builds up on them and all the cleaning/scrubbing he had to do to them i'm not surprised :(

[thumper]

do they even salt the roads in vancouver? I thought they just used sand

they have these huge bays full of either sand or salt or both at the vancouver works yard right. i think they mix it with the sand they dump into the spreader trucks. how much of a percentage they use i'm not sure...

[illicitstylz]

If your rims are worth anything to you. Just take the extra effort and change them to winter tires/steelies
Posted via RS Mobile

[thumper]

i should mention that my friend bought the cheap rotas because steelies wouldn't fit over his brakes. he ended up going to rainbow and getting them powdercoated instead.

[Wykydtron]

Ever thought about waxing them, or putting on some sort of protective coating to protect them from the elements?

[bossxx]

They use like a liquid. It's not even salt anymore it's some chemical and apparently it eats ur paint away too. Some ppl were complaining to the city last year.

You follow those spreader trucks before a snow storm and if the roads are dry you can see them spreading the liquid on the road.

They should make a product for your wheels that protects against salt buildup causing damage to your wheels. I am sure there are products out there actually, would be surprised if there weren't.

[taylor192]

Do NOT run nice wheels in the winter, this is what happens:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2658/3828773131_44c8569a13.jpg

Salt gets under any chip in the paint (they are wheels, there will be small chips in the paint) and spider webs. On painted wheels you'll probably never notice, since the salt will be under the paint and not visible.

I still wouldn't recommend it for any wheel you care about - take mine as a lesson learned.

[drunkrussian]

taylor192, thanks for the personal experience, was looking for that. Everyone else thanks for the advice, keep it coming.

I just checked canadian tire online and can't seem to find any wax or spray for this. I also would think there would be something. Maybe i'll keep looking...anyone use anything that is meant for this?

[drunkrussian]

spoke to a canadian tire rep and he said as far as he knows, there's nothing out there to protect rim paint from cracking from salt. Of course, this is Canadian Tire and I don't know if specialty shops may carry it?

[taylor192]

taylor192, thanks for the personal experience, was looking for that. Everyone else thanks for the advice, keep it coming.

I just checked canadian tire online and can't seem to find any wax or spray for this. I also would think there would be something. Maybe i'll keep looking...anyone use anything that is meant for this?

The best wax in the world won't stop a new rock chip. Unless you wax everyday, you run the risk of getting a new rock chip and salt inside that new rock chip.

If you care about your wheels don't do it, get winters.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^

wat he said

[drunkrussian]

damn ok, sounds like wax products etc. are out of the question then :-(

thanks for the info!

[TRDood]

whats wrong with buying a set of steelies and some cheap winter tires?

i bet your "high-performance all-seasons" don't work well under zero degree anyways!
be safe to yourself and your buddy club wheels.

hell, i have 3 sets of wheels! (summer, stock, steelies)
i am running on stocks right now until the snow hits. haha

and it's not only the salt that you have to worry about.. its the POTHOLES that really fuck you over.

[maxxxboost]

I agree with most of the comments posted.
If you care enough to start a thread, you'll care enough to buy steelies for winter

It takes more work trying to maintain your wheels in the winter then to just get steelies, moreover, not give a shit if you curb it or if somehow you get into an accident with them.

I have Work polished work wheels that i used for acouple days during the winter and they just don't look the same anymore.

The salt will slowly chip away at your wheels, not worth the headache.

[Drift_Monkey]

you can apply polymer on it, apply wheel tape around the lip ( wheel tape for motorbikes), then tape it up with 1 layer of painters tape ( leaves no tape residue when taken off ), then 2 layers of duct tape to prevent any salt water from going through the tape.

I've never tried this, but it might work if you have the time and patience.

This will probably work, but would you mind the funny looks you get from all the other drivers ? =)

[Shun Izaki]

I just take off my RGII's and run my stock acura wheels... fucking best winter wheels ever, not a spot on it XD

[thumper]

for the question about wheel finish protection/wax/polishes, perhaps ask in the general car care tech forum? they might know something we don't over there.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

whats wrong with buying a set of steelies and some cheap winter tires?

i bet your "high-performance all-seasons" don't work well under zero degree anyways!
be safe to yourself and your buddy club wheels.

hell, i have 3 sets of wheels! (summer, stock, steelies)
i am running on stocks right now until the snow hits. haha

and it's not only the salt that you have to worry about.. its the POTHOLES that really fuck you over.

some ppl dont wonna spend the extra $200-400 buyin steelies

[alex.w *//]

oic

thanks for the info/advice everyone!

but does anyone else have any personal experiences from here in vancouver???

both white wheels painted by duplicolor white paint stayed on fine in the freeze and snow last year

[alex.w *//]

i'll take my wheels off when they start salting the roads. its only a 30min changeover to stock anyways

[thumper]

i'll take my wheels off when they start salting the roads. its only a 30min changeover to stock anyways

damn, how is it you guys do that so fast?!? am i that old? it takes me min. 15 minutes per wheel, that's with no air tools,
floor jack, scrubbing all the rust off the hubs, etc. :cry:

[sonick]

damn, how is it you guys do that so fast?!? am i that old? it takes me min. 15 minutes per wheel, that's with no air tools,
floor jack, scrubbing all the rust off the hubs, etc. :cry:

If they have impact wrenches it's way faster.

[Klutch]

my buddy had chrome rims on this truck, and the chrome started peeling and it looks like shit now

[nns]

my friend had a set of rota knockoffs of sw388s (i forget what rota calls them).

Rota Slipstream.

[taylor192]

my buddy had chrome rims on this truck, and the chrome started peeling and it looks like shit now

That's why I don't recommend it for painted wheels either. When the salt gets under the paint (or chrome) it spiderwebs. This loosens the paint from the wheel and will eventually cause it to flake off.

[thumper]

okay i asked around and someone came back to me with this:

http://www.wheelwax.ca/

anyone used this before?

[drunkrussian]

"Q - I live in the Snow Belt. Will WHEELWAX protect my wheels against road salt and harsh winter road chemicals?

A - Yes, WHEELWAX is designed to help combat these harsh conditions, keep in mind, whenever road salts contact your wheels you should clean them as soon as posible to keep your wheels looking great."

http://customwheelsmarket.com/wheelwax.html

sounds like ud have to apply this stuff after every drive! so same as washing with water?

[drunkrussian]

here's a response i got from a csr:

Thanks for your inquiry about Wheelwax.

WheelWax is a cleaner, polish and protectant. It is a 4 season product.

It will protect your wheels from salt in the winter. Normally, i tell people to put WheelWax on at least once a month.

In the wintertime, I would put it on more frequently, especially if there is salt on the road after a snowstorm.

If you put WheelWax on to protect your wheels, it will not crack your painted wheels.

Thanks
Sy Langer
Ultimate Transportation Products
416-580-7327
www.wheelwax.ca
info@wheelwax.ca

[taylor192]

You've been warned, don't do it.

I picked up a set of used steelies with mounted winters for my car, cost: $500.
Repainting my 19s: $800

You do the math.

[drunkrussian]

lol yeah it doesn't seem convincing enough to go for wheelwax...i don't wanna go out in the freezing cold every few days and put shit on my wheels lol...

[TRDood]

think about it, putting steelies on with winters = $500-$700
and you are actually safe!

bending your wheels and repairing it = $200 each
and you are dodging every pothole possible.

[drunkrussian]

lol decided to buy some 60 dollar new tires (each) on sale...i got steelies. So even better than 500-700

im just disappointed that with the depth of the aftermarket industry, there's no single easy spray u can put on once a season that will protect your rims properly from salt. If there are any scientists here that wanna start a business, let me know lol

[ctsport]

A lot, if not most new cars come with painted rims now so they should be okay for winter use. My stock wheels are painted and they look fine (been through 7 winters). However, like everyone else said, if you have expensive rims (painted or not) you should garage them for winter regardless.

[taylor192]

A lot, if not most new cars come with painted rims now so they should be okay for winter use. My stock wheels are painted and they look fine (been through 7 winters).
"okay" is relative.

Eventually your painted rims will flake, you cannot prevent salt from spider-webbing under the paint. You just cannot see it.

[taylor192]

im just disappointed that with the depth of the aftermarket industry, there's no single easy spray u can put on once a season that will protect your rims properly from salt. If there are any scientists here that wanna start a business, let me know lol
Dude, are you on drugs?

If such a spray existed I'd spray my entire car with it and put Krown out of business.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

^


:haha::haha::haha::haha:


WD-40???

it says on the bottle rust prevention?

:haha::haha::haha:

[sonick]

If I could, I would dip the entire body of my car in Por15.

[drunkrussian]

Dude, are you on drugs?

If such a spray existed I'd spray my entire car with it and put Krown out of business.

hahahahhaa it's a conspiracy...they're not inventing such a substance to keep ppl buying more and more rims and other parts...i blame it on the new skytrain in richmond.

[ctsport]

"okay" is relative.

Eventually your painted rims will flake, you cannot prevent salt from spider-webbing under the paint. You just cannot see it.

Since my car is 7 years old, is a DD and my rims have no visible damage (besides some curbing :D) just proves that salt damage isn't really a big deal (at least for Honda's). If the paint starts flaking in a few years my car will already be 10 years old and be relegated to beater status, actually it already is LOL.

[godwin]

Err no.. wheel is not some fairy sissy material.. it is aluminum alloy.. if it is properly primed and painted, there will be no spider webbing underneath the paint. If you have these problems, either your finisher sucks or they have some real bad QA.

If you polish your wheels yourself make sure you take it to a shop to clearcoat... not just wax etc.

We live in a wet climate, there will be electrolytic reaction with our wheels no matter what, however if your wheels are stock finished from factory, you shouldn't have to worry. Most problems happens when people decide to chrome etc etc aftermarket, and the problem is some shop cut corners to make a profit.

"okay" is relative.

Eventually your painted rims will flake, you cannot prevent salt from spider-webbing under the paint. You just cannot see it.

[thumper]

If you polish your wheels yourself make sure you take it to a shop to clearcoat... not just wax etc.


can someone confirm this statement? the last time i was at panther many years back, so i'm wondering if things have changed... when i asked about this, they advised me not to clearcoat over polished aluminum because the clearcoat will lift over time because they cannot even lightly scuff up the surface for the finish to adhere to. my only option was to do a diamond cut finish and then clear over it.

what about clear anodizing?

[drunkrussian]

Err no.. wheel is not some fairy sissy material.. it is aluminum alloy.. if it is properly primed and painted, there will be no spider webbing underneath the paint. If you have these problems, either your finisher sucks or they have some real bad QA.

If you polish your wheels yourself make sure you take it to a shop to clearcoat... not just wax etc.

We live in a wet climate, there will be electrolytic reaction with our wheels no matter what, however if your wheels are stock finished from factory, you shouldn't have to worry. Most problems happens when people decide to chrome etc etc aftermarket, and the problem is some shop cut corners to make a profit.

this thread is not about factory wheels + salt like what you're talking about, but aftermarket wheels + salt (in my case, painted; in some others' cases, chrome).

I tend to agree that factory wheels that are alloy tend to be safe in winter-time, but are you also saying with aftermarket painted wheels, salt is not a problem too?

also, any integra type r owners that have the factory white wheels here? Wondering how these wheels last in the winter, because thse are stock so I'm assuming type r owners don't change them in the winter.

[taylor192]

Err no.. wheel is not some fairy sissy material.. it is aluminum alloy.. if it is properly primed and painted, there will be no spider webbing underneath the paint. If you have these problems, either your finisher sucks or they have some real bad QA.

If you polish your wheels yourself make sure you take it to a shop to clearcoat... not just wax etc.

We live in a wet climate, there will be electrolytic reaction with our wheels no matter what, however if your wheels are stock finished from factory, you shouldn't have to worry. Most problems happens when people decide to chrome etc etc aftermarket, and the problem is some shop cut corners to make a profit.
The highlighted comment proves all your other comments invalid.

Polished wheels should never be clear-coated. As said above, the clear coat has nothing to adhere to and eventually flakes. Any little chip in the clear dulls the polished surface before and is difficult at best to polish out and touch-up.

All cars painted from the factory should never rust, since all parts are painted and no metal is exposed - factory paint shouldn't have any imperfections allowing moisture/air underneath to rust :rolleyes: according to your comments.

We all know that's not true, cars eventually rust, wheels get damaged from salt.

[taylor192]

can someone confirm this statement? the last time i was at panther many years back, so i'm wondering if things have changed... when i asked about this, they advised me not to clearcoat over polished aluminum because the clearcoat will lift over time because they cannot even lightly scuff up the surface for the finish to adhere to. my only option was to do a diamond cut finish and then clear over it.

what about clear anodizing?
I'll confirm its wrong. Don't clear coat unless you don't plan on keeping the rims long, it will chip, dull the polish, and eventually flake.

I looked into anodizing and it was an expensive alternative, will still chip, and cannot be repaired easily.

[thumper]

this thread is not about factory wheels + salt like what you're talking about, but aftermarket wheels + salt (in my case, painted; in some others' cases, chrome).

I tend to agree that factory wheels that are alloy tend to be safe in winter-time, but are you also saying with aftermarket painted wheels, salt is not a problem too?

also, any integra type r owners that have the factory white wheels here? Wondering how these wheels last in the winter, because thse are stock so I'm assuming type r owners don't change them in the winter.

i used mine for snow tires. i had them for 3 winters and they were a bit dull, mostly because i had to use agressive cleaners to get the cooked on brake dust off of them... finally i had them powdercoated gunmetal and never cleaned them again :lol

[godwin]

Car rust/oxidation these days (especially since you have the latest AMG car, as per "your mom damaged your wheel thread") have to start with kinetic damage to the surface in the first place, then electrolytic reaction. Primers are applied to bare metal (it absorbs oxygen and moisture like crazy, that's why people shouldn't just drive cars with primers on), paint adheres to primer. the thickness of the paint provides material for people to buff/ shines. If you have all these layers, no oxygen will get to the metal to cause rust.

For spider patterns and flaking to appear there have to be failure of adhesion of the paint, where O2 can get in underneath the paint. If you talk to any bodyshop person, they will tell you it is a problem with the application or selection of the right material to use. Honestly QA for aftermarket application of paint is not the greatest, that's where you see most of the problems. eg a bit of hand oil can ruin adhesion. You can't tell when the wheel is done, but the problem is always down the road. Not to mention we don't have a proper chromer in lowermainland for a very long time, so you throw in shipment and handling in the mix, it is never good.

As for OP, if you powdercoat your wheels, the paint is very thick and tough, since it require high temp to bake. It will protect your wheels in the winter, provided that you blasted the original surface with a media cleaner eg silicon oxide and have powdercoat applied properly.

To polish aluminum alloy, you are removing the oxidation layer to make it shiny, or your wheels are magical too? It will make it more reactive to electrolytic reaction. Since alloys are never a even matrix, that's why it pits and salt. It is a choice, between you want shiny you risk damage and eventual oxidation, or you clearcoat it for more dull appearance but longevity.




All cars painted from the factory should never rust, since all parts are painted and no metal is exposed - factory paint shouldn't have any imperfections allowing moisture/air underneath to rust :rolleyes: according to your comments.

We all know that's not true, cars eventually rust, wheels get damaged from salt.

[taylor192]

Car rust/oxidation these days (especially since you have the latest AMG car, as per "your mom damaged your wheel thread") have to start with kinetic damage to the surface in the first place, then electrolytic reaction. Primers are applied to bare metal (it absorbs oxygen and moisture like crazy, that's why people shouldn't just drive cars with primers on), paint adheres to primer. the thickness of the paint provides material for people to buff/ shines. If you have all these layers, no oxygen will get to the metal to cause rust.
I'm going to fail you again, especially since I'm an east coast person and all cars have some form of rust on them.

Many cars are not only primered and painted, they are also acid dipped to galvanize the metal against rusting - and yet cars still rust. Why? Cause paint chips and eventually bare metal is exposed.

Duh.

[godwin]

Err you still need a kinetic source to cause the chip in the first place. There is no galvanizing in your precious "mother have to pay" polished wheels!

Not to mention you need a difference is metal to cause electrolytic reaction.

In your theory, cars like Delorean (stainless) will rust?

With modern cars with HSS and UHSS, most car manufacturers actually switch to polymers as base protective coat instead of galvanization because it is tougher (better adhesion) and more environmental friendly.

I'm going to fail you again, especially since I'm an east coast person and all cars have some form of rust on them.

Many cars are not only primered and painted, they are also acid dipped to galvanize the metal against rusting - and yet cars still rust. Why? Cause paint chips and eventually bare metal is exposed.

Duh.

[taylor192]

Err you still need a kinetic source to cause the chip in the first place.
Hmmm cars drive on roads, roads have rocks on them, ... are you really this ignorant?

There is no galvanizing in your precious polished wheels!
Aluminum alloy wheels don't rust.

[godwin]

No they don't rust, but they oxidize.. are you that ignorant on science?


Aluminum alloy wheels don't rust.

[godwin]

The basic point I am making is read your specs.

All finishing no matter it is car paint, aircraft paint or even gear finishing. The manufacturer has a specification list of the finishing.

It lists for the the coating what is the recommended thickness to be applied. With the recommended spec,s they also lists the impact resistance, flexibility (brittleness), chip resistance and salt spray test. You want winter proof, pick the paint / specifications does the job. Most shops who would do your shop should be able to tell you.

eg I just prototyped a inconel header for my M70 project, I went to Zirotec http://www.zircotec.com/page/motorsport/13 and they provide me with the material specs of the finishing. With that I can estimate the cooling / distance to parts which might be susceptible to heat.

The problem occurs is a shop would only carry one type of finishing or paint brand and try to see the finishing as master of all trades.. but in reality it is not.

You keep stressing about spiderwebbing, also guess what? It can also cause by the flexing of the wheels, especially when you are using low profile tires. Again adhesion and finishing matters.

Hmmm cars drive on roads, roads have rocks on them, ... are you really this ignorant?

[drunkrussian]

u fools are just failing each other over and over again lol!

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

actually they ran out of fail


5 fail per day i believe

:haha: