The content of the article:
- Why do you need to care for wheel rims
- Care of stamped products
- How to care for alloy wheels
- How to wash chrome wheels
- Risk zone
- Storage
Wheels can be called the face of the car. And, indeed, when we pay attention to passing cars, our subconscious gaze first of all falls on the disks.
Why do you need to care for wheel rims
I must say that rims are subject to corrosion in the same way as any other metal product, but the strength of the rims affected by corrosion is practically not affected.
All that remains is their appearance, the aesthetics of which must be maintained in order not to spoil the overall exterior of the car - it is very unpleasant to contemplate unkempt, rusty rims on wheels. Therefore, the care of rims is not aimed at preserving the rims themselves, but at preserving their coverage, which is important.
Care of stamped products
Steel stamped discs are coated at the factory with either powder enamel or two-component paints. Provided that the technological rules for painting are strictly observed, such a coating protects discs from external factors for a long time.
It should be noted that in case of shallow damage, the risk of corrosion is reduced to zero, because micropores do not appear in such a coating as a result of solvent evaporation.
And corrosion occurs only in those places where the coating is damaged quite deeply. Most often, such damage occurs during tire fitting along the edges of the rim, as well as as a result of running-in new discs while the car is moving.
Since stamped discs are made of mild steel, they rust quite quickly. In addition, due to the porosity of rust, moisture sneaks under the coating and corrodes adjacent areas.
Thus, corrosion can spread over the entire surface of the disc. To prevent this from happening, you must take the following measures:
- the damaged area must be cleaned to metal;
- cover the cleaned area with phosphating primer;
- paint the disc with the appropriate paint.
Corrosion prevention of stamped discs
It is easier to prevent any trouble than to deal with it. As a preventive measure, rims must be washed very thoroughly, especially in winter: an infernal mixture of dirt and deicing agents can cause significant damage to the protective coating of the rims, penetrating even the smallest chips.
How to care for alloy wheels
As you know, alloy wheels are made from various kinds of aluminum alloys. Such alloys, as a rule, are not subject to harsh chemical influences: in case of external damage, an oxide film instantly forms on the surface, which protects the alloy from destructive reactions.
Therefore, if you live in a sufficiently dry climate, it will be quite enough for you to perform a light touch-up of chips on the surface of the disc. From time to time, it is useful to process the paintwork of the discs with polish.
A humid climate will dictate completely different conditions for caring for alloy wheels. At high humidity, aluminum, even with small scratches, very "willingly" enters into chemical reactions with the environment.
No wonder there is such an expression as "aluminum plague". This attack is a loose white layer on the surface of the disc. Acting on the paint, this layer lifts it, tears it off the surface and almost completely exposes the wheel rim.
It is for this reason that in specialized stores you can see a large number of reagents that are produced specifically for the care of alloy wheels. Let's take a look at some of them:
Preservatives
They are used to form a fairly strong film on the disk surface, which very reliably resists moisture penetration. Are preservatives usually used for long-term storage of the car in the garage, especially in the cold season? to prevent aluminum from gradually oxidizing. Such preparations are very well suited for polished discs: they are covered with too thin a layer of varnish, which, moreover, has too little adhesion to a smooth surface.
Cleaners
These reagents are good because, while washing away the dirt, they simultaneously fill microcracks on the surface of the paintwork. As a rule, these funds are used as a prophylaxis.
Polishes (soft or abrasive)
You will need these funds to eliminate minor scratches on the paintwork, as well as to make the paint water-repellent. They are also used for prophylaxis.
In addition to painted light-alloy wheels, you can see on sale wheels that have an anodic or galvanic coating. Conventional chemicals hardly work to protect them.
Therefore, for such discs, it is appropriate to use special preparations intended for chrome discs. These products are usually used for preservation before long-term storage.
During operation, such discs must be regularly and thoroughly washed, because it is impossible to create a protective film on their surface that would be durable and at the same time invisible.
How to wash chrome wheels
If you are going to wash the rims, try not to use too high a pressure of water for this. A foam cleaner will be much more effective. And too strong a pressure of water can open the coating in places of small delamination and thereby cause significant harm.
Water that gets under the paint will aggravate further delamination, and if the painted discs can be repaired by cleaning and painting, then it is impossible to reanimate the galvanic coating at home.
Risk zone
The most vulnerable spot like the cast? and for stamped rims - this is the rim line. It is this place that gets the most mechanical impacts both while driving and in the process of tire fitting.
Therefore, damage in these places, which has reached the metal itself, must be repaired with high-strength polymer enamel. And if these are chrome wheels, then it is better to paint them in a contrasting color, which will visually hide external damage.
Storing discs
You can store rims both in a “stack” and on a “thigh”, but regardless of this, it is necessary to implement reliable protection, which excludes contacts between the rims.
To do this, it is enough to use bags made of dense polyethylene. At the same time, you should not seal the discs tightly: ventilation is necessary, otherwise air stagnation in combination with condensate can be detrimental to both discs and rubber.
Before packing, the discs must be washed, dried thoroughly and treated with a preservative. At the same time, do not forget to spray a preservative spray on the rubber.
By following our simple recommendations, you will be able to maintain a favorable appearance of rims for a long time, which will look just brilliant.
