Wheel damage

[saad]

Hey guys

Looking for some advice here.

The other day I was washing my car as usual, and I use Poorboys wheel cleaner, which is a GREAT product. After washing, I noticed some white spots on the wheel:

I was able to get the white spots of using metal polish cotton balls, same stuff I use to clean my exhaust.

From what I can tell, it seems the clear coat somehow peeled, and since the wheel cleaner is not designed for polished metal surfaces, it oxidised.

Although the spots have gone, it means that I can no longer use the poorboys due to risk of further oxidation. Furthermore, this only happened to one wheel, which indicates to me there was something wrong with the application of clearcoat, since I wash all my wheels the same way.

There is a definite difference where the clearcoat has peeled:

I wrote to the wheel shop, who forwarded the pictures to the factory:


The pictures below indicate that the wheel has been damaged by some sort off chemical eg, degreesor , wheel cleaner , heavy industrial cleaner.

I understand that it is only one wheel and the moment but the cleaner may have been on that wheel for a longer time,

I have show these pictures to our supplier and they agree,

in order to make sure that the other wheels don’t have this problem please be sure to use only warm soap and water and wash soap off Asap with fresh water,

in saying all the above I have spoken to management and they have told me that I can offer you a new wheel at a discounted price off $250 inc freight

please let me know if you would like to get the organized,

if you have any further questions please feel free to contact us on the below details


Any ideas on what I can do?

Cheers

Saad

 

[bj240z]

The only question I'd have is, were there any "Care Instructions" that came with the wheels when purchased, or are they on the retailers/manufacturers site? If not, then I would think you have a case, else...getting a shop to clear coat them would be a cheaper exercise then spending $250 for a new wheel.

 

[saad]

Nope, no care instructions at all. And I wasn't told either. Plus poorboys is a very reputable brand

 

[Cdn 1]

Thats a tough one, could be " delamination" of clearcoat which is a fault caused by poor prep or product in manufacturer process and impossible to prove. I had ford that was repainted under warranty due to this. It can be a matter of how many people make a claim and pattern arises........on other hand it could be caused by caustic substance picked up off the road.:iono:

 

[Jester_Fu]

Caustic from the road... or wheel cleaner:

"Spray & Rinse is a professional grade acidic blended product for the quick and easy removal of brake dust and road grime from most wheels. Just spray it on a cool, wet wheel, let it set for a few minutes and then use a steady hard steam of water to remove. No bending, NO scrubbing, No brushing required.

This product can be used on clearcoated, painted, chrome, and even plastic hub caps, but should NOT be used on uncoated wheels without dilution and spot testing, or hot wheels. For maintenance of wheels, Spray & Rinse can be diluted up to 50% or 1:1 for quick and easy clean up of sealed and well cared for wheels. Use of protective clothing, gloves and goggles is advisable."

Why would you use an acid on your wheels every wash? Soap and water should be enough to remove normal use grime with a wheel clean a couple of times a year. Ever seen what bat vomit does to even powdercoated surfaces? It strips them bare... because it's acid. Interesting that other brands of wheel cleaner i've used recommend you rinse and then re-wash using a microfiber cloth.

To me, this looks like a build up of the acid around the center part of the wheel that never drains properly... and its' eaten the clear.

 

[DRMAT]

There's acid and then there's acid. Not sure what the Poorboys formula is but the Final Inspection Power Wheel Cleaner uses oxalic acid and is totally safe for use on all wheels and will not damage them even when left to dry.

Saad: Would this wheel happen to be the one you spray first every time you wash the car? Ie. you spray that one then move around and spray all the others? Could be that that one is still hot at that time or just that it sits on that wheel longer. You should also always make sure it has a very thorough rinse and preferably a wash of the wheel after using wheel cleaner as well but i'm sure you're going that anyway.

Jester: There is no problem with using good quality wheel cleaner every time. Straight wash and water will not clean off much more than very light brake dust and grime, doesn't break down oil and grease from the road and you can't get into everywhere either. I always find that the FI PWC makes the wheels easier to clean for a few weeks as well if i'm just high pressure hosing them off.

 

[saad]

Saad: Would this wheel happen to be the one you spray first every time you wash the car? Ie. you spray that one then move around and spray all the others? Could be that that one is still hot at that time or just that it sits on that wheel longer. You should also always make sure it has a very thorough rinse and preferably a wash of the wheel after using wheel cleaner as well but i'm sure you're going that anyway.

The starting wheel varies, I never start with the sam one. And I wash the car first fully, then use wheel cleaner, so the wheels are cool. However the day that this happened, the car had not been driven. And I make sure the spray stays on all the wheels for more or less the same amount of time.

Regardless, wheel cleaner should no strip clear coat, if it has been properly applies. If it has, then its a case to take up with the wheel cleaner brand.

 

[tinto]

sorry to see this, saad.
I bought a wooly mitt for my wheels as no cleaner I tried ever got them properly clean, so now it's just elbow grease (and not much of that).

Brushes flick the crap back on to you, and based on my limited experience I think most no-touch wheel cleaners are snake oil if you don't have a pressure cleaner to finish the job.
Sometimes simpler is better (and cheaper).

 

[DRMAT]

Saad: Sounds like you're doing everythign right then mate, only leave the wheel itself.

 

[G-rig]

Sorry to see saad,

I've used that poorboys and it's very strong stuff - you really can't leave it on longer than a minute or so.. Is that what you were using on the callipers that made them fade too?

Then again could be the clear coat quality of the reps?

 

[Paul_OH]

I'd be leaning towards the quality of the clearcoat rather than the strength of the cleaner, I can understand stronger acid based cleaners damaging alloy but not the clear coat unless it was porous or had poor coverage to begin with.

If you want to gather a case together send a message to PB with pics and they will of course revert back opposite what the wheel seller will say and maybe also get your local panel shop to take a look and provide you with a written to quote to rectify it.
I doubt that the seller will give you a new wheel but if it costs say $50 to re-clearcoat them then maybe they'll reimburse you.

On a different not, I found that since sealing my wheels (started off using Autoglym Wheel Seal, then OCW, then Swissvax Autobahn and now using Nanolex) I find that a body shampoo/water mix in a spray bottle and agitated using a brush does wonders with hardly a need for Wheel cleaner.
When stubborn dirt remains I use the Final Inspection PWC however have just got some P21s Wheel Gel to trial too.

If you're signed up with Detail Addiction try getting some advice there also.

Good luck getting it sorted.

 

[saad]

Thanks guys. Still waiting on the wheel shop to get back to me again.

The wheels had autoglym wheel sealant on them.

Poorboys didnt make the calipers fade, that was Autoglym, but the rear calipers are perfect. I suspect the calipers fading wee more due to brake dust and hard braking rather than wheel cleaner.

My concern with re-clear coating will be that the old clear coat will need to be stripped too, which could strip the paint on the inside.

I always use a pressure washer with the wheel cleaner, and find it gets the wheel perfect.

 

[G-rig]

I tend to agree prob not the cleaner as i used it on various wheels including the stock ones with no issues. May be a good idea to dilute it anyway as it will last twice as long.

 

[saad]

I just washed my car again, and used wheel cleaner on my other wheels, 100% no damage. So its def not the cleaner

 

[G-rig]

Maybe send them a pic and say WTF ?