Made in Germany
1. Background information
2. Cleaning the rims
2.1 Why regular cleaning is important?
2.2 How to remove dirt perfectly?
2.3 Danger with acidic cleaners
2.4 Choosing the right product
3. Rim protection and sealing
3.1 Protecting rims from corrosion
3.1.1 Highly polished rims
3.1.2 Coated aluminium or steel rims
3.1.3 How are rims protected from corrosion?
3.2 How to properly seal rims
3.2.1 How a rim protector works
3.2.2 Choosing the right product
4. Polishing rims to a high shine
4.1 Why polish rims?
4.2 How to polish rims properly
5. Tyres also need to be looked after
5.1 Why care for tyres?
5.2 How to care for tyres properly?
6. Tips and tricks for rim and tyre care
Rims are subjected to high loads every day. Your car’s brake pads have to brake rotating brake discs at temperatures of up to 800°C. This creates stubborn brake abrasion that severely damages the rim surfaces. In addition, weather influences such as salt, moisture and stone chips provide constant attacks on the rims. Without regular, proper care, damage will occur to the rim surface.
Unfortunately, rims that have been looked after too little or not at all over the years cannot be brought back into shape quickly. Proper and regular care not only preserves the visual impression, but of course also the value of a rim.
Rims are exposed to constant soiling (see also 1. Background info). Hot brake abrasion has the most extreme effects. In combination with road dirt, it leaves behind stubborn, difficult-to-remove grey-black deposits, especially on the front wheels. If they are not removed over a long period of time, the brake abrasion literally “eats” into the – usually painted – surface. This creates fine holes in which the metals contained in the brake dust settle and, together with moisture, lead to contact corrosion. This infiltrates the protective paint and permanently damages the rims.
Such attack is particularly extreme in winter. Constant contact with road salt and moisture is a permanent attack on your rims.
Typical rim dirt is a mixture of brake pad abrasion and road dust. It contains various components such as metals, fillers such as aluminium oxide, lubricants such as graphite, organic substances such as resins and much more.
Commercially available household cleaners or car shampoos do not remove this type of dirt. In order to be able to completely remove all components of the rim dirt, special, high-quality rim cleaners such as P21S HIGH END Wheel Cleaner or P21S Wheel Cleaner POWER GEL are required.
High-quality rim cleaners are characterised by excellent cleaning performance, and at the same time are absolutely compatible with the rim material and all materials in the immediate vicinity of the rims. This means that the rims are not additionally attacked. In the case of the rims alone, this means that a cleaning agent must not attack painted, anodised or even unprotected rims in any way. This is the only way to ensure effective and, above all, safe rim cleaning for people and materials.
Simply structured cleaning agents only achieve their cleaning results by using aggressive, i.e. acidic or strongly alkaline ingredients. These substances inevitably lead to attack on paintwork, stains on metal parts and additionally affect health. It becomes particularly critical when such cleaners come into contact with safety-relevant parts, such as brake discs, brake hoses, wheel bolts, etc. If the cleaner attacks such parts, a considerable safety risk arises.
For light to normal soiling, Dr. Wack recommends P21S Wheel Cleaner POWER GEL.
In the case of stubborn dirt, P21S HIGH END Wheel cleaner is the best solution.
The most powerful P21S of all time – from Dr. Wack High Precision Research. The innovative ‘Cleaning Intelligence’ technology activates precisely coordinated mechanisms of action that generate a TOP CLASS cleaning performance. This ensures that the new
P21S HIGH END Wheel cleaner remains uncompromisingly STRONG even against the most stubborn brake dust and at cool temperatures. At the same time, it achieves top performance in material protection thanks to highly unique corrosion inhibitors.
P21S HIGH END Wheel cleaner – the new benchmark for maximum cleaning performance with maximum MATERIAL PROTECTION.
For the lasting value retention of your rims, not only regular cleaning is beneficial, but also effective protection. Especially sensitive surfaces such as bright, highly polished aluminium rims need continuous care and protection.
3.1.1 Highly polished rims
For visual reasons in particular, many rims are made entirely or partly of uncoated, highly polished aluminium. Aluminium is beautiful but also very sensitive. Without an effective protective coating, it quickly becomes unsightly and dull. Even simple contact with tap water can cause aluminium to show clear stains and traces of corrosion. While a lack of protection can completely destroy the visual impression of a rim, regular care and protection ensure a perfect appearance in the long run.
3.1.2 Coated aluminium or steel rims
The most common protective coatings for rims are paint, anodising or chrome. In order to protect the rims optimally, this coating must not be damaged. If this does happen, e.g. when the car is jostled against the kerb or hit by stones, the way is clear for corrosion to attack. The metal (aluminium or steel) corrodes at the damaged points and the adjacent protective layer is gradually infiltrated and detached. In the case of aluminium rims, these traces of corrosion can be recognised by unsightly white spots, in the case of steel rims by the typical brown rust spots. With consistent protection of the rims against corrosion, this can be reduced or even avoided.
3.1.3 How are rims protected from corrosion?
To prevent damage from corrosion, effective corrosion protection is the ideal solution. There are great differences in the quality of the products here. We recommend S100 Corrosion-Protectant.
In contrast to conventional corrosion sprays, S100 Corrosion-Protectant forms a so-called “self-healing protective film”. In contrast to hard, immobile layers, it remains permanently mobile and flexible. In case of damage, it can close again independently. This ensures effective and safe corrosion protection even in the case of mechanical stresses such as stone chipping.
3.2.1 How a rim protector works
The task of a rim sealant is to minimise dirt adhesion on the rim surface. An evenly applied protective film keeps the rims visibly clean for longer. Stubborn brake dust is prevented from sticking and the risk of hot brake abrasion burning in is minimised.
3.2.2 Choosing the right product
. Its transparent, heat-resistant protective film does not form a dirt-attracting layer even on strongly heated rims. In addition, it is very easy to apply, makes water run off strongly, ensures an optimal shine and an intensive colour refreshment. Rims that have been treated with stay clean longer and are easier to clean. Classic paint care products are not suitable for building up effective protection. The waxes contained here are not heat-resistant. They soften or become liquid. A perfect base on which brake abrasion and road dust can adhere wonderfully. These contaminants are very difficult to remove during subsequent cleaning.Over time, rims lose their shine due to the weather, road salt, dirt, stone chips and UV exposure. For older rims that already show visible signs of use, rim cleaning is no longer sufficient for optimal care.
Especially on rims that have not been maintained for a long period of time, there is burnt-in brake abrasion that cannot be removed even with a good rim cleaner. A rim polish gets to grips with these deposits and can also effectively remove traces of corrosion.
A polish for rims must be adapted to both painted rims and the surface of bare aluminium rims or chrome rims. You won’t get far here with a paint polish. We recommend
. It effortlessly removes blind spots, traces of corrosion and burnt-in brake abrasion from the rim. At the same time, the original shine is restored and the surface is additionally sealed.Tip: If the protective layer of the rim (paint, anodising or chrome) is damaged, it should be repaired as soon as possible, e.g. with a touch-up pencil. Regular treatment with S100 Corrosion-Protectant prevents the damaged areas from growing larger quickly (see also 3.1 Protecting the rims from corrosion).
Tyre care products maintain the suppleness of tyre rubber and restore faded tyres to their typical deep black. With regular use, tyres are protected from ageing, embrittlement and fading.
Optimal care for tyres is provided by P21S Tyre Shine. It visibly refreshes the colour and gives the tyre back its rich shine in addition to a powerful deep black. At the same time, the tyre rubber remains elastic and is thus protected against signs of ageing and brittleness.