How to make your chrome wheels look amazing

[Pcfithian]

Get some 00 steel wool, spray detail wax (I like Turtle Wax ICE), and a microfiber cloth.

 

Spritz a few squirts of the detail wax onto 1/2 of a 00 steel wool pad.

 

Go over the entire wheel lightly with the steel wool and detail wax.

 

Wipe off with the microfiber towel. No more than 5 minutes per wheel should be necessary.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Pcfithian

[richy]

Be VERY careful with that on the plastic chrome as it scratches more easily than regular chrome. Collinite metal wax does a great job of cleaning and protecting them and is gentle.

[JOEHIO]

I've used Meguires wax with a cleaner in it, does a really nice job of removing contaminants, and protecting them too. Listen to Richy, he knows what he's talking about.

Edited April 26, 2014 by JOEHIO

[good2Bking]

I couldn't find Collinite, so I went ahead and tried the TW Ice spray wax with a houselold (plastic) scouring pad and plastic bristle scrub brush on my 20" CC wheels. Not perfect results, but acceptable. They look good again.

[Kitulu]

I use Eagle chrome polish, which is a cloth-like substance that you tear off a wad out of the can. It works wonders on chrome, and also works pretty well to remove stuck-on crap from paint.

[bubbadewsky]

Do not touch chrome plastic with 00 steel wool unless you want thousands of very fine scratches.

[good2Bking]

Yeah, I heeded Richy's warning not to use steel wool (no matter how fine) on the plastic chrome-clad wheels; that's why I went with a plastic scouring pad and scrub brush with the Turtle Wax ICE spray wax that Pcfithian recommended.

 

Hate the chrome clad covers though. You'd think that for a $600 wheel Ford would've just finished the aluminum surface under the plastic cover and spared us the root cause of all the hassle. The dealer's equipment already messed up the inner part around the lug nut when they rotated the tires. Next time REAL chrome wheels for sure!

[4havnfun]

After a few years of not looking after my chrome clad wheels they looked horrible. I tried different options to get the built up brake dust off but nothing worked. I came across a suggestion on line that I thought was worth sharing here, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It took about 30 minutes per wheel and I went through 5 erasers but the results were amazing. They were gentle on the wheels but took off the most stubborn build up.

The picture below shows the worst wheel before I finished cleaning it

Edited May 9, 2018 by 4havnfun

[Tjm623]

That looks great! I've used mothers chrome/metal cleaner and gotten same results.

 

It comes in a little jar. I rub it in like wax and then wipe clean. I use it on the chrome on front end of previous vehicles too like my f150s bumpers. It'll get rid of even the little oxidation spots you sometimes get with these wheels.

 

Literally have yet to see if not remove something!