GYEON Q² RIM: The Pinnacle of Wheel Protection

Apart from your paint, the wheels are the next thing your eyes dart to when looking at your car. Don’t you want them to look as nice as the paint to really tie it all together? They take by far the most abuse on the exterior of your car since they are constantly exposed to very high temperatures and incredibly fine brake dust at a bare minimum. This begs the question; how do you properly protect and maintain the finish of your rims? In today's blog, we will dive into why you should give your wheels the ultimate treatment with GYEON Rim wheel ceramic coating!

Why Should You Coat Your Wheels

Your wheels have an abnormal life compared to the rest of your car. They are in direct, rotational contact with the ground all the time and therefore, get the most abuse anywhere on your car. Every contaminant possible including brake dust, dirt, grime, road tar, UV rays, rubber if you track your car, and very high temperatures. Coating your wheels will not only keep them cleaner for longer but will also keep the finish looking really nice and repelling water and junk no matter how many times you wash them.

Understanding Surfaces

In the wonderful world of wheels, there seem to be infinite surfaces and textures, especially the trendy satin-black finishes. It's important to note that Rim is safe for any type of wheel surface. So, whatever you have, Rim will work for you. Some finishes, such as porous matte or satin black, are much more fragile than others. Chrome is always tricky as it can oxidize quickly if not protected. And gloss black wheels which can scratch very easily. Hence, it’s imperative to get whatever wheels you have protected and sealed from contaminants before they have a chance to embed themselves in the finish. The application process for Rim is the same with no variance on any finish.

Preparing the Surface

When applying a ceramic coating the single most important part of installing any coating is making sure the prep work is complete and correct. This gives Rim the best opportunity to last and give you the results you’re looking for. Prep will vary depending on the surface and how much on-road use the wheel has seen so far. It can be as simple as a thorough wipe down with a surface cleaner like GYEON Prep and a nice towel, all the way to polishing the wheel faces and barrels.

Let's discuss the first option of a lightly used or contaminated wheel. As always, a thorough decon wash with a proper wheel cleaner and brushes should be carried out before any of this process begins or you will be chasing dirt and dust all over the place. Make sure the wheels are clean and dry before liberally applying your surface prep spray and wiping down the surface you intend to coat. This will usually be fine for most people, however, some wheels need more love to get through the prep stage.

If you have gloss-painted wheels and you have an old clay bar laying around you can give them a good clay if the surface feels rough to the touch. Do that after you scrub the wheels in the wash. If you feel so inclined, grab a 3-inch polisher with a polish or mild compound pad and your favorite polish and buff the wheels to get serious results from your process. However, you should only use pads on their last legs as they won’t be good to use on your paint afterward since we introduced super fine brake dust into that porous surface. For chrome or polished aluminum wheels with no clear coat on top, again you can use that polishing step to get the most out of the wheels but use a metal or chrome polish instead of normal polish. Again, make sure to follow up with that surface prep to make sure your wheels are totally ready for the coating to lay down.

Applying RIM Ceramic Coating

So now that you have your fresh and clean wheels ready to go, it's time to dive into how to ceramic coat wheels! Remember to use gloves as you don’t want any coating getting on your hands and work in an open area so you aren’t directly breathing anything in. If you have access to a respirator or mask, it's always recommended!

For first-time users, I would recommend using 1 of the included suedes per wheel so it’s easier to remove. Looking at the face of the wheel, apply 8-10 drops of product on the suede and use just the suede and your hand. For the very first pass on a brand new suede you might need a few extra drops but afterwards, keep it at 8-10 or you run the risk of a messy install near the end. Apply as evenly as you can to 1/4^th of the wheel at a time and remove with your microfiber towel of choice (highly recommend using a towel with a low pile side and a high pile side like GYEON PolishWipe). Wipe off with the low pile side first then follow up by flipping the towel inside out and getting the rest with the high pile side. If you feel like you aren’t getting it all, grab a second towel and use it to help remove the remaining product. Continue with this process until the wheel face is complete. 

If you decided to take your wheels off or just bought new wheels, flip the wheel over and grab the included suede block. Wrap your suede around the soft foam part of the block and generously coat the barrel and back of the spokes again doing 1/4 or 1/2 of the wheel at once since it’s easier to remove the coating from a surface with less dimension. Repeat around each wheel and you’re all set! If you’re all finished and have all the products still out, clean and prep your exhaust tips then apply Rim to keep them looking nice too! After you’re all done coating, make sure to give it at least 24 hours to fully set up on the surface

Coating Maintenance

GYEON Rim is rated for up to 1 year of durability on a frequently used vehicle with the ability to go longer if it's just a weekend toy. However, to achieve optimal performance and maintain the look of the coating, it’s incredibly imperative to use the right products and keep your wheels in good shape. Using a proper PH Neutral iron remover wheel cleaner and proper agitation with high-quality brushes will keep the surface of the coating clean beading efficiently and last as long as possible. Just rinsing them off is not sufficient no matter what you read on the internet. You can also use WetCoat or another coating-safe Si02 booster to spray on the wheels to keep them extra healthy.

That’s all folks! That’s the complete guide on taking whatever wheels you have and getting them coated and protected with GYEON Rim! I hope this was informative and confidence-inspiring as truly anyone can do it! See you in the next blog!

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