Take care of your wheel rims in winter

After a long wait, winter has finally arrived. Trucks have gone out to sprinkle sand on the streets, and careful drivers have already switched to their winter tires. Taking care of a car’s appearance means more than just keeping the body in good shape; the appearance of the wheels to a large extent gives the car its character. For quite some time, a popular accessory has been aluminum rims or distinctive hubcaps. We can enjoy their visual appeal longer if we take proper care of our rims during the winter season.

There are still many common myths about the use of aluminum rims in winter. Opponents argue that this type of rim is more susceptible to corrosion when in contact with materials such as salt used to maintain road surfaces in winter. If we take a closer look at steel and aluminum rims after the winter season, though, it is clear that the steel rims corrode faster.

Why does this happen?

First of all, to improve the appearance of steel rims, hubcaps are used. Minor damage to the steel rims often occurs when installing the hubcaps, then during use they collect small stones and gravel which damage the painted surface when the car is in use. Secondly, steel rims are often not properly protected from corrosion – their surfaces should be sealed just like in the case of the car’s body.

In most cases, in today’s market brand-name aluminum rims are well sealed and protected from the destructive impact of chemicals which are found on our roads in winter. The same is true for rims that we paint ourselves, while giving them the correct color with a dedicated rim paint (such as SilverLine Profix) - we also protect them with a primer and a hard clearcoat. The technology of painting aluminum rims makes their paint coat just as durable as that on the car’s body.

It is sometimes said that aluminum rims are weaker than steel and corrode more heavily. This information is not up to date, based on the quality of the first aluminum rims available on the market many years ago. Today’s products, even the low-end types, can boast of good quality. They are coated with several layers of paint which protect them from corrosion. They are considerably more resistant to damage than steel rims. This makes aluminum rims definitely the better choice for winter. We only need to remember to take proper care of them

Very few of us wash our steel rims in winter, unless with a pressure washer to rinse off remaining dirt. It is important to remember to remove plastic hubcaps before washing. This can be difficult as the hubcaps are most often fastened to the rims to avoid loss while driving. Due to this, we often forget that under the hubcaps there may be a large amount of dirt collected including bits of salt and gravel.

The process of corrosion is accelerated by the presence of road salt and other pollutants. So, let’s begin to take care of the beautiful appearance of our rims from the very beginning – coat them with a layer of wax to protect them from dirt.

Which types of pollutants are especially harmful?

Definitely the most harmful pollutants are those which come from the wear and tear of the brake pads. Failing to systematically remove this residue can lead to its build up, making it more difficult to remove later. We can fight this problem by adding a wax coat to the rims (for example with Profix WAX polishing compound). This is best done periodically, on average once a month, of course after having washed the rims first. For a washing liquid, we can use water and natural detergents or a car wash shampoo. Using other products risks losing the warranty on the paint coat, as other products may be corrosive. Finally, it should be stressed that not all aluminum rims are suitable for winter use. We definitely don’t recommend chrome or high-shine rims for winter, due to their use of very thin protective layers which in the case of micro-cracks or mechanical damage can result in the oxidation of the aluminum, leaving it black.