To prevent your investment in high-performance forged alloy wheels from being at risk, detailed care and maintenance have to be done. This step-by-step guide will share the secrets of washing, protecting, and maintaining your wheels so that they can remain scratch-free, corrosion-free, and oxidation-free. Follow these professional tips to keep your forged alloy wheels brand new for a long time.
Why Vesteon Forged Wheels Will Endure
Vesteon’s 1-piece forged alloy wheels are manufactured at pressures of less than 10,000 tons to create a very light, very strong wheel. Every wheel is CNC-machined for perfect balance and is treated to specialty ceramic finishing to make it more lasting. Double clearcoat protection provides ultimate element resistance, is a simpler maintenance task, and remains gorgeous forever.
How to Clean Your Forged Wheels: A Step-by-Step Guide
Recommended Cleaning Frequency
Clean your wheels every other week as a matter of routine. If you’ve driven on rainy, snowy, or salted roads, wash them immediately to prevent corrosive wear. For coastal and high-humidity areas, wash them weekly.
Best Cleaners for Forged Wheels
Use only pH-balanced wheel cleaners specifically formulated to be compatible with ceramic coatings. Cleaning chemicals that are Vesteon-approved are able to loosen and extract dirt and brake dust without penetrating protective clearcoat coverings. Never, ever use alkaline or acid-based cleaners that remove the finish.
7-Step Cleaning Process
- Thoroughly clean with clean water to flush loose debris.
- Spray pH-neutral cleaner generously over the wheel surface.
- Let it rest for 2-3 minutes without allowing it to dry.
- Gently agitate with a soft wheel brush, between spokes.
- Wash with a microfiber cloth.
- Dry thoroughly with clean water.
- Dry clean with another microfiber towel so no water spots will show.
Preventing Scratches and Surface Damage
Most common causes of wheel scratches
Scratches are most likely to occur as a result of improper cleaning equipment, car washing using rough bristles by hand, or curb kissing when parking. Even brake dust can be abrasive unless it is cleaned out regularly.
How to safely manage brake dust
There are metal shavings in brake dust, which are corrosive if not appropriately treated. Wash always with brake dust off; do not dry-clean because it scratches the surface. We have a quality control system with over 50 sets of malfunctioning devices, including spectrum devices and X-ray devices, which make sure every Vesteon wheel goes through rigorous tests of endurance, but still, due to improper maintenance procedures outside, damage can be inflicted.
Protective Vesteon coats
For the AEZ Steam forged model, every wheel is applied with a high-quality ceramic coating. The protective coating acts as a shield from atmospheric impurities and physical wear. In addition, every rim is double-clearcoated with additional scratch and UV protection.
Protect From Corrosion and Oxidation
How weather affects forged alloy wheels
Rainwater, humidity, winter road salt—these chemicals accelerate corrosion in non-coated alloy surfaces. While forged alloy wheels are more resilient than cast wheels due to having a compact structure, they’re not completely immune to damage without maintenance.
Advantages of anti-corrosion coatings
Anti-corrosion treatments extend the lifespan of your wheels by creating an invisible, water-repellent, chemical-repellent layer. They also make future cleanings a breeze by reducing the quantity of grime that sticks to the surface.
Using Vesteon’s protective sealants
When you choose Vesteon’s 1-piece Forged Alloy Wheel, you’re not merely purchasing appearance—neither do we merely stop at polishing: we ceramic-coat the process. Our rim is “fired at” with a set of small ceramic balls and thus gets polished and hence is an even better and more oxidation-resistant finish.
Smart Daily Habits for Long-Term Care
Parking tips to avoid curb damage
Park wisely near curbs—parking in at an angle reduces rim-scraping on concrete curbs. Install parking sensors if you spend a lot of time parking in lots.
Monitor tire pressure and alignment regularly
Ideal tire pressure spreads weight evenly across all of your four wheels, reducing stress points that over time can warp or crack—especially on high-performance forged models like Vesteon’s. Misalignments also develop uneven tire wear, which can further stress your rims when cornering or braking while driving.
Seasonal maintenance checklist
- Spring: Run winter salt residue out.
- Summer: Inspect for heat discoloration.
- Fall: Clean leaf debris trapped between spokes.
- Winter: Seal with protective sealant before the start of the snow season.
Periodic seasonal checks keep your forged alloy wheel looking new all year round, regardless of the climate.
Recommended Equipment and Accessories
Soft wheel brushes by Vesteon
Our precision-made soft wheel brushes won’t scratch ceramic-coated rims but bring deep-cleaning power to tight-spoke gaps—a match made in heaven for our CNC-machined patterns. Each rim has its ultimate design in a CNC-controlled rolling and milling machine.
pH-balanced wheel cleaners
Using pH-equilibrated solutions prevents chemical reactions that would degrade finishings or compromise protective coatings over time—particularly significant to the upkeep of the finishing touch: ceramic finish and production-sprayed paint at Vesteon facilities.
Wheel waxes and sealants
Waxing provides a shine while providing an added hydrophobic barrier against water buildup—a worthwhile expense after every thorough wash cycle in keeping our world-class products like our 2-piece or 3-piece Forged Alloy Wheel line.
FAQ
Q: Is there any cleaning product okay for my Vesteon forged alloy wheels?
A: Only pH-balanced cleaners that are professionally certified to maintain ceramic coatings applied at the time of production. Then, each rim receives a double clearcoat as the first weather protection.
Q: How often do I have to apply protective sealant?
A: We suggest reapplying every three months, depending on driving conditions—more often if exposed to saltwater constantly or high-rain areas.
Q: How do Vesteon’s wheels differ when forged?
A: The phenomenal 10,000 tons of pressure yielded a wheel that is incredibly stronger and stiffer with maximum weight savings than is ever possible from any other mode of production. Coupled with CNC machine operations and ceramic finishing techniques, this five-hour-per-rim process assures unmatched quality with every product that we deliver.
