The Detailers Cafe

Exterior Detailing => Wheels, Tires and Wheel-Wells => Topic started by: Kitzy on July 28, 2013, 02:47:07 PM

Title: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on July 28, 2013, 02:47:07 PM
So in my exhausting search for wheels I've come across the ATX AX191 Shackle.  I'm very limited due to what I want.  Anyhow, ATX seems to use Bright PVD as opposed to chrome.  Anyone have any knowledge of this?  https://detroitwheelandtire.com/pvd/  That link gives an idea of what it is but I'm looking at real world experience and not what manufacturers say it is supposed to be.  If I go this route, any ideas on care and maintenance?  Treat it as chrome?  As powder coat? 
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on March 22, 2014, 10:34:27 PM
So no takers on this when I posted it.  Anyone have any advice yet.  The wheels I ended up going with are PVD.  Basically the final coating is powder coating.  I usually use soap and water and sometimes an APC.  Any chemicals I should avoid? I'm thinking anything like Megs Wheel Brightener is a no-no.
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Too Stroked on March 23, 2014, 07:55:35 AM
Mike,

Well, that web site doesn't say crap about what PVD is, how it's done or how to take care of it. So I'll take a crack at it.

PVD stands for Physical Vapor Deposition. We used a variant of that process for years at Kodak to deposit the little square you centered your subject(s) with through the view finder on a camera. It involved arranging the parts in masks and racks that went into a vacuum chamber. These racks would rotate during the process. One then drew down a vacuum and vaporized metal which was then deposited on the substrates. (That's a gloriously over-simplified description BTW.) So it's not exactly like powder coating which is done without the need for vacuum. And Powder Coating requires an oven bake to melt / flow / fuse the powder into a hard coating.

So how should you take care of a wheel with this type of coating? (And I'm guessing here.) Just as you said, don't use anything aggressive on it. Never apply any chemical to a hot wheel. I'm also going to guess that the coating doesn't have a ton of corrosion resistance in and by itself - so stay away from salt. I'd also surmise that one would use a wax / sealer as opposed to a metal polish on them, but I could be wrong.

Hope that helps.
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on March 23, 2014, 08:37:06 AM
Everything I've read has called it a powder coating.  Here is another company.  http://americanpvdcoatings.com/pvd-chrome/  my understand is that it holds up far superior to chrome in the elements.  Time will tell on that.  They have spent the better part of the month lathered in road salt since I put them on in February.  They seem to clean up fairly nice just from the magic wand at the car wash.  I haven't used any type of mitt on them yet to properly wash them.  I probably wont use brushes.  Maybe I'm just paranoid.  I'm just concerned about the stubborn build up that is inevitable that sometimes requires a more aggressive approach to clean.
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on April 20, 2014, 09:53:52 AM
OK a few things.  I emailed the manufacturer.  They were completely useless.  I asked about the manufacturing process and recommended care and maintenance (already knew their answer on this one.). They said its similar to powder coating and that it is "the high class quality version of chrome."  Haha OK.  They said use nothing abrasive.  Basically soap and water only.  That said, these things clean up surprisingly well with very little effort.  The self serve car wash does a great job with just the high pressure soap and rinse.  Though it leaves them spotty.  I finally got a chance to wash the truck, clay and optiseal it.  The wheels cleaned up nothing short of amazing.  They definitely need to be dried because they spot easily but with just soap (Optimum Car Wash in this case) and water and a wash mitt all of the brake dust and crap came right off.  The down side is they seem to mar pretty easily.  So I need to be careful but I also think a light polish will fix them up quick too.

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/20/ejapuhy6.jpg)

Tapatalkin...

Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Too Stroked on April 20, 2014, 11:46:07 AM
Looks good Mike! Pictures of the whole truck?  :bitch:
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Blown F-150 on April 20, 2014, 06:25:37 PM
What, just one pic???
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on April 20, 2014, 07:11:36 PM
I can't always see all of the emoticons on tapatalk.  So I'm not sure what toms is supposed to be.  All i wee is the code so I do believe he just called me a female dog. ???  Haha.

One pic because all I was referring to here was the wheels.  I guess I should ha e kept my mouth shut on everything else.  Haha. In all honesty, I took other pictures but I didn't like them.  The sun went  behind some buildings and all i had was shade and a small area I could barely photograph the truck.  I did try to take another couple today while I was at my girlfriends family's house but the truck had been driven a little bit and got a little dirty.

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/21/y7ahamar.jpg)

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/21/dejudu7e.jpg)

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/21/zynyduna.jpg)

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/21/aza2y4eh.jpg)

Tapatalkin...
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on April 20, 2014, 07:18:13 PM
Tapatalk really degrades the quality of pictures.  Disappointing. 

I did find some stuff out.  I used PBs Bold and Bright tire spray.  Just letting it dry it was very shiny.  I attempted to wipe them down hours later and they looked good.  Very very deep black.  Still not as matte as I usually like but it grew on me.  I actually just wiped them down again because it slung a little.  I had to touch up the fenders. 

After wiping the tires down the first time with a foam block, I was walking around the truck and noticed the rear bumper pad looked awful.  It was spotted from over spray of I think spray and wipe.  Everything was put away except for that block so I just wiped it down with the block that had bold and bright soaked in.  It was just damp but cleaned the bumper pad up beautiful and if was the best it ever looked.  I did the tonneau this morning with it.

Tapatalkin...
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Too Stroked on April 20, 2014, 07:47:39 PM
The truck looks really nice Mike. The wheels & tires really wake it up. Thanks for posting pics!
Title: PVD wheels?
Post by: Blown F-150 on April 20, 2014, 08:37:30 PM
Sweet, I can see the pics logged into Tapatalk. The truck looks really nice Mike!
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on April 22, 2014, 07:06:28 PM
Thanks guys.  Holy crap do my tires spray water all over the place and down the side of my truck when it rains. 

Tapatalkin...

Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: hwm3 on April 22, 2014, 07:18:48 PM
Thanks guys.  Holy crap do my tires spray water all over the place and down the side of my truck when it rains. 

Tapatalkin...

You think yours are bad?
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on April 22, 2014, 07:25:04 PM
I know they are.  My girlfriend was following me somewhere today and when we got there the first thing we both said to each other was about how bad my tires spray. 

I'm guessing yours do as well?

Tapatalkin...

Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: hwm3 on April 22, 2014, 07:48:42 PM
I know they are.  My girlfriend was following me somewhere today and when we got there the first thing we both said to each other was about how bad my tires spray. 

I'm guessing yours do as well?

Tapatalkin...

Yep. Any water on the roads covers both sides of the truck. I'm not sure I'm keeping these wheels. They stick out far enough to spray the sides of the truck pretty badly, but not far enough to look right with a fender flare.
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on April 22, 2014, 07:52:34 PM
I know they are.  My girlfriend was following me somewhere today and when we got there the first thing we both said to each other was about how bad my tires spray. 

I'm guessing yours do as well?

Tapatalkin...

Yep. Any water on the roads covers both sides of the truck. I'm not sure I'm keeping these wheels. They stick out far enough to spray the sides of the truck pretty badly, but not far enough to look right with a fender flare.

and that's the killer.  I can't justify flares because they don't stick out that far.  But they stick out obviously far enough to spray everything.  I think the look is perfect so I will deal with it.

Tapatalkin...

Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Blown F-150 on April 22, 2014, 08:50:41 PM
Hmm, don't they make small and large fender flares. The ones on my truck don't really stick out too far, heck I am running oem wheels and they look OK to me.
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on April 22, 2014, 08:52:56 PM
I'm very picky when it comes to looks.  And my tires stick out just enough to see them.  Which is apparently enough to spray crap everywhere.

Tapatalkin...
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: hwm3 on April 25, 2014, 08:30:47 PM
I'm very picky when it comes to looks.  And my tires stick out just enough to see them.  Which is apparently enough to spray crap everywhere.

Tapatalkin...


Yeah. Finding the right wheels in the right fit is tough. I like the way mine look without flares, but don't like the spray and don't think they stick out enough to look right with flares.

Another thing that drives me nuts is the channel just behind the fake headlock ring on mine. It holds water and even driving on the freeway won't sling the water out of it. Makes keeping them clean a nightmare.

(http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii301/hmcqu76/34113BB7-8185-4BA3-95C9-3262844D67D0_zps3mcgfiww.jpg)
Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on April 26, 2014, 08:56:03 AM
I'm very picky when it comes to looks.  And my tires stick out just enough to see them.  Which is apparently enough to spray crap everywhere.

Tapatalkin...


Yeah. Finding the right wheels in the right fit is tough. I like the way mine look without flares, but don't like the spray and don't think they stick out enough to look right with flares.

Another thing that drives me nuts is the channel just behind the fake headlock ring on mine. It holds water and even driving on the freeway won't sling the water out of it. Makes keeping them clean a nightmare.

([url]http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii301/hmcqu76/34113BB7-8185-4BA3-95C9-3262844D67D0_zps3mcgfiww.jpg[/url])


If all I have to worry about is my truck getting dirty when it rains then that's no big deal.  It just gets dirtier than normal but a slightly dirty truck is a dirty truck. At this point I worry more about rocks being thrown up. 

I see what you're saying on the beadlock.  There's must nowhere for it to go. 

I need to find a way to dry my wheels without a towel.  I'm worried about scratching what appears to be a delicate surface.  And they spot like crazy.

Tapatalkin...

Title: Re: PVD wheels?
Post by: Kitzy on April 29, 2014, 06:10:04 PM
I'm thinking about putting my mudflaps back on the front.  It looks better without.  I had to remove them because I needed that extra 1/4" from the flap and the bolts so the tire would clear when turning.  Might try to  find a way to put them back on or get knew ones.  Anyone know if there are any that mount somewhere other than the wheel well?  Maybe adhesive to the fender itself?  Kind of molded to the body panel?

Tapatalkin...

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