Ask the Detailer

I've used some chrome polish before. WAY back, I think it was a white bottle with a red cap about the size of a bottle of brake fluid. Turtle wax maybe?

 

There are tons of chrome polishes on the market. Give White Diamond a try...available on Amazon.....it seems to have just enough abrasive in it and will leave some protection behind

 

A lot of chrome plated plastic is soft. Metal polishers can break down that plating over time. A very fine polish on a micorfiber (Meguiar's M210 for example since you can get it at autoparts stores) is good for that substrate as it is less abrasive and will do the job of shining it up nicely.

 

I thrown them in the washer on max-fill with a low/mid amount of soap and no fabric softener. Dry in the drier at a med setting. I might be wrong, but it's what I do. If it's a towel that I used with a sealant or other "sticky" product, I wash it 2x and keep them seperate for that task.

 

Rags to riches from TRC

 

Wash on delicate warm water. Dry delicate low heat and remove before bone dry.

 

Put some white vinegar in the wash also. I pour it in the fabric softener compartment next to where the soap goes. It really helps get any residue and crud out. It keeps them softer and extends the life of them. No fabric softener when drying. I actually do this with bath towels also.

 

All Free and Clear. Been using it for years with no issues. After the wash cycle is completed, I use the 'rinse and spin' option to make sure I have all the soap out. Tumble dry on 'air dry' for 15 - 20 minutes and then hang up to complete the drying process.

 

Just a tip for those looking to debadge the new Tundras '23+. The vinyl stickers on the bed are actually a three layer system. A heat gun separates the top vinyl layer but two layers of underpaper and adhesive stay behind. Strip the outer layer (color) with a heat gun then don't even worry about the underlayer using heat...go straight to an eraser wheel. I made the mistake of using the heat gun on one of them thinking it would be easy going...those underlayers are a pain in the ass and took 3x as long to take off...learn from my mistake and go straight to an eraser wheel.

Badges are the same gooey 3m adhesive that heat and floss/fishing line can remove. Eraser wheel the residual then polish everything lightly to remove any eraser wheel holograms.

 

3D towel clean if you don’t mind having a gallon of it for years, lol. Rags to riches will be my next purchase

 

Finally got around to applying the solution finish to the step sides. They're pretty textured, so it kinda sucked to do...especially on the vehicle. That stuff is practically paint. Hopefully it works well.
Before

After

 

Question for you detailers: Can you touch up ceramic coating when it has started to peel? Or should I just have it removed from all four wheels? I searched ye olde interwebs, didn't find a clear answer. So I would guess it just needs to be removed? Here's a pic:

 

That’s the coating??? Looks like the clear coat coming off!

to remove coating

1 decon with a product like IronX
2 Polish which will be a Ton of fun on wheels

 

Yep, double ceramic coated.

 

Most coatings do not stack so what does double mean?

 

Sure doesn't look like a ceramic coating. As others have said thats a clear coat that has been sprayed.

 

Here's the FS thread. It seems it's just an aftermarket spray coating, not ceramic. Look at the center caps in that first pic. You can tell they've been sprayed.

 

I’d take the wheel to a restoration shop. Unfortunately I call BS on his FS thread.

 

Maybe it's not ceramic, but they definitely look like they were sprayed with some kind of aftermarket coating. My other set of Pro wheels look like what this set looks like under the peel.
Look at this center cap; this is the bottom left wheel in his first pic in the FS thread. Whatever he coated the wheels with is bubbling up there, too:

Thanks for the help; I knew these wheels would take some work. Just want to know what I'm working with!

 

I think they were sprayed with clear coat or the original finish has failed.

@Ckatz53 might be able to give another opinion.

 

$32 3D Towel Kleen Concentrated Microfiber Towel Detergent - Deep Cleans, Restores & Maintains Car Wash Towel Life - Low Foam, No Residue Premium Laundry Soap 1 Gallon

3D Towel Kleen

 

Hard to tell from the picture, bit grainy on my end. I'd have to agree with @ToyoMafia. Detailing coatings don't actually create a "peelable" layer like what I see there. Either the OEM finish (maybe cleared? Unfamiliar) is degraded or someone refinished them with cheap clear. Bubbling like that looks like cheap 1k clear to me and not a two part paint.

 

Another day looking for scraps landed me with some Sun visors.
I’ve always been told never touch a headliner and sparingly get hands with the visors.

How do I clean these and what do I need to buy from Wally World or a local auto parts store?

 

My wife flips the visor down all the time to use a mirror. It drives me nuts.