Ask the Detailer

Has anyone used the Dr. Colorchip repair? I have several small rock chips on the driver door that I want to repair before it gets ceramic coated. Im nervous about doing the sanding method.

 

I use the yellow microfiber towels from Costco. I keep a bag of them in the truck for glass, interior, and spills or touch ups. Haven’t had any issues.

As for sealant, are you talking about just for the glass? Most paint sealants work fine for glass also. Beadmaker is awesome to see on glass when it rains, just doesn’t last a hell of a long time.
Not sure I’ve ever used a dedicated glass sealant, but @ToyoMafia picked some of this up at the auto parts the other day. I don’t think he’s used it yet though.

 

I haven’t used Dr. Colorchip repair but I bought the little tool used in this video along with some OEM Toyota paint and it worked very well. My Tundra is ceramic coated as well and the place that does it said the method was safe to use. Is it a highly professional job…no but you really have to search to find the chips I fixed. https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=Uz-zW-cLdUs&feature=emb_logo

 

I used some of the non aerosol version on my shower doors, worked pretty well. Cant really say much on the trucks glass since it hasn't rained.

 

Did you do any else besides using that tool? like sanding it down to level with the paint and polishing it? or left it as is?

 

I use the tire cleaner setting at the car wash to remove bugs from my front grill. The greenish stuff that comes out on low pressure works well after letting it soak just a bit. I also keep mt whole truck well coated too.

 

No, just a good cleaning. When looking at them close you can see it’s not level but for me personally when I stand a foot away I can’t really any of the areas where I filled in.

 

I've been using Aerospace 303 on my softopper per advice gained in this thread.Seems like great stuff. For those of you who use it, what else do you use it on?

 

I use 303 on my boat interior and it is great stuff! Been using it for 8+ years on the same boat after every couple of outings and the interior still looks new. Stuff is like sunscreen for the seats. I’m sure it does the same for the soft topper.

 

So I decided to take a hard look at the condition of my Rock Warrior wheels. I removed the faux beadlock rings and further examined the built-up crud on the wheels. I sprayed them down with some general degreaser and pressure-washed the wheels. The crud was still there afterward. Next, I grabbed a Scotch-Brite pad and soap. I was able to remove the crud with some determination but found I was also taking the paint off the wheels . See the attached images for reference. Does anyone have any recommendation on how to remove the crud from wheels without also removing the finish from the wheels?

 

haha no that is a good question. I have not tried a "tire/wheel" specific cleaner. Do you recommend any specific brand or model "tire/wheel" cleaner?

 

Shine Supply Wise Guy is really good. Optimum Power Clean is great for the heavy stuff, just make sure it’s safe on your wheels.

One of these on a drill works extremely well for cleaning wheels also. Pretty much available anywhere.

https://mothers.com/products/powercone-360-05146

 

@Ckatz53 @ToyoMafia have you tried Undrdog iron remover yet? It’s about 30% cheaper than Iron X so I’m wondering if it’s as good.

 

I haven't but I'm a part of their FB group and the group is obsessed with the stuff. Apparently smells worse than Iron X but it looks promising. I'm about to take advantage of their last 10 for $X pricing deal right now and buy another 10 coatings so I think I may toss it in the cart just to try it. Can let you know how it works once it arrives.

 

Smells worse than Iron-X?!?!

 

Try an iron remover on those wheels. Just make sure they're cool to the touch, out of sunlight, and stay wet (don't let it dry). If it's not years of just mud buildup, which should have come off by now, I'd venture to say it's brake dust build up. It clings to wheels with those finishes pretty gnarly. You'd need an iron remover to break it up. Spray, let sit, lightly agitate, rinse, repeat until gone. You can either get a generic iron remover like CarPro Iron X or a wheel cleaner that has iron remover in it. I use Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner. It is very expensive, but it works amazing. Cleans wheels and decons them all in a single step (or a couple steps if they're super gnarly and need to be hit again to get them completely clean). It also foams up decently (nothing thick, but bubbly enough to cling which allows it to sit on surfaces and work longer rather than some wheel cleaners just dripping off and not being very effective). Edit: link above is for the 5L. With our volume that's what we get, but you can find it elsewhere in smaller consumer quantities. It's also safe on ALL wheel types, which we use most of the time just in case the wheel substrate is something like aluminum or an alloy.

 

Yeah. Apparently smells like Iron X but with really dank weed mixed in lol. So it could be better smelling if that's an aroma you prefer

 

After reading the comments I decided to give Undrdog Pro a try. It would have been nice to include some “Manufacturer Recommendations.” I think three was room in the container. Even the website is a bit light on information. Maybe I’m not ready for Prime Time??

 

https://help.getundrdog.com/en-US/how-to-apply-undrdog-pro-95269

UD's instruction. Super easy though. Wash, iron decon/clay bar, polish if you want (recommended), IPA wipe, apply UD to panel, let flash 7 to 10 minutes (can be more or less depending on conditions, use a towel to glide across panel..if it gets "grabby" then it's ready), buff off with multiple microfibers, repeat until whole vehicle is completed.

 

I haven’t I have 2.5 gallons of IronX lol

 

Thanks for the info and the link. I will plan a full blown effort at this. I got the 60ml bottle hoping to get a few vehicles out of it. My 2016 Tundra will be first in line though.

 

2 vehicles a few would be a stretch

 

Thanks, that is good intel. I will watch my application so I don’t try and stretch it too thin. I learned a hard lesson with the Cerakote wipes about that.

 

Can squeeze 3 out of that bottle paint/trim/wheels if you're smart with it and using an Autofiber saver applicator. Just remember thicker (more droplets on the pad) doesn't mean better. What's going to bond will, what won't will smear around and wipe away after the solvent has evaporated. Less is more.