Originally Posted by kbreese

RAW polished aluminum is the most difficult by far to maintain. It takes a lot of elbow grease to keep them shiny.But it looks amazing, and will pretty much last forever. There is nothing to start peeling off or pitting. You just have to keep them polished. It's raw metal.


Clear coated polished aluminum (Like the Method wheels I just bought) is just as easy to maintain as any other painted wheel, since there is essentially a coat of paint (clear) on top of the aluminum. The main thing is hoping the clear lasts a long time, as it will eventually start to come off.
Higher quality the wheel & the clear coat, the longer it will last. Also, if you coat with a sealant or wax (like you do your cars paint) that will help a lot too. Not only keeping them look shiny but keeping the clear coat protected and making it last longer.

Chrome is not difficult to maintain, it's just as easy as painted wheels. But yeah, the chrome eventually starts pitting. Nothing you can really do about it. It's just a matter of time. But same as with painted wheels, if of course higher quality wheels with better chrome will last longer then cheap ones.