I put a set of Platinum wheels on my Lariat and had no idea they are uncoated. When the dealer mounted them they cleaned the tires with white wall cleaner and streaked them up bad. The dealer was willing to get them right but I went ahead and put some polish to them and they cleaned up pretty well, took some time and elbow grease. From what I have read is if you rub on uncoated polished aluminum the rag will turn black quickly which it does meaning they are uncoated. Man they are going to be some high maintenance wheels! Has anyone else done any polishing on them yet or realized they are uncoated?

 

I had new tires put on at the tire shop and when they finished there were some light scuffs on the 2 of the wheels. The head guy at the tire shop also said the 2015 Platinum wheels have no clear on them. He used some Eagle One Nevr-Dull on the suffs and they are now gone. I have read other comments on here that the Platinum wheels are coated with clear. I would think if they were coated the Eagle One Nevr-Dull would have made them look a lot worse rather then make them look brand new again. I even looked at them with really bright lights and different angles and they look brand new. Would Eagle One Nevr-Dull Wadding Polish not wreck the clear coat if they were coated?

 

Polished aluminum rims are awesome but yes, they do require some elbow work. I prefer using Flitz polish to clean the rims in the Spring. During the rest of the year I use Chemical Guys Wheel Guard (it's a wax) once every 2 months. This has worked well on my Mustang which is 10 years old yet the rims still look new so I do the same thing now with my Platinum rims.

If you maintain the rims it is easier to clean them each time, however the nice thing is if you don't maintain them, after a few years just get a buffing ball/wheel (I prefer Flitz) and go to town on the rim. It will look brand new again.

 

They are definitely NOT clear coated.

 

Thanks Gadgitz! I had my doubts about them having clear on them. Are these the 2 products that work well for you? I see there are several different Flitz polishes to choose from...

 

Yup, that's the stuff. When using Flitz keep in mind that a little goes a long way. A little dab would be enough to clean an entire spoke on the Platinum rims. So 5 spokes per rim plus the outside edge and you might only use 6 small dabs. You'll get the hang of it. I just use cheap microfibre towels for this stuff. Place a dab of Flitz on the rag, spread it around the area to polish (in this case the entire spoke), then apply pressure and rub the polish into the metal. Use a clean area of the rag to buff it off and voila, the area should sparkle. DO NOT let it dry on the rim.

I've used a lot of products over the years but always go back to using Flitz.

 

Great info... Thanks so much!! I can already tell these wheels are going to be a PITA but I love the look of them!!

 

Flitz is good stuff, my wife buys it by the tub for our polished brass railings.

I'm going to try the Collinite 850 Metal Wax when mine finally arrives. I use it for stainless steel on my boat, and it seems to hold up well against water spots.

http://www.collinite.com/marine-wax/liquid-metal-wax/

 

Yes it would wreck A clear coat. These Platinum wheels are UNCOATED! I think that is why Ford advertises them as polished aluminum never mentioning anything about coating. I am really surprised Ford would put out such a wheel on a truck because of the warranty claims that will arise. Go take a clean rag and just rub on a spot, it will turn black from the aluminum oxide quickly. If they were clear coated there would be no black
on the rag.

 

What warranty claims do you think would arise? Other than possible pitting along the bead due to salt creep (good ol' Canadian winters) I can't see any other reason for an issue with an aluminum rim.