Hey, how long will rims last? I got a pair on eBay (RSL Villains) and I'm using them only during the summer months. For the rest of the year I use the stock wheels.

I'm asking because everytime I get the car washed, the guy there tells me that he can't give me wheel brite or the tire wash because it will hurt the rims. If a carwash will wreck my wheels, how durable can they be?

Thanks,

 

You might want to thank him. Some of the cleaning agents the car washes use are very caustuc and will cause rapid deterioration of aftermarket alloy type wheels. They should be treated the same as you would treat the paint. Wash with mild soap and wax with a good wax. IF they are simply semipolished or polished aluminum or alloy then some metal polish every couple weeks would be in order.
As far a life expectancy, if the origional quality level is good they should last as long as the car with reasonable care.

Walt

 

Like Newtmaker said, it's a combination of wheel finish and caustic chemicals.

Aftermarket wheels come in many different finishes from bare metal to thick powdercoats. Some car washes use quite caustic chemicals in their wheel washes that will negatively affect some of those finishes.

At the same time, I've had quality aftermarket alloy wheels on 4X4s that have withstood off-road abuse as well as most any wheel would (steel wheels will withstand more abuse, usually, because they bend rather than break when the forces become simply too much, but that's over the top).

For those wheels that are bare metal or anodized, you want to especially stay away from strong alkali solutions. Simple lye will strip the anodizing right off and start lunching on the aluminum, for example...

 

Also, it's very important to keep the wheels clean, no matter what the finish. The metals in brake dust when combined with water will stain and sometimes eat through the alloy wheels.

I found the best way to clean wheels is to take them off the car. It can be a PITA, but a narrow spoke wheel will show the dirt way on the inside lip, which is where most of the brake dust settles. Plus it's much easier to see the dirt when the wheels are off.

 

As stated above many of the chemicals they use can hurt your rims. They are no less durable than factory rims, for the most part. The guy at the car wash is probably just trying to help you protect your car since you, like most others who buy rims, did so to improve the appearance. They are too expensive to buy regularly.