Steps to applying a sealant....

noupf · Jun 1, 2015

So, I have not been into the whole "detailing" thing since I was in my young 20's with my corvette ( I'm 36 now ). I have a brand new ram sport with 1000 miles on her and I have not even had time to wash it yet.

With limited time on my hands, I want to care for the paint on this truck as best I can without constantly having to wax it every 3-4 months. I just recently became aware of the new paint sealants that seem to be the new craze in terms of paint protection and looks....and it has me very intrigued.

I used to do a wash, Polish and wax on my vette back in the day. Once a year I'd do a clay bar after the wash, re wash, Polish and wax. So here's my question, what are the recommended steps with a brand new truck and applying a sealant. I've seen some of the popular names out there on autogeek, so I'll grab something from there, but do these sealants take the place of waxing and polishing ?? Is it simply wash and seal? Wash, wax and seal? Wash,polish, wax and seal .......

Sealing is the last step i assume......

Help me out

Thanks !!

tipnitty · Jun 1, 2015

You'll want a very good wash (ideally a two bucket method) first to ensure the paint is clean. Personally I just bought a new soap to help strip the old wax. After that you'll want to clay bar the truck to remove any sort of stuck on contaminants. Once you've claybarred you are save to apply sealant. As far as what brand? Take your pick to match your ability lever. Some sealants are very specific on how to apply them. Just do your research. You can throw on a coat of wax just to be safe if you desire after sealant.

Pull Ya · Jun 1, 2015

The sealant comes before the wax--some people use it instead of wax and some people use it for a "base coat" before the wax. Remember that after you clay bar, your paint is sorta naked--you need to put something on it to protect it. Go to autopia and autogeek for good reading regarding the use of sealants and wax.
Jay

Magnum5.9 · Jun 1, 2015

Wax every 3-4 months? I wax every 3-4 weeks, but I'm also a little :crazy:

lol

CMil527 · Jun 1, 2015

Ugh this discussion makes me tired!

THETANK · Jun 2, 2015

Magnum5.9 said:
Wax every 3-4 months? I wax every 3-4 weeks, but I'm also a little lol

my record and I have done this 3 times over the years. Get off work Friday and eat supper then off to the garage. Fri 3 coats of polish, Sturday 4 coats of wax and Sun 3 coats more of the wax goodness. I have been threatened that if I di not stop the next step was a ward were they give you pills and if need be restrain you. Cheers Normally I wax/polish 5-7 times a week

QwikKota · Jun 4, 2015

Is it really necessary to clay bar a new vehicle? I know they work great on old paint with contaminants but they can also induce scratches. A good wash with dish wash detergent followed by spot cleaning with alcohol or something similar sounds safer on a new Ram.

What are some good sealants available in auto parts stores? Something BELOW $30...

Numnutz · Jun 6, 2015

Dish wash detergent is probably the best at removing old wax.
Wash entire truck with Dawn dish liquid, clay bar, seal, wax.
Truck looks clean even when it's dirty for about 6 months.

QwikKota · Jun 9, 2015

Is Meguiars M21 Glaze a true sealant? I am thinking of either using that or Griot's sealant:

Amazon.com: Griot's Garage 11075 One-Step Sealant - 16 oz.: Automotive

xtr3me · Jun 9, 2015

QwikKota said:
Is Meguiars M21 Glaze a true sealant? I am thinking of either using that or Griot's sealant:

Amazon.com: Griot's Garage 11075 One-Step Sealant - 16 oz.: Automotive

Not much help here as I have not used either product, but It does appears so..
Note, two of the most common ingredients in a product with swirl fillers are Kaolinite/Kaolin Clay. Megs #21 appears to be a sealant that fills swirls, making it ideal for hand application for those that do not have a polisher to remove swirls. Question is, how well the product masks the swirls?
Longevity?

I could not find MSDS for Griots, but it appears it does not have swirl fillers from description of ' removes swirl ' whereas Megs #21 states ' eliminates swirls '.... I doubt you remove very many swirls by hand using Giotis though. If product is abrasive enough to remove swirls by machine and seals also, this is a very interesting product.

It may be noted, any wax or sealant will fill in the swirl marks, how well they mask the swirls is key to end results
Looks like Griots has longer lasting protection

Just my thoughts, someone else with knowledge of the two products will need to chime in

QwikKota · Jun 10, 2015

xtr3me said:
Not much help here as I have not used either product, but It does appears so..
Note, two of the most common ingredients in a product with swirl fillers are Kaolinite/Kaolin Clay. Megs #21 appears to be a sealant that fills swirls, making it ideal for hand application for those that do not have a polisher to remove swirls. Question is, how well the product masks the swirls?
Longevity?

I could not find MSDS for Griots, but it appears it does not have swirl fillers from description of ' removes swirl ' whereas Megs #21 states ' eliminates swirls '.... I doubt you remove very many swirls by hand using Giotis though. If product is abrasive enough to remove swirls by machine and seals also, this is a very interesting product.

It may be noted, any wax or sealant will fill in the swirl marks, how well they mask the swirls is key to end results
Looks like Griots has longer lasting protection

Just my thoughts, someone else with knowledge of the two products will need to chime in

Thanks, I appreciate the detailed reply. Truck is new so not too concerned with swirl marks at the moment but I am sure that will be an eventual concern, unfortunately. The price is not bad at all on the Griot's so I am will to be a guinea pig. I assume sealants strip off such as wax with a dish detergent?

Pull Ya · Jun 10, 2015

Most people usually remove swirls with a polish and they generally use a machine. You can remove the swirls by hand but it is usually quite a job. The sealant that I use(Wolfgang 3.0) can not be removed by Dawn. It must be removed by polish--it's some pretty tuff stuff and bonds very very well to a clean surface. Some products have the fillers in them to "cover up and fill the swirls", however I think it is best to correct them instead of just covering them up.
Jay

xtr3me · Jun 10, 2015

QwikKota said:
I assume sealants strip off such as wax with a dish detergent?

As you may note, there are several different recommended methods that work for removing waxes and sealants. Dawn works great for stripping waxes. For removing sealants, I prefer to wash with Dawn, then do an IPA wipedown - twice. IPA diluted 50/50 with water when using ' Isopropyl Alcohol 70% ' solution.... it can be bought in 50%, 70% and 91% so you will want to adjust dilution ratio depending on strength....CarPro Eraser works great also,there are other products readily available from supporting site vendors that work great also, but IPA is so much cheaper

Another option for removing sealants is to wash with Dawn, then use a good cleaner wax followed by an IPA wipedown or preferred product.
As already mentioned, polishing is another method... I only polish if I'm performing a two stage paint correction to remove swirl marks prior to applying the sealant. No experience with Wolfgang, I've only used BFWD, Opti Coat and CQuartz UK

To ensure the method you are using is effectively stripping a sealant, take a water hose and remove nozzle. Do what is referred to as flooding... let the water flow across hood, trunk, etc without spraying. If the water beads up or sheets in spots when the flow of water is removed, you still have not completely removed all the sealant

If you do not have artificial lights, next time you are at the grocery store or a parking lot with overhead street lights, park underneath the lights and look closely at your paint from different angles. You may be surprised at what you see

Before applying sealant and after wash,take a cellophane wrapper from a cigarette pack, lunch baggie or plastic bag and insert fingers inside, wipe across freshly washed paint of vehicle. If you feel grit, the vehicle needs to be clayed prior to applying sealant to achieve best results

QwikKota · Jun 11, 2015

xtr3me said:
As you may note, there are several different recommended methods that work for removing waxes and sealants. Dawn works great for stripping waxes. For removing sealants, I prefer to wash with Dawn, then do an IPA wipedown - twice. IPA diluted 50/50 with water when using ' Isopropyl Alcohol 70% ' solution.... it can be bought in 50%, 70% and 91% so you will want to adjust dilution ratio depending on strength....CarPro Eraser works great also,there are other products readily available from supporting site vendors that work great also, but IPA is so much cheaper

Another option for removing sealants is to wash with Dawn, then use a good cleaner wax followed by an IPA wipedown or preferred product.
As already mentioned, polishing is another method... I only polish if I'm performing a two stage paint correction to remove swirl marks prior to applying the sealant. No experience with Wolfgang, I've only used BFWD, Opti Coat and CQuartz UK

To ensure the method you are using is effectively stripping a sealant, take a water hose and remove nozzle. Do what is referred to as flooding... let the water flow across hood, trunk, etc without spraying. If the water beads up or sheets in spots when the flow of water is removed, you still have not completely removed all the sealant

If you do not have artificial lights, next time you are at the grocery store or a parking lot with overhead street lights, park underneath the lights and look closely at your paint from different angles. You may be surprised at what you see

Before applying sealant and after wash,take a cellophane wrapper from a cigarette pack, lunch baggie or plastic bag and insert fingers inside, wipe across freshly washed paint of vehicle. If you feel grit, the vehicle needs to be clayed prior to applying sealant to achieve best results

Thanks for all the great info. I did not know sealants were so tough. I'll make sure not to use India Pale Ale.

Most likely I will do the truck with the NXT to see how it works and protect the paint before I go to the beach in 2 weeks. After it wears down I will strip and do a sealant on at least the roof to give it a test. Not sure how to get up there, my ladder is too far to the side of the cab and the tonneau blocks the rear access. Very large roof.

QwikKota · Jun 15, 2015

Post-rain pic of day after NXT on the hood. Paste wax can is at least 3 years old.

Pull Ya · Jun 15, 2015

Looks good!!!! You knew it was going to rain as soon as you took the lid off that wax--LOL
Jay

QwikKota · Jun 16, 2015

Yeah, same with last night and the trop storm we are under. Trying to get some wax on before a beach trip Friday. Used NXT spray wax on the sides, basically a waste of time. The paste wax is great though.

Jmhm17 · Jul 9, 2015

I just use dawn, or Palmolive whatever I have at the sink. Wash the truck and apply sealant. Then I just layer it with spray wax. I only seal once a year, and every time I wash my truck I use spray wax as I dry it, so its layering every time I wash.

for car wash I use Meguiars Ultimate Wash and wax, or chemical guys wash plus wax http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g17748-ultimate-wash-wax/, http://www.chemicalguys.com/Wash_Wax_Car_Wash_with_Gloss_1_Gal_p/cws_102.htm
for sealant I use Chemical Guys Jet Seal http://www.chemicalguys.com/JetSeal_16_oz_p/wac_118_16.htm
For spray wax I use Lucas Oil slick mist << this stuff id great on EVERYTHING, interior too just go nuts! http://lucasoil.com/products/car-care/lucas-slick-mist-speed-wax

Keep it simple.. its a truck and for 99% of you a daily driver, its not a Ferrari..

Steps to applying a sealant....

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