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Product Review: 22ple VM1 Extreme Rim and Metal Coating

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22ple continues to raise the bar with their products with the introduction of VM1 Extreme Rim and Metal Coating.  They have reformulated and refined the previous version of VM1 for enhanced durability, chemical resistance and gloss.  Wheels are exposed to some of the harshest elements of any part on the exterior of your vehicle.  Unlike traditional sealants, VM1 Extreme offers durability of 3-5 years depending on how many layers you apply to the wheel.  The coating is formulated to withstand temperatures of nearly 700 degrees from exposure to heat generated during braking.  Without proper protection it does not take long for the finish on a set of wheels to begin to fail.

KMG - VM1 X

For this example, I am coating the face of one of the wheels on my 3 series BMW.  BMW’s are known for generating a fair amount of brake dust, resulting in wheels that look dirty rather quickly.  Brake dust can also be very corrosive to the coating on your wheels.

KMG - VM1 X

Typically, I would pull the wheel off and do the face and barrel when doing wheel coatings, however in this example I am only going to be doing the face.  Application is fairly straight forward, like any other wheel coating you may have previously used.  You will want to thoroughly clean and decontaminate the surface your placing the coating on.

KMG - VM1 X

I sprayed the wheel down with some Meguiar’s Wheel Brighter and agitated with a wheel brush for the initial cleaning.  As mentioned earlier I am only going to be coating the face on these wheels so I did not clean into the barrels on the wheels.  It should be noted that you do want to get the wheel as clean as possible before applying the coating.

KMG - VM1 X

I followed up the washing process with a quick pass of Meguiar’s M205 to further clean up the surface. The wheel was then sprayed with Eraser for a final wipe down before the coating installation, you could also use an IPA for the wipe down if you do not have Eraser.  Typically, it would be a good idea to use a product like Iron-X on the wheel to remove any brakes dust or iron deposits on the surface of the wheel.

KMG - VM1 X

At this point you have a nice clean surface to being the installation.  I typically like to airbrush wheel coatings, but due to the higher cost of this product I will hand apply the product as there is far less product wasted when applied by hand.  You will want to be certain the surface is cool and completely dry before beginning application of the coating.

Here are the applications that are recommended by 22ple and posted on Detailed Image.

22ple Application Instructions:

  1. Ensure the surface is cleaned & polished.
  2. Remove all oil/polishes on the surface by doing an IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) wipe down. Use a mixture of 50% Isopropyl Alcohol with 50% distilled water.
  3. Please make sure the surfaces are cool and TOTALLY dry before applying the glass coat.
  4. Pour a small amount of glass coat liquid onto the 22ple Glass Coat Applicator (Double Sided) and apply to the metal surface. Do not over-apply as it does not give you additional benefit, but it might make it difficult to remove.
  5. Allow approximately 6~10 minutes of dwell time (at 25 degrees C / 77 degrees F) or slightly longer in colder (below 20 degrees C / 68 degrees F) ambient temperature. Lightly buff off all coating residue with a clean microfiber towel.
  6. Allow approx. 4~6 hours for the coating to settle, reapply a second layer as necessary.
  7. It is highly recommended to cure the coated surface under infrared curing lamp.
  8. If you choose to cure the glass coat with the aid of infra-red curing lamp. You may use the following settings as a guideline: Set temperature at 65 degrees C / 150 degrees F, cure for between 6 to 8 minutes at a distance of 2 feet

Durability: 3~5 Years
Recommended: 2~3 Layers, Applied 4~6 hours apart

KMG - VM1 X

For application of the product you can use a 22ple double side applicator or a 4″ x 4″ Carpro Suede Applicator like I used during this application, as I have many of them laying around.  You want to apply the product on the entire wheel taking care to apply the product evenly over the surface.  As shown in the picture below you will want to run a solid line of coating across the applicator to begin applying the coating.

KMG - VM1 X

After being allowed to sit for roughly 5 minutes or slightly longer if applied in cooler temps, you will want to take a clean microfiber clothe and lightly buff off any high spots or remaining coating residue.  It is recommended to allow the coating to cure for minimum of 4-6 hours, although 22ple highly recommends that you cure the coating with an IR curing lamp at a temp of 150ºF for 6-8 minutes.  At this point you can apply additional coating for enhanced durability.  22ple is claiming 3-5 years of durability with 2-3 coats applied to the surface.

KMG - VM1 X

If you are tired of spending a good amount of time trying to clean your wheels, a wheel coating is the perfect option for you.  Wheel cleaning has never been so quick and simple!

Kevin M. George
KMG Detailing
Lebanon, PA
KMGDetailing.com
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10 comments on Product Review: 22ple VM1 Extreme Rim and Metal Coating

  1. Kevin Fleharty says:

    ??? It should be noted you do not want to get the wheel as clean as possible before applying the coating ? Was that a typo or should you leave them a little dirty?

    • Reece @ DI says:

      Kevin – I see the line, “It should be noted that you do want to get the wheel as clean as possible before applying the coating.”, but I can not find something that says “do not”. If I am missing it please let me know and I will take care of it asap!

      Also, you want to be sure that you want to always get the wheel as clean as possible before applying the VM1.

  2. Angel Ricado says:

    Would the product work as great if you don’t have the curing lamp. I’m going to start playing with some coatings(I know I’m late)and i don’t really want to drop a lot of money for the lamps just yet.
    Would a heat gun help with the curing or will it hurt it?

    • Kevin George says:

      Angel, you do not need to have curing lamps for coatings. The biggest benefit of the curing lamp is that it speeds up the curing process. You would be just fine leaving it cure on its own, or if it is a nice sunny day just park the car outside in the sunlight.

  3. Barry Boches says:

    im a little confused, are you supposed to buff it lightly after the 5 minutes, or are you supposed to wait the hours for it to cure first.

    I used this on my black chrome wheels and wiped/buffed with microfiber after 6 to 8 minutes…the next day there were some areas that looked dull, like I hadn’t wiped it off enough…now what, do i need to remove the product and start over? And how would you polish the small section of the wheels (2016 Z06), too tight for a machine polisher I think…HELP PLEASE

    • Kevin George says:

      Barry, sorry for the delayed response. You will need to lightly buff or level the coating after a few minutes like you did. However, when working with coatings it is important to make sure you have leveled or removed all high spots on the surface or you will run into the situation your describing. You likely missed some areas when you were wiping resulting in high spots that have cured on the wheels. You will need to polish those areas to remove the coating and reapply. This is where a tool like the Flex PE8 or new Rupes Ibrid are handy. I am currently working on a 2014 Corvette Stingray with gloss black wheels that had a poor repair done on them and are covered in over spray. I have been using the PE8 with small pads to remove the over spray with 2″ pads.

  4. Mike says:

    I have freshly chromed wheels that look awesome now. If I use this coating, is it completely clear or is there some loss of transparency with use of this?

    • Kevin George says:

      Mike, the coating will be clear once it us cured. Just be sure that the product is completely leveled or you could run into an issue like the comment above, where you have high spots of product that are visible.

  5. Russ says:

    Thanks Kevin for the article and your comments. Looks like you’ve tried most of the coatings for wheel applications, have you developed a favorite product and application method (by hand or airbrush) for wheels? If your favorite is a “pro” product do you have a “close second” that us non-pros can get. I have a some new mat-black “spyder” type wheels and was hoping to get your thoughts.

    • Kevin George says:

      Russ, I do have some favorites. For airbrushing my favorite is a Pro only coating, however if your applying by hand 22ple VM1 is a nice product and very easy to use. DLUX can also be a nice option, however the application won’t be as easy as VM1. I would probably recommend 22ple VM1 though for hand application.

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