Do you ceramic coat both sides of the wheel?
Quick answer: We coat the visible faces as standard. We can also coat the inner barrels if the wheels are removed, which takes longer and costs extra. We avoid hubs, mating faces and braking surfaces.
No, we don't. We only coat the face of the wheel, and we have good reasons for that.
Yes, some people remove all four wheels when they clean their car. Hard to believe, but a few enthusiasts do. Our average customer is more average than that. They don't take their car to shows, they're not trying to keep it in concourse condition, and they're not paying a professional detailer to take the wheels off every fortnight to clean the backs.
Even our customers with Aston Martins, Maseratis and Porsches aren't going to those lengths. They just want the car protected so it looks newer for longer and is easier to keep clean.
In those cases, even with a ceramic coating on the back of the wheel, it's hard to clean and unlikely to ever be kept like new. Unless you're very diligent and cleaning back there often, black brake dust will collect.
With that in mind, it's better to let the area behind the face -- the bit you can see through the spokes -- go black. For customers who are bothered by it, we've recommended our wheel company paint that area matte black so the brake dust simply doesn't show.
Likewise, we don't coat brake callipers unless you ask us to. It's something we can and regularly do on cars where the callipers are a feature, and we've even arranged for callipers to be repainted in bright custom colours. Most customers aren't concerned about it though, and on most cars the callipers aren't meant to draw attention anyway.
Back to wheels. There's a trade-off. In a few years, if you want to sell the car or give it a make-over to keep it longer, the wheels may look tired. The chances you haven't scuffed a rim or picked up a bit of corrosion by then are pretty small.
Wheel refurbishment has come down in price over recent years. You have to weigh that against the time and effort of getting behind the spokes with a wheel brush every couple of weeks to keep the backs shiny and silver.
Our recommendation, if this is something you care about, is to have the backs painted matte black so the brake dust doesn't show, rather than ceramic coat them and set yourself up for a lifetime of scrubbing.
To summarise: as standard, we coat the wheel forward of the face. We don't coat the backs or the inner barrel behind the face. If the design makes that area an eyesore, get it painted black. If you want it ceramic coated, we'll do it -- it will help with cleaning -- but you're buying yourself a thankless task.
What this question is really about
When people ask whether both sides of a wheel get coated, they're usually weighing cost against benefit. The visible face is obvious. The inner barrel is sometimes visible on sporty saloons, so the value isn't always clear-cut.
Why the front face is prioritised
The outer face is what you see every day and where appearance matters most. It's also easier to keep clean once coated, because brake dust releases more readily during a normal wash. Ceramic coating makes a big difference on wheel faces -- you no longer need strong cleaners and hand brushing to keep them clear of black marks.
What makes the inner barrel different
The inner barrel lives in a much harsher environment. It's exposed to concentrated brake dust, heat, road grime and moisture, and it's rarely cleaned thoroughly during a routine wash because it's hard to get to.
- Higher brake dust accumulation
- Greater heat cycling from braking
- Limited access for safe cleaning
Why inner wheel coating isn't included by default
Coating the inner barrel properly takes far more time and access. Wheels have to come off and the decontamination and paintwork preparation are more detailed, which changes the scope of the job. Even with all that done, the ongoing upkeep is a chore only the most dedicated enthusiasts will stick with.
- Extra preparation and decontamination time
- Increased labour rather than just extra product
- Diminishing visual return for most owners
When coating both sides makes the most sense
- Performance or high-brake-dust vehicles
- Show cars that are rarely driven
- Concourse owners who want easier long-term maintenance
Common misunderstandings
- Coating the inside doesn't reduce how much brake dust the car produces
- It doesn't make wheels maintenance-free
Best-practice checklist
- Be clear whether inner wheel coating is included or optional
- Confirm whether the wheels are removed for preparation
- Use coatings rated for high-temperature environments
- Accept that inner barrels will still need regular detailed cleaning
What this means for owners
Coating both sides of a wheel isn't automatically better for everyone. It can be a practical upgrade, and whether it's worthwhile depends on how the car is used and maintained.
Wheel corrosion
Alloy wheels often develop blisters of corrosion. It can happen anywhere the paintwork is broken -- stone chips, for instance -- but very often it starts where paint is thin, such as around the bolt holes or from the back of the wheel. When wheels are painted at the factory, the backs don't get much attention. Even on dipped wheels, the edge where the face meets the back is sharp and the paint there can be very thin.
Would a ceramic coating help? It could, but it's far from guaranteed. We put a lot of work into preparing surfaces before coating, and the back of a wheel is usually not an ideal surface to start with. It also takes a lot of punishment.