how does everyone go about waxing your truck

tpepp1527 · August 29, 2006

do you polish/clean your truck first, then wax or it, or just wax it? What is the best thing to do for cleaning my truck? What type of product does everybody perfer, i hear Zaino, poop boys, i am not sure please help me out.

OUMike · August 30, 2006

do you polish/clean your truck first, then wax or it, or just wax it? What is the best thing to do for cleaning my truck? What type of product does everybody perfer, i hear Zaino, poop boys, i am not sure please help me out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Welcome to the board first of all.

One of the most crutial steps in detailing is washing. Use a good soap and dry with 100% cotton or microfiber towels. When you dry, dry in one direction to avoid any serious marring and swirling.

After you wash and dry you wanna go through the paint clean step. Meguiar's Quik Clay system is great. It's about $15 or so I believe at most local autoparts store. Any good clay system will work good.

To clay I like to use spray bottle with water and car soap. This makes for a great lubricant, and allows you to use the Detailer later on after you've waxed and what not. Spray the area you intend to clay (about 2 foot sections) with your homemade lube ( ) about 2 feet at a time and run the clay bar over the area. Be sure to go in one direction and clay each section until you get it nice and smooth. The clay works to remove any contaminants and what not from your paint.

After claying comes the polish step. If you've got a newer truck with a good paint I'd go with Meguiars #83 or Meguair's Deep Crystal Polish. Both of these are nonabrasive polishes that will leave a nice full look. If you're looking to remove swirls go wiht Meguiar's #80, then be sure to follow up with #83.

Some of the guys will talk a lot about paint sealers. I just picked up a bottle of Meguiar's NXT Tech Wax which is supposed to be the new thing. However if you want to paint seal, be sure to do this step after you wax because the NXT also has some microabrasives that will remove the sealer.

I've been reading quite a bit about this sort of thing lately. I have a much older pickup, with a very good finish for its age and I'm interested in maintaining it as best I can. I'll be doing the two step polish here pretty soon. I'll post my results.

Here are a couple of post clay/polish photos.

Sporting the 200k logo.

Hope this helps =)

tpepp1527 · August 31, 2006

Thanks for the good info, it definatley helps.

OUMike · September 5, 2006

you bet. Theres a lot of good help on Meguiars forums as well. Good luck, and dont' forget to post pictures

Schmids5.3l · September 5, 2006

Almost looks as clean as my truck Mike! hahah just kidding. I need to get my own digital camera and do a nice wax and get some good pics up. The pic in my signature was after I tryed some of that wax as you dry stuff. Im not a fan.

OUMike · September 5, 2006

Almost looks as clean as my truck Mike! hahah just kidding. I need to get my own digital camera and do a nice wax and get some good pics up. The pic in my signature was after I tryed some of that wax as you dry stuff. Im not a fan.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yea, you know me either. I actually dry my truck and apply the spray on wax like I would any other. I spray it on and let it film about 10 minutes. Then buff off. Seems to work pretty well that way. The NXT and others are definatly better options though.

Your trucks pretty nice man. I'd love to have that reg cab/5.3 combo.

Schmids5.3l · September 5, 2006

Thanks, so far its the only thing I can thank the Army for lol besides a conversation with ladies. Since I have pretty much a full bottle of Turtle wax as you dry stuff I might try it dry. Not sure, dad wants to do a paste wax job with me, so we'll see.

OUMike · September 5, 2006

Thanks, so far its the only thing I can thank the Army for lol besides a conversation with ladies. Since I have pretty much a full bottle of Turtle wax as you dry stuff I might try it dry. Not sure, dad wants to do a paste wax job with me, so we'll see.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like the paste, but I definatly prefer the liquid. Those little spongy things they send drive me nuts though. I'm always dropping them on the ground. Definatly glad I got a buffer for my birthday. Makes life easier.