Detailing/Waxing 2020 RAM Limited

[mikeru82]

It's not the clay bar that's abrasive, it's the process, as you are still picking up debris and rubbing it on the paint, no matter how much you fold you it, so YMMV.

Cheers,

Well, if you want to get technical about it, you are causing scratches any time you touch the paint on a vehicle, with anything. So using detail spray and a micro fiber cloth is abrasive by your definition. You're right that the debris you are removing with the clay can cause micro scratches, but no more so than washing with a wash mitt. Your claim that you have to follow the clay process with a machine polish is absurd. And it's gonna scare people off who might benefit from doing a clay on their truck. I will agree that you don't have to do it very often, but you also don't have to wait until you can feel it in the paint. Twice a year works well for me. For anyone who wants to know how to clay a vehicle, there are plenty of videos available online.

 

[Neurobit]

Well, if you want to get technical about it, you are causing scratches any time you touch the paint on a vehicle, with anything. So using detail spray and a micro fiber cloth is abrasive by your definition. You're right that the debris you are removing with the clay can cause micro scratches, but no more so than washing with a wash mitt. Your claim that you have to follow the clay process with a machine polish is absurd. And it's gonna scare people off who might benefit from doing a clay on their truck. I will agree that you don't have to do it very often, but you also don't have to wait until you can feel it in the paint. Twice a year works well for me. For anyone who wants to know how to clay a vehicle, there are plenty of videos available online.

What's absurd is equating clay to a wash mitt, and that you should do it just because. But whatever dude. To each their own.
Not trying to scare anyone, just make them aware of potential issues that I have experienced personally.

Cheers,

 

[5thGenRebel_AMK]

My semi annual process (spring/fall) is wash, clay bar, machine polish, paint sealant, H20 Guard & Gloss. All of these products I use now are Adam's, however I used to use Griot's and can't say much bad about them.
All other detail sessions are just maintenance washes (wash, dry with H20 Guard and Gloss). I treat all trim/plastics with VRT, and i make sure i do the windows with the H20 guard and gloss as well.
To me, clay bars are critical to use before you apply any type of paint sealant/wax so that the product you apply actually bonds with the paint. You wouldn't believe all the crap thats stuck on your paint even after a wash.

 

[mikeru82]

What's absurd is equating clay to a wash mitt, and that you should do it just because. But whatever dude. To each their own.
Not trying to scare anyone, just make them aware of potential issues that I have experienced personally.

Cheers,

Thanks for cherry picking those two videos to show us where you got your information. For every "scary" video or article about how bad claying is there are dozens that talk about the benefits of claying. I'm at work and can't post videos. Besides that, I'm not interested in a video posting contest. People can google it themselves. Suffice it to say that technique is important. Just like a lot of other things we can do to our trucks. Which is why I suggested watching videos on how to do it properly. Do something the wrong way and you can cause damage. Do it the correct way and you'll enjoy the benefits. You can do damage to your paint by washing improperly or with the wrong products. If you've experienced issues you were doing something wrong or using the wrong product.

 

[Pmostafa]

Hello,

I used Adams polish ceramic wax after prepping the paint and I’m happy with the results. I’m also planning testing the last coat spray in the coming weeks I’ll let you know how that works. For a quick wipe down of your car Griots garage detailer is amazing. Clean your truck in 10 minutes no water no soap. Just spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth.

 

[Shake N Bake]

Don’t be afraid of a clay bar, but I’d only use it if necessary. I took my truck home the day after it arrived and my paint was a mess. A good test to determine if you need to clay is take a plastic sandwich bag or zip lock bag, place your hand in the bag and gently rub your paint (freshly washed car obviously). You will feel the contaminants, it will be like dragging your hand on concrete. Clay that same section of paint and try the plastic bag again and you will see the difference. When I clay a vehicle, I generally wash it once, then wash it a second time with Dawn dish soap and use the clay bar with the Dawn soap, this is a good lubricant and helps strip old wax. Then machine polish (I prefer an orbital with Griots Correcting Cream) and then apply whatever protectant you like. Autogeek, Chem Guys, Griots all have good products.

 

[5thGenRebel_AMK]

Don’t be afraid of a clay bar, but I’d only use it if necessary. I took my truck home the day after it arrived and my paint was a mess. A good test to determine if you need to clay is take a plastic sandwich bag or zip lock bag, place your hand in the bag and gently rub your paint (freshly washed car obviously). You will feel the contaminants, it will be like dragging your hand on concrete. Clay that same section of paint and try the plastic bag again and you will see the difference. When I clay a vehicle, I generally wash it once, then wash it a second time with Dawn dish soap and use the clay bar with the Dawn soap, this is a good lubricant and helps strip old wax. Then machine polish (I prefer an orbital with Griots Correcting Cream) and then apply whatever protectant you like. Autogeek, Chem Guys, Griots all have good products.

all great stuff! have you ever looked into getting a strip wash from one of those companys? I've used a lot of Griots products and i currently prefer adam's, and i know that they all have strip washes designed to take off any previously applied wax/sealant products, without causing any unwanted damage that dawn dish soap can cause.

 

[69385vette]

I really like the ease of applying and removing Black Fire One Step. Clay if needed, apply by hand or DA polisher, let fully dry and buff off with a microfiber towel. Contains Carnuba and a very light polish for surface cleaning. Applying with a DA, will remove light swirls. Can be found at Autogeek.net.

 

[Timeless]

Thanks Timeless!!!! Those Carpro products look AMAZING!!!!!! Now I'm on information overload!!! How do you know what and how much and when - I mean there are ceramic coats - base coats - top coats - one could get carried away quickly!!! This is going to get expensive!!!!

Welcome to the addiction.

It can get quite pricey by the time you fork out for the hardware, pads, products, etc. And that does not include your time and labor.

It is important to decide how much you want to invest on both. On a new vehicle it is easier unless you want show quality.

On mine I basically did a proper wash, used iron-x to remove iron deposits (can come from vehicle transport, brake pads, etc), re-wash, proper dry, Carpro Erasure, felt paint to see if it needed a clay bar which it did not, so no need for a polish either, Carpro reload on paint (second coat a few hours later), Carpro Hydr02 on wheels (stuff is AMAZING...spray on wet clean wheels and rinse off...done), Carpro Perl (diluted properly) for tires, rubber, vinyl. Carpro Leather ceramic coating to add another layer of protection to the leather...easy to apply. Chemical guys leather cleaner/protector for the occasional cleaning of the leather on the dash, door surrounds, seats, seat backs, etc. I'll re-do the Carpro reload about every 4-6 months and check to see if the paint is smooth or might need a claybar/polish. I just don't have the time or desire to do a full CQuartz ceramic on the outside of the truck. I did it on my last car (2019 Mustang GT/CS) and it is amazing. Water just falls off making washes so simple.

 

[LimitedDRP23]

Haven't seen anyone mention it on here, but Zaino makes pretty good products and most folks I know who use them (myself) included have had success. I use it on a Black Corvette and have had a lot of success. It can get spendy and can be very time consuming, but if you obsess over a great finish I recommend Zaino.


As far as my Ram, two bucket washing once a month and never a "soft touch" car wash. I may end up doing the Zaino thing with it, but its a lot of metal to cover. Of course.... can't really do anything else right now....

 

[kevinjones1997]

+1 to Turtle Wax Ice Seal-N-Shine. Amazing stuff.

 

[5thGenRebel_AMK]

Haven't seen anyone mention it on here, but Zaino makes pretty good products and most folks I know who use them (myself) included have had success. I use it on a Black Corvette and have had a lot of success. It can get spendy and can be very time consuming, but if you obsess over a great finish I recommend Zaino.
View attachment 52795

As far as my Ram, two bucket washing once a month and never a "soft touch" car wash. I may end up doing the Zaino thing with it, but its a lot of metal to cover. Of course.... can't really do anything else right now....

if anyone wants to go way overboard and learn way too much about detailing, check out Obsessed Garage on youtube. He has a website as well. Your post about Zaino reminded me of him. He's great at what he does with his cars!! As his name implies, he is indeed obsessed

 

[LimitedDRP23]

if anyone wants to go way overboard and learn way too much about detailing, check out Obsessed Garage on youtube. He has a website as well. Your post about Zaino reminded me of him. He's great at what he does with his cars!! As his name implies, he is indeed obsessed

I know who you are talking about..... Some of his videos are pretty good though. Occasionally I'll talk to myself... and it's usually the same four words.... "It's just a car"

 

[llackey23]

Welcome to the addiction.

It can get quite pricey by the time you fork out for the hardware, pads, products, etc. And that does not include your time and labor.

It is important to decide how much you want to invest on both. On a new vehicle it is easier unless you want show quality.

On mine I basically did a proper wash, used iron-x to remove iron deposits (can come from vehicle transport, brake pads, etc), re-wash, proper dry, Carpro Erasure, felt paint to see if it needed a clay bar which it did not, so no need for a polish either, Carpro reload on paint (second coat a few hours later), Carpro Hydr02 on wheels (stuff is AMAZING...spray on wet clean wheels and rinse off...done), Carpro Perl (diluted properly) for tires, rubber, vinyl. Carpro Leather ceramic coating to add another layer of protection to the leather...easy to apply. Chemical guys leather cleaner/protector for the occasional cleaning of the leather on the dash, door surrounds, seats, seat backs, etc. I'll re-do the Carpro reload about every 4-6 months and check to see if the paint is smooth or might need a claybar/polish. I just don't have the time or desire to do a full CQuartz ceramic on the outside of the truck. I did it on my last car (2019 Mustang GT/CS) and it is amazing. Water just falls off making washes so simple.

you ready for this??? I literally ordered $300.00 in Carpro stuff yesterday afternoon and overnighted it LMAO!!!! I got my box 30 minutes ago. Now my only issue is getting over the fear of using a DA on my brand new RAM 1500 - I am so nervous but I am reading the machine waxing/polishing is better than hand - just need to watch a couple hundred more videos. Also - what is reload? I got the whole shabang!! Quartz - Reload - Gliss - Eraser - yikes!!!!

 

[5thGenRebel_AMK]

you ready for this??? I literally ordered $300.00 in Carpro stuff yesterday afternoon and overnighted it LMAO!!!! I got my box 30 minutes ago. Now my only issue is getting over the fear of using a DA on my brand new RAM 1500 - I am so nervous but I am reading the machine waxing/polishing is better than hand - just need to watch a couple hundred more videos. Also - what is reload? I got the whole shabang!! Quartz - Reload - Gliss - Eraser - yikes!!!!

don't worry about the DA! youll be fine. definitely normal to be scared the first time lol i was the same way

 

[Timeless]

you ready for this??? I literally ordered $300.00 in Carpro stuff yesterday afternoon and overnighted it LMAO!!!! I got my box 30 minutes ago. Now my only issue is getting over the fear of using a DA on my brand new RAM 1500 - I am so nervous but I am reading the machine waxing/polishing is better than hand - just need to watch a couple hundred more videos. Also - what is reload? I got the whole shabang!! Quartz - Reload - Gliss - Eraser - yikes!!!!

Reload is what us lazy people use that do not want to do full ceramic CQuartz 3.0 UK/Gliss

don't worry about the DA! youll be fine. definitely normal to be scared the first time lol i was the same way

Yup yup. Watch the videos and everything should be ok. Biggest thing to remember is work in 2x2 panels if possible. It really is easy to get lazy and try for bigger areas on these trucks.

Start slow on the speed (2 setting) to get the product on the paint and then go up to about a 4 for a few passes. On a new truck I cannot imagine you need much correction at all.

Talk about scared? I used this on our 1990 Miata that is a single stage paint car...the pad turned red instantly. Thought I had taken all the paint off! Then realized what single stage paint meant and breathed a sigh of relief.

 

[Neurobit]

Don’t be afraid of a clay bar, but I’d only use it if necessary. I took my truck home the day after it arrived and my paint was a mess. A good test to determine if you need to clay is take a plastic sandwich bag or zip lock bag, place your hand in the bag and gently rub your paint (freshly washed car obviously). You will feel the contaminants, it will be like dragging your hand on concrete. Clay that same section of paint and try the plastic bag again and you will see the difference. When I clay a vehicle, I generally wash it once, then wash it a second time with Dawn dish soap and use the clay bar with the Dawn soap, this is a good lubricant and helps strip old wax. Then machine polish (I prefer an orbital with Griots Correcting Cream) and then apply whatever protectant you like. Autogeek, Chem Guys, Griots all have good products.

Spot on.

 

[llackey23]

Welcome to the addiction.

It can get quite pricey by the time you fork out for the hardware, pads, products, etc. And that does not include your time and labor.

It is important to decide how much you want to invest on both. On a new vehicle it is easier unless you want show quality.

On mine I basically did a proper wash, used iron-x to remove iron deposits (can come from vehicle transport, brake pads, etc), re-wash, proper dry, Carpro Erasure, felt paint to see if it needed a clay bar which it did not, so no need for a polish either, Carpro reload on paint (second coat a few hours later), Carpro Hydr02 on wheels (stuff is AMAZING...spray on wet clean wheels and rinse off...done), Carpro Perl (diluted properly) for tires, rubber, vinyl. Carpro Leather ceramic coating to add another layer of protection to the leather...easy to apply. Chemical guys leather cleaner/protector for the occasional cleaning of the leather on the dash, door surrounds, seats, seat backs, etc. I'll re-do the Carpro reload about every 4-6 months and check to see if the paint is smooth or might need a claybar/polish. I just don't have the time or desire to do a full CQuartz ceramic on the outside of the truck. I did it on my last car (2019 Mustang GT/CS) and it is amazing. Water just falls off making washes so simple.

Timeless - what do you use for tires? I see the above but do you use anything to scrub or agitate dirt? I know my old school way is the brillo pad(steel Wool) but I am most positive that I am harming the tire ha! Let me know what you do for tires/wheels

 

[Timeless]

Timeless - what do you use for tires? I see the above but do you use anything to scrub or agitate dirt? I know my old school way is the brillo pad(steel Wool) but I am most positive that I am harming the tire ha! Let me know what you do for tires/wheels

For tires you can use any decent degreaser along with a stiff brush. If you watch Pan's videos he uses a stiff brush and once the foam is white it is clean. If the foam is brownish you rinse and do it again till it is white.

You can combine a wheel cleaner to use for the wheels and tires...especially if you put it in a foam cannon/sprayer. Can also do the wheel well areas.

As far as tire dressing, Carpro Perl diluted for exterior vinyl/rubber works great with a nice matte finish and no sling.

 

[Samantha Nichols]

I have a suggestion for you that is Meguiar’s M5032. One remarkable benefit I discovered about this RV wax is that it contains chemical cleaners designed to eliminate minor swirls, light oxidation, scratches, and haze from your marine or RV. It also makes use of a non-abrasive formula designed to clean, protect, and polish your RV using just a single, uncomplicated step. This is also my favorite feature of it. I think you can try it.