I’ve heard a lot about ZoopSeal, but I could never find anyone with first-hand experience with the product. Well, I purchased a ZoopSeal kit a couple of weeks ago and just finished applying it. Here’s a full report…
WHAT IS ZOOPSEAL?
For those who don’t know, ZoopSeal is a ceramic sealer that bonds into the pores of aluminum and prevents oxidation. This keeps polished materials (like AFS polished wheels) from becoming dull and needing to be regularly polished. Once treated with ZoopSeal, polished aluminum will maintain its shine for up to 2-3 years without polishing. ZoopSeal won’t yellow, chip or peel.
ZoopSeal has been featured in various magazine articles and TV shows (Trucks, HorsePower TV, etc). You can view the different video segments at the ZoopSeal website.
I just ZoopSealed a set of AFS 17x9 and 17x10.5” polished ’03 Cobra wheels. The process is a bit time-consuming, but considering that I won’t have to polish the wheels again for 2-3 years, I think it was worth the effort. Here’s an overview of my ZoopSeal experience:
BENEFITS:
No more polishing
Excellent durability (2-3 years)
Excellent coverage (a ZoopSeal kit covers 75 sq ft, or about 20 sets of wheels!)
Easy cleaning (you clean ZoopSealed items with mild soap and water…as if they were chrome)
NEGATIVES:
Expensive! A ZoopSeal kit with shipping and tax is a whopping $150.
Moderately involved application process.
Once ZoopSeal has been mixed, it only lasts about 2 weeks.
Somewhat inconsistent instructions. :shrug:
BOTTOM LINE:
I would use ZoopSeal again. However, I’ll give you this word of advice: Only mix up as much ZoopSeal as you’ll need (less than a shotglass full will do 4 wheels easily…read my instructions below for more info). The printed ZoopSeal instructions say it’s OK to do partial mixes, while the video instructions tell you to mix it all up at once. I mixed up the whole container like the video said. Once you mix it up, it’s only good for 2 weeks. I only used about 10% of the mixture on 4 wheels…and the other 90% is going to waste. For as much as the stuff costs, they should get their instructions straightened out!!! :nonono:
*** EDIT: Since I first wrote this, ZoopSeal has released a kit specifically for sealing a set of 4 wheels. It's available from Eastwood and sells for $99.99. Not cheap, but better than the price of their regular kit.
HOW DO YOU APPLY ZOOPSEAL?
The application process is a specific set of steps. As with anything, follow the instructions carefully for best results. They include printed instructions and video instructions in the kit. The video instructions are also viewable at their website.
Here’s an overview of the application instructions with some of my own commentary thrown in:
1. Start with a previously polished part
ZoopSeal isn’t a cleaner or polish. It’s going to seal the finish that’s already on the item (no matter how good OR bad it is). So if you ZoopSeal a dull wheel, it’s going to stay looking dull after it’s been sealed. So get your parts all shined up BEFORE you ZoopSeal them!!!
2. Get the part “squeaky” clean
Using the special cleaner supplied in the ZoopSeal kit, clean the part really well and rinse it with DISTILLED water. After the item is absolutely dry, go on to the next step.
3. Mix up the ZoopSeal
ZoopSeal is actually a clear, two-part liquid compound that comes in separate bottles. You combine the two liquids into one bottle, shake it up, and wait about 2 hours for the liquids to fully combine to become ZoopSeal. The resulting mixture will become a slightly yellowish transluscent liquid (NOT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR like the instructions say!!!). Like I mentioned before, don’t mix it all up if you’re just doing a set of wheels! You'll end up wasting 90% of your $150 product!!!!! :mj:
4. Apply the ZoopSeal
SLIGHTLY dampen a small section of the supplied lint-free towelette with the ZoopSeal mixture. DO NOT SOAK the towelette with ZoopSeal. It only needs to be damp. If you wring out the towelette and ZoopSeal drips off…you’re probably using too much.
Wipe the damp towelette over the surface of the item one time. Don’t rub it in, and you don’t need to wipe over an area more than once. ZoopSeal will flow into the pores of the item, even though it looks like you’re barely covering the surface.
NOTE: This is probably the hardest part of the process to follow. I say this because you’ll have yourself convinced that you aren’t putting enough ZoopSeal onto the surface of the item…and you’ll start applying more. If you apply too much, it’ll just make Step 6 harder. I had my towelette soaked and it worked OK…but I’ll know better next time. Now I know why the instructions repeatedly say “MORE IS DEFINITELY NOT BETTER!”
Let me put it to you this way: I ZoopSealed the entire surface of 4 Cobra wheels (front/back and inside/outside of rim) and used less than a SHOT-GLASS full of ZoopSeal. If you are just sealing the front sides of your wheels…you can probably do it with a thimble full of ZoopSeal.
5. Let the ZoopSeal dry
The directions say it can take 2-24 hours for the ZoopSeal to dry (that’s a heck of a time variation!!!). I’d say let it sit for 2-4 hours and then see if it’s dry to the touch. When it dries, you might notice a slight “rainbow” effect on the surface of the material…or the surface may even look very slightly tarnished. Don’t panic…this is normal. If you are ZoopSealing an unpolished surface, the surface is now sealed and you are done. If you are ZoopSealing a polished surface, go on to the next step.
6. Apply the Final Seal Polish
The ZoopSeal kit includes a bottle of special polish/sealer. ONLY USE THIS ON POLISHED SURFACES that have been ZoopSealed. Polish the surfaces with the Final Seal and buff it off with a clean towel. The rainbow/tarnished look will disappear and the shine will come back. You don’t have to polish very hard to achieve a shiny finish…UNLESS you used too much ZoopSeal in Step 4. (pay attention to what I’m telling you in step 4!!!)
7. Allow the ZoopSeal time to cure
Wait at least 24 hours for the ZoopSeal to cure before using the item. The instructions say it will be fully cured in 7 days. I waited 3 days before I had my tires mounted on the wheels.
I'll check back in a couple of years and let you know if my polished wheels still look good :-D
-Greg
WHAT IS ZOOPSEAL?
For those who don’t know, ZoopSeal is a ceramic sealer that bonds into the pores of aluminum and prevents oxidation. This keeps polished materials (like AFS polished wheels) from becoming dull and needing to be regularly polished. Once treated with ZoopSeal, polished aluminum will maintain its shine for up to 2-3 years without polishing. ZoopSeal won’t yellow, chip or peel.
ZoopSeal has been featured in various magazine articles and TV shows (Trucks, HorsePower TV, etc). You can view the different video segments at the ZoopSeal website.
I just ZoopSealed a set of AFS 17x9 and 17x10.5” polished ’03 Cobra wheels. The process is a bit time-consuming, but considering that I won’t have to polish the wheels again for 2-3 years, I think it was worth the effort. Here’s an overview of my ZoopSeal experience:
BENEFITS:
No more polishing
Excellent durability (2-3 years)
Excellent coverage (a ZoopSeal kit covers 75 sq ft, or about 20 sets of wheels!)
Easy cleaning (you clean ZoopSealed items with mild soap and water…as if they were chrome)
NEGATIVES:
Expensive! A ZoopSeal kit with shipping and tax is a whopping $150.
Moderately involved application process.
Once ZoopSeal has been mixed, it only lasts about 2 weeks.
Somewhat inconsistent instructions. :shrug:
BOTTOM LINE:
I would use ZoopSeal again. However, I’ll give you this word of advice: Only mix up as much ZoopSeal as you’ll need (less than a shotglass full will do 4 wheels easily…read my instructions below for more info). The printed ZoopSeal instructions say it’s OK to do partial mixes, while the video instructions tell you to mix it all up at once. I mixed up the whole container like the video said. Once you mix it up, it’s only good for 2 weeks. I only used about 10% of the mixture on 4 wheels…and the other 90% is going to waste. For as much as the stuff costs, they should get their instructions straightened out!!! :nonono:
*** EDIT: Since I first wrote this, ZoopSeal has released a kit specifically for sealing a set of 4 wheels. It's available from Eastwood and sells for $99.99. Not cheap, but better than the price of their regular kit.
HOW DO YOU APPLY ZOOPSEAL?
The application process is a specific set of steps. As with anything, follow the instructions carefully for best results. They include printed instructions and video instructions in the kit. The video instructions are also viewable at their website.
Here’s an overview of the application instructions with some of my own commentary thrown in:
1. Start with a previously polished part
ZoopSeal isn’t a cleaner or polish. It’s going to seal the finish that’s already on the item (no matter how good OR bad it is). So if you ZoopSeal a dull wheel, it’s going to stay looking dull after it’s been sealed. So get your parts all shined up BEFORE you ZoopSeal them!!!
2. Get the part “squeaky” clean
Using the special cleaner supplied in the ZoopSeal kit, clean the part really well and rinse it with DISTILLED water. After the item is absolutely dry, go on to the next step.
3. Mix up the ZoopSeal
ZoopSeal is actually a clear, two-part liquid compound that comes in separate bottles. You combine the two liquids into one bottle, shake it up, and wait about 2 hours for the liquids to fully combine to become ZoopSeal. The resulting mixture will become a slightly yellowish transluscent liquid (NOT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR like the instructions say!!!). Like I mentioned before, don’t mix it all up if you’re just doing a set of wheels! You'll end up wasting 90% of your $150 product!!!!! :mj:
4. Apply the ZoopSeal
SLIGHTLY dampen a small section of the supplied lint-free towelette with the ZoopSeal mixture. DO NOT SOAK the towelette with ZoopSeal. It only needs to be damp. If you wring out the towelette and ZoopSeal drips off…you’re probably using too much.
Wipe the damp towelette over the surface of the item one time. Don’t rub it in, and you don’t need to wipe over an area more than once. ZoopSeal will flow into the pores of the item, even though it looks like you’re barely covering the surface.
NOTE: This is probably the hardest part of the process to follow. I say this because you’ll have yourself convinced that you aren’t putting enough ZoopSeal onto the surface of the item…and you’ll start applying more. If you apply too much, it’ll just make Step 6 harder. I had my towelette soaked and it worked OK…but I’ll know better next time. Now I know why the instructions repeatedly say “MORE IS DEFINITELY NOT BETTER!”
Let me put it to you this way: I ZoopSealed the entire surface of 4 Cobra wheels (front/back and inside/outside of rim) and used less than a SHOT-GLASS full of ZoopSeal. If you are just sealing the front sides of your wheels…you can probably do it with a thimble full of ZoopSeal.
5. Let the ZoopSeal dry
The directions say it can take 2-24 hours for the ZoopSeal to dry (that’s a heck of a time variation!!!). I’d say let it sit for 2-4 hours and then see if it’s dry to the touch. When it dries, you might notice a slight “rainbow” effect on the surface of the material…or the surface may even look very slightly tarnished. Don’t panic…this is normal. If you are ZoopSealing an unpolished surface, the surface is now sealed and you are done. If you are ZoopSealing a polished surface, go on to the next step.
6. Apply the Final Seal Polish
The ZoopSeal kit includes a bottle of special polish/sealer. ONLY USE THIS ON POLISHED SURFACES that have been ZoopSealed. Polish the surfaces with the Final Seal and buff it off with a clean towel. The rainbow/tarnished look will disappear and the shine will come back. You don’t have to polish very hard to achieve a shiny finish…UNLESS you used too much ZoopSeal in Step 4. (pay attention to what I’m telling you in step 4!!!)
7. Allow the ZoopSeal time to cure
Wait at least 24 hours for the ZoopSeal to cure before using the item. The instructions say it will be fully cured in 7 days. I waited 3 days before I had my tires mounted on the wheels.
I'll check back in a couple of years and let you know if my polished wheels still look good :-D
-Greg
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