Here in Central Oregon ODOT fights icy roads with a chemical called Magnesium Chloride, which is made from salt.  Salt loves to corrode Aluminum and, given a little time over the winter without a good wash, can ruin a wheel’s finish.  We see this on after-market polished aluminum wheels, but the most common repair is factory alloy wheels with a machined finish. (see photo)  What happens is the clear coat over the machined part gets a rock chip exposing the aluminum to the magnesium chloride and from there the chemical begins to “worm” itself under the clear coat in search of new metal to corrode.  In most cases we recommend powder coating your wheels to eliminate the damage and prevent the corrosion from ever coming back.  People typically opt for colors somewhere along the silver, charcoal and black spectrum, but you’ve probably noticed a few cars around with pink or green or red wheels…not by our choice.