Tire Dressing

[Bob Bidonde]

Digging around on the internet, I read that tire dressings with silicone are harmful to the rubber in tires, especially those dressings with petroleum products in them.



Professional detailers recommend using a quality water base tire dressing without silicone that leaves the tire looking like fresh new rubber (no glossy shine). They also recommend that the tire be cleaned with soapy water before applying any dressing.


What tire dressing are you using?

[leo]

Hey Bob, I posted this quite some time ago:
Armorall Extreme Tire Shine GEL, put this on blackwalls a couple of years ago. Slowly began to notice the tires appeared to be checked and turned a mustard brown color. It was this product oxidizing on the surface of the tires. Had to scrub like a banshee to get the stuff off and now the tires look nice again.......
After that the mustard brown came back and it was not until I used mineral spirits which some one recommended was I able to finally remove that crap.

[katy]

What tire dressing are you using?

None, don't use it. My cars look the way they are, not dressed up for Saturday night show off.

[duke36]

May want to try this stuff from Miller's. We've also used it on rubber running boards on various classics. It's water based.

[Werner]

I used "Armor all" three or four times. Now the 1/2 year old Firestones showes fine cracks in the white flanks.

[Gary WA]

Armor all not good, I use Griots Vinyl and rubber on tires and tops of my A's,just my take on it!!

[whirnot]

I have always used Bleche white on my whitewalls. Nothing but soap and water on the others.

[01A]

I agree with Duke36 on using the M.E. Miller Black Tire Paint. I have a nice set of Firestone's that had a mustard brown color that I could not clean up or remove, seemed embedded in the rubber as a permanent stain. I used the Miller Black Tire Paint and it made the black tire look new again. If you get it on the White walls wipe it off before it sets in. It's water based so will wipe off if you get it immediately, however if your intent is to turn your white walls into black walls it will do that after 3 or four coats. I've done just that since the white walls were also discolored and could not be cleaned up. Now I cannot tell which side of the tire was the white side. Both sides look like a new black wall tire.

[JRShaw]

01A - Wow - Thank You!! I just got a set of '31 running boards, and there are brownish stain areas which will not scrub off, wash off or anything else. The Millers should do it for me. I had considered RIT fabric dye, but this solves the problem.

[loubob]

"Eagle One Tire Shine Swipes"


Contains water & silicone


Dries to an excellent, non- shiny, finish!!!


For blackwalls only.

[Bob Bidonde]

I just tried Armorall Tire Cleaner with a plastic bristle brush. After 3 attempts to clean the yellowish film off of the tires each wheel, there is still traces of the yellowish stuff on the tires. However, the Armorall did remove a lot of the film, just not enough.



My next attempt will be Armorall Tire Cleaner with a Scotchbrite scrub pad or a steel wool pad if necessary.

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Originally Posted by Gary WA

Armor all not good, I use Griots Vinyl and rubber on tires and tops of my A's,just my take on it!!

I just googled this, and watched the video. Looks like good stuff— water-based. Too bad I didn’t read this on Friday, because I swung by Griots in Tacoma and picked up the car washing supplies donation for the regional meet in Bellevue.

[History]

The best way I've found to clean tires is get stuck in wet snow. I know that sounds rediculous and I'm not seriously recommending it but I have been stuck before and it cleans the tires like new. You have to be in the right snow though and of course the tires cant hit the dirt below.


Armourall is junk as far as I'm concerned and I don't use anything on tires because most of the stuff I've tried leaves the brownish yellow crap behind later.

I might try some of the stuff mentioned.

[katy]

These work good for cleaning whitewalls: https://www.amazon.com/pack-Steel-Wo.../dp/B07MRKSGQB

[Jeff/Illinois]

Car detailers always said to stay far away from Armor All, it will ruin what you put it on. Dries out the parts and develops cracks.

I ruined a set of tires on one of our Model A's from using the stuff back in the '70's before I didn't know any better. Also ruined the dash pad on my '67 Ford Galaxie. All that AA junk was deep sixed many many years ago.

I thought that spray on silicone was OK, I'll have to look into this. I always assumed it was good for rubber I may have been wrong, thanks for the heads up.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Silicone spray messed up the A/C vents in my modern car. I should have read the instructions first, as it says NOT FOR PLASTICS.


I also like the tires natural, and would NEVER use Armor All after I was told about it back in the 70's.

[Mike V. Florida]

Originally Posted by leo

Hey Bob, I posted this quite some time ago:
Armorall Extreme Tire Shine GEL, put this on blackwalls a couple of years ago. Slowly began to notice the tires appeared to be checked and turned a mustard brown color. It was this product oxidizing on the surface of the tires. Had to scrub like a banshee to get the stuff off and now the tires look nice again.......
After that the mustard brown came back and it was not until I used mineral spirits which some one recommended was I able to finally remove that crap.

"Tire sidewalls turn brown mainly because of an element added to the rubber called antiozonant. It saves tires from premature drying and cracking due to the process of oxidation. Tire browning is usually called blooming. It's a continuing process that can be prevented by thoroughly cleaning and protecting the tires."


https://www.utires.com/articles/tire...brown-prevent/

[31 ford]

This method takes a little time and is for black wall tires. First wash the tires thoroughly and allow to dry. Use a small shoe polish applicator brush and apply black shoe polish to half of the tire. Immediately buff off with a shoe polish brush. Continue same process to the other half of the tire. Result is a deep luster, not a shine. IMO it looks era appropriate and maybe how your A once displayed on Henry's show room floor.

[tiger.1000]

If you DON'T have whitewalls, a splash of cellulose thinners on a cloth wiped along the sidewall does a great job leaving a dull shine. Nothing better !

[Werner]

No this is not good! Nitro dilution dissolves the plasticizers in the rubbermix. In addition, degreasing reduces UV protection. Through both, the tires age faster, the flanks get cracked / become porous.



Refatting with shoe cream is well suited.