I am a professional detailer and in my early days I used to be a CG everything guy but after a while I got tired of trying to figure out which product to use for 15 specific uses, only to figure out they are mostly the same with a different smell. I was using CG tire shine, then VRT, then a satin VRT, then I got tired of not getting the finish and longevity I was looking for. I saw barebones and read the label for a while. Seems like if it is design for undercarriage protection, safe for rubber, plastic, and trim, then it should be fine on tires. Well, this is probably the best tire dressing you will find. Same goes for Adams undercarriage Protectant. Same stuff I think.
First it is very oily so if you dont want any lasting stains or slippery spots in your driveway, cover the area or try to clean any spots with a degreaser and pressure washer.
Second, you can apply it with a MF towel, tire sponge, or just spray it on. I tend to just spray it on to the tire AND the wheel wells. It’s cheap enough to be liberal with. With just spraying it on, it applies a thick layer on there, let it dry. At first it looks a little streaky as it runs but it dries to a nice even matte finish. You can apply 2 coats about 30 minutes apart if you want more gloss and longevity.
Third, the gloss. I dont like super shinny tires. This gives more of a rich deep finish rather than a shine. The way it works is the product seems to react with the oils in plastics and rubbers to recharge it and coat it. It brings out the original natural color plus the spray itself is dark.
Forth, longevity. It lasts forever in terms of tire dressings. As long as you properly clean the tires and get them to as “degreased” as possible, the product just clings to tires and plastic wheel wells. Like I mentioned, its like it not only coats but rejuvenated those materials that dry out. On my personal car (BMW M4), I spray the tires and wheel wells with a strong degreaser like LA’s totally awesome or Wolf Degreaser. Sometimes I use a brush to agitate but most times I just spray it of with the pressure washer, let them fully dry, spray this stuff on, wipe any overspray away, let it dry and I’m done. Tires stay rich and dark though about 6 washes if I dont repeat this process and just wash the car. On my client’s cars, the tires and wheel wells stay perfect for about a month of every day driving before you can start to see dirt again. About 3 months before its completely gone.
Fifth, is the versatility. I use this for long lasting finish and protection on tires and wheel wells but it also restores and/or protects plastic trim like black plastic Jeep fenders, bumpers, black plastic mirror caps, and various plastic trim. Obviously, its great for all other underbody parts but works magic for keeping road grime from building up on suspension and drivetrain parts. Just be smart where you spray. Out of curiosity, I cleaned and used a MF cloth to apply some to my KW coilovers on my M4 to see if it would keep them clean and debris free. Nothing worse than going to adjust ride height and having your collars seized up because of dirt, rocks, or rust. After 3 months, they looked almost untouched. I just wouldn’t go crazy with the stuff in those areas. Same thing with the engine bay. Need to add some rich finishing details to all that plastic they stick under there now. No problem. I thought the heat might mess with it a little but it was absolutely fine. I also thought that maybe since it was kind of thick and oily that dust would stick. Nope. After it dries, you get real protective qualities and it lasts for about 2-3 months under the hood before dust will start to gather. Can get a little streaky on metal pieces under the hood if you accidentally get some on there.
ONE NEGATIVE. You can just keep spraying it on the tires and other rubber without cleaning and it works just fine but over about 6 months, I noticed that my tire sidewalls started to become slightly hard. They weren’t dried out and performance wasn’t impacted. No cracking, splits, or tears but I could feel the product buildup in to something similar to a shell or the hard crystaling of ceramic if left out. hard to describe. Nothing major but on my next set of tires I just made sure to degrease and scrub the tires every 2-3 months and then add barebones and its fine.
| Manufacturer | Chemical Guys |
|---|---|
| Brand | Chemical Guys |
| Item Weight | 0.037 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 2.36 x 2.36 x 8.27 inches |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Item model number | TVD_104_16SW |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Manufacturer Part Number | TVD_104_16SW |
| OEM Part Number | TVD-104-16 |
