Tire products that don’t shine?

303 Tire Balm for me also. Lasts for several weeks, no glossy shine

 

I like car pro pearl a lot.

 

Gonna try some 303

 

Good luck. Let us know what you think.

 

Wish they made that in a wipe on or liquid you could apply with a foam applicator pad.

 

I am impressed with it so far. Applied 3 weeks ago. Applied a little heavy (operator issue). After some rain the shine is gone but left with a black natural looking tire.

 

Just an FYI....Prep is the most important part, like anything else. I use either ArmorAll Wheel and Tire Cleaner (the only ArmorAll product i use, also available locally) or Meguiars NON-Acid Wheel and Tire Cleaner (D143). What you are looking for is a product that removes any previous coatings or factory protection coating. These cleaners MUST be applied to a dry tire and a stiff brush! I recommend cleaning wheels and tires before the rest of the vehicle so you aren't fighting water drying on the paint creating water spots. These cleaners work especially well on tires that are turning brown. Known as "tire blooming" which is Anit-Ozonants that is added to the rubber to protect them if being stored for long periods of time, like at warehouses.

I have done a side by between 4 cleaners. American Detailer Garage F-Bomb at 5:1 (kind of a mix between an all-purpose cleaner and de-greaser, incredible all around product), Bleche-Wite, ArmorAll Wheel and Tire Cleaner and McKee's 37 Tire and Rubber Cleaner. They all did the job for the most part but there were some major differences which is why I chose what I did. I did not have Megs D143 at the time but I prefer it over Armour-All since I can get it in a gallon as it can be diluted 2:1 or 1:1, that makes 2-3 gallons of cleaner for $24!

-ADG F-Bomb
-Great cleaner for removing dirt and grime, but doesn't get some tire dressings off as well as it doesn't remove tire blooming.

-McKee's 37 Tire and Rubber Cleaner
-Works great for cleaning "clean" rubber. Confusing right?? Well, it works very well to remove blooming and rejuvenating the rubber if there is no dressing on the tires, so a cleaner to remove the dressing is required first. Plus it doesn't clean the wheels. So this is a really specific product and is truly a one trick pony. Also it sometimes takes a couple applications to remove tire blooming.

-ArmorAll Wheel and Tire Cleaner
-Pre-Face...I very much dislike AromrAll products in general, except for this one. This cleaner is available locally for about $6 a bottle. It foams when you spray it, you can see it instantly activating on the tire blooming lifting up, it does a good job taking off old dressings, cleans the wheels very well and usually only requires one application. Truly a great all around product.

-Bleche-Wite
-I have seen many recommend this other forums and detailing threads. My experience is just meh. It doesn't do a great job of removing previous dressings and doesn't clean the wheels. If there is no previous dressing it generally required 2 or more applications to remove tire blooming, but it does work and is fairly cheap..just time consuming.

Below are photos before and after with only 1 application and cleaning the brush before scrubbing the next product for as good of equal conditions as possible. The tires were pretty close to the same condition on both.

-Method - Tires dry when products were sprayed on, brush sprayed 2 times with the product before scrubbing, product allowed to dwell for about 1-2 min so it would not dry on the surface and rinsed with a garden hose as to not introduce pressure washing methods into it. I tried to keep all variables as close as possible.







After they are COMPLETELY dry you apply the Tire Dressing of your choice. I repeat...COMPLETELY DRY!!!!

I like CarPro Perl as you can dilute it to your liking, it has UV protection and conditions rubber. Similar to 303, but you can dilute to your desire and I would say lasts just as long (2-3 weeks in my conditions). I also like Superior Products CoverAll aerosol, it quite glossy the first week or so, it does become more of a semi-gloss after that but easily lasts 4+ weeks on a vehicle that is not garaged and driven daily.

Hope this helps people out!!

 

I've been using Aero Cosmetics with good results. I like the matte finish. Apparently they use this in the aerospace industry. Makes sense, Ive never seen anything launching from the flight deck with shiny tires.

$40 Ceramic Tire Dressing Protector, No Tire Shine, No Dirt or Brake Dust Attracting Residue 1 Gallon Satin/Matte Finish Stays Clean Longer Cleans Up Easier Aircraft Grade Better Than Automotive Products

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01M0OAHAH?_encoding=UTF8

 

That's coincidental, I just stumbled on this product the other day. I've got a pint of it in my Amazon shopping cart right now. Amazon also has the 16oz spray bottle for $10.95. I have used 303 for several years, I'm currently testing out Trim Serum (T.S.) for the last two years. Found that the T.S. lasted more than twice as long as 303, but it's so thick that it is hard to put on. It's also a little too shiny at first, for my liking. I'm actually looking for something that will protect the rubber and keep it flat black.

 

If you want a matte finish nothing is better than Aero Cosmetics, last a long time.

 

Another Really good cheap option is to get some Chemical Guys (I know) VRP from Wally World and dilute with Distilled Water in a decent spray bottle.

About 1 part product to 3 parts water. Shake and spray.

So many of the Chemical Guys products are similar or redundant but VRP really is great, versatile, convenient and cheap when diluted. Water based.

Also, Walmart sells a short Tire Brush that is great for applying dressing to All Terrain style tires. Just spray on the brush and you can really get into all the details.

I find that the amount of shine is related to the amount of product used. Hence the dilution.

 

Hmmmmm.......

I use Simple Green to clean the schmutz off the tires and wheels. Agitate with a nylon bristle scrub brush. Hose off. Done.

No shine, no sling.....just clean rubber tires.

 

That can look good too! I think it depends.

Especially if one is running gloss black wheels... I think they tend to look better when the tires do not outshine the wheels, if that makes sense: matte tire and shiny wheel.

 

I use Purple Power to clean the tires and then a foam from Armor All that leaves a dark, natural look.

 

I've used 303 for years and still do. On a suggestion, I tried Adams Graphine Tire Dressing ($16, 16oz)
It does lasts through washes better than 303... nice deep satin black finish. Looks glossy at first but dries dull.

I will try Griots Black Satin next

 

303 Tire and Rubber cleaner.

303 Tire and Rubber Cleaner - Preps Tires for Dressing - Fast Acting Foaming Formula - Removes Tire Browning - Safe for All Rubber and Vinyl, 32 fl. oz. (30579CSR)

https://www.amazon.com/303-Products-30579CSR-Rubber-Cleaner/dp/B0799197R9

Hands down the best rubber cleaner that I've used. It will pull all the brown out of the tire and leave it looking like a clean new tire. No shine. Just clean rubber. Keep an eye on it, as the price will drop from time to time. I'm going to pick up a couple of bottles the next time it comes down in price.

Spray it on, it will turn from purple to brown and look like coffee dripping off the tire. Give it a quick scrub and rinse it off. Hint: don't do more than 2 tires at a time or it will dry before you can finish.

 

I really like this stuff, but god forbid you breathe in the overspray cuz you can literally feel yourself develop lung cancer from whatever's in this stuff. It's...potent.

 

I used to use that stuff on tires that had white letters. Then, I switched to comet on a brush, which worked better and didn't make you feel like wearing a gas mask.

Now, because I'm lazy, I just use some soap on that same scrub brush and it works pretty well.

 

I threw a bottle of that away a couple weeks ago.