Tire shine

I’m the Great Cornholio and I need tire shine for my bunghole!!!

 

I thought the same thing. I asked my buddy [who works at a dealership] what they use to make those tires look so clean and he told me word for word as in my previous post. I went to O'reilly, didn't believe him and went look on the shelf but couldn't find any. I ask the dude at the counter if they had any...all secret like I'm trying to buy drugs and sure enough he pulls it out. Went a few weeks ago to get a relay for the wife's car and another guy came in asking where was is it on the shelf. I had to educate him. The guy behind the counter said that stuff is like crack to people who know about it. Apparently it's a commonly stolen item, hence the reason why they keep it behind the counter.

 

Coverall? Auro Zone has lots of it on the shelves.

 

Just make a template to the diameter of the wheel out of cardboard and spray away

 

I use Adams tire and rubber cleaner to remove the "tire blooming" aka brown tire and follow up with Adam's yellow tire shine "old version" every so often with a foam block applicator by hand. I haven't tried Adams newer green version.

Most of the time I prefer to use the tire and rubber cleaner by itself and not use the tire shine for a clean, but super matte finish.

I've been wanting to try P&S total wheel cleaner. I'll probably do that once the Adams is gone.

Car detailing is hobby for me and I can't stand filthy vehicles. If y'all wanna ride crusty that's your choice.

 

I love Chemical guys g6 for my tires and black trim. Used it on many cars now and always get compliments!

 

Get yourself some Mequiars D143 non-acid wheel and tire cleaner, dilute 1:1 and a decent brush. Doesn't need to be extremely stiff. D143 removes the browning effect (tire blooming), cleans brake dust well and is pretty mild. If you are worried about a certain wheel surface, dilute it a little further. If you can't or don't want to get that, try ArmorAll Extreme Wheel & Tire cleaner. It's seriously some of the best stuff out there for tire blooming and thats coming from a guy who HATES ArmorAll!!! Problem is it gets expensive buying it by the bottle ($9) compared to 1 gal of D143 ($25) that makes 2 gal or more of product. But it might be worth a shot if your curious about how that stuff works. DO NOT RINSE before applying any cleaner to a tire. It will only dilute the product and it will NOT work as affectively. Wheels and tires should be the first thing you clean when detailing the car/truck. If the tire isn't clean, the tire dressing will not last as long. Just like sealants and coatings on paint, it has to be clean and it opens the pores a bit for goof adhesion.

As for tire dressing. CarPro Perl 2:1 or 1:1 has been great for me. Leaves a matte finish, add a second layer for more gloss, it has a good amount of UV protection and is great for most of your interior surfaces. BUT A/T tires that have large blocks on the sidewall you can't feasibly use an applicator. Thats where CoverAll comes in, it has been the best aerosol product I have used, has UV protection and lasts a good amount of time. I let it sit for about 30 min or overnight and I have rarely had sling, if I did it's because I put it on too excessively. One more note about ALL tire dressings...make sure the rubber and all the little crevasses are completely dry! Otherwise it will be spotty or have runs from a water drop.

If your curious about tire browning, look up "tire blooming" or "tire ozonant". You'll learn more about useless stuff than you'll ever need to! lol

EDIT: Try to stay clear of wheel cleaners with iron decon chemicals on tires too. It essentially overexpresses any metallic particles in the tires and can cause browning of the tire, but it is actually corrosion leaching through. I did this on a set of Duratracs and it took quite a few washes before that finally went away. Very frustrating mistake. It doesn't happen with all tires though, so you may be fine.

 

I am very particular. I use this product sprayed onto a tire dressing sponge. Similar to 303 but a little more shine and no sling as long as you wipe of the excess. Google it to find a local dealer.

 

I got some armor all that is labelled "ceramic" but who knows how much it actually has on it. Unfortunatley, it's winter and no point in using where I live. But, I do have pics of my previous setup:



I took the wheels off to do this. I used a degreaser, towel dried, then applied the tire "shine" by covering the rim and spraying all around the tire. Then I used a medium coarse tire brush to agitate it in the rubber. I repeated that process twice. The third time I just wiped the excess off. This was the first time I used it, so taking the wheels off helped and made it easier to do. It's not a greasy coating either. It does specify to allow a couple hours dry time and to not drive while it does.

I plan on doing the same thing for my Tacoma. Big ass heavy tires, but doing it right the first time makes the next couple cleanings at the wash much easier. You don't have to apply a tire shine every time. Just keep the rubber clean. I see a lot of tires turning brown and spraying crap all over the place. That is from not cleaning the tire properly to begin with, and leaving excess on the tires then driving with it that way. Good way to ruin your clear coat too. That stuff sticks for a couple washes sometimes even longer. This time around I bought MUCH easier rims to clean, lol. You can see how much fun the rims were on my Subaru. After about the 3rd time I pretty much gave up entirely. I tired one of those Mothers detailers and it just fell apart. It was basically just a sponge on an impact gun anyways. My trucks rims are more of a matte finish too, but I will still use a ceramic quick detailer to help keep the usual crap off of them.

Do it right once, and it makes cleaning the tires easier every other time. I'll post some pics when I finally get around to really detailing my truck, especially when I prep it for the winter months. Unfortunately, I bought it in November and drove it home in a snow storm. It's been that way ever since. Maybe around march it'll clear up enough to justify detailing for the first time.

TBH, I've learned that if you are not in a super clean state, like CA, it's best to just keep the rubber a natural clean and help it avoid browning. Once or twice a year, I'll go all out like I did in the pic here.

 

I absolutely agree with the last 2 paragraphs!

Cleaning is the key for any tire product to properly soak in/adhere. New tires have an almost waxy type coating that is the release agent from the tire mold used during production. It usually takes 2 or 3 good scrubbings to get that stuff off. Like I’ve mentioned before, the 2 best products I’ve used are:
- Meguiars D143 NON-Acid Wheel and Tire cleaner
- ArmorAll Extreme Wheel and Tire Cleaner

I like the D143 since I can get it in a gallon and it’s dilatable 2:1, 1:1 or full strength. To be honest I stick with 1:1 or so since I didn’t notice that big of a difference in full strength vs 1:1 and it makes twice the product. The ArmorAll is amazing stuff too!! I’d say it works as well or maybe slightly better, but 2 bottles cost the same as 1gal of Megs D143. I’ve even used D143 2:1 on my Victory Cross Country’s engine (V-Twin, bare aluminum and satin powder coating) with no signs of it etching or the powder coating turning white which can be common with some wheel cleaners that are too aggressive. Though I make sure the engine is cold and I don’t let it sit for long or dry on the surface. It works well for cleaning the engine bay as well, I just try to avoid getting it on the body paint.

For wheels/tires apply the cleaner dry so it’s not further diluted. For engines or other surfaces uses I prefer to pre-wet it. Something I’ve noticed is not to use it (D143) on the whee wells and/or suspension. I use Fluid Film on the frame and suspension parts and noticed it strips Fluid Film after a few cleanings, which is not as easy task! But it would work great if you are prepping for undercoating.

I’ve noticed the same thing Montana_Actual has noticed with tire protectants. Unless your truck is garaged, no gravel/off road, perfect road conditions, and no snow. You’ll always see the product degrade pretty quick. Though my buddy has had really good luck with Optimum Tire coating on his Subaru that sees about 45k a year. Has a satin finish with 2 coats and lasts him about 1 yr or so with rain, snow and all the salt/brine on the roads. It’s not magic, but essentially it cleans off great with a very mild cleaner and little to no brushing. But the application process is time consuming like any long lasting coating.

My go to’s have been the CarPro Perl since it helps keep the rubber pliable and has a good amount of UV protection. The other is Superior Cover All (dark blue non CA can). The Perl doesn’t give a lasting shine, but you can tell it really soaks in like it’s moisturizing it and gives a nice natural finish. It also doesn’t tend to brown which is nice. The Cover All is a bit shinier and as long as you don’t over apply it, it doesn’t sling. Since it is aerosol it’s great for tires with a lot of sidewall lugs and such. With any tire coating/shine let it sit for at least 30min-1hr and wipe excess to avoid sling anyways.

 

I’m using Chemical Guys products. I spray it with the Diablo Gel and afterwards use the Silk and Shine dressing.

Overall I’m happy with their products and like that it isn’t insanely glossy.