Brake Cleaner used to clean Tires?

David Fermani

David Fermani

Forza Auto Salon
I recently was given this tip from a very reputable Detailer and he swears by how effective it is at cleaning nastly silicone covered tires. You know the ones that you can scrub and scrub with the strongest APC and still have greasy slim remaining. You basically spray a crappy towel down with the cleaner and it instantly wipes away the built up crud. Cheaper the better.



Anyone ever try this??
 
David Fermani said:
I recently was given this tip from a very reputable Detailer and he swears by how effective it is at cleaning nastly silicone covered tires. You know the ones that you can scrub and scrub with the strongest APC and still have greasy slim remaining. You basically spray a crappy towel down with the cleaner and it instantly wipes away the built up crud. Cheaper the better.



Anyone ever try this??
Click to expand...



I've done this when i was at a dealer as a tech. If I had to replace tires or install mud guards, I didn't want to get tire shine all over me. I've never done it in a detailing scenario.



It works. Spray liberally, wipe with a shop towel, all done. It turns the tire brown a little bit.
 
Oh my God!

Does anyone actually know the chemical composition of a modern tire and it's side walls?

The manufacturers puts anti-UV waxes in the rubber, there is carbon black for heat absorpsion, etc.

Oily silicone dressing do provide a "getto shine" to a tire, but as all the major tire manufacturers state, "don't use them, they break down the side wall of the tire!" (some even put a disclaimer in their tire warranty regarding the use of such dressings)

That said, when you spray a "clorinated solvent" to the tire, you remove even faster these components and in time in time, a couple of things happen.

1. As soon as you do clean with brake cleaner, you do observe the "browning", which means that the carbon black and anti-UV protective waxes have been somewhat removed. (early side wall failure)

2. The removal of these components will normally cause the tire sidewall to exhibit a "brown" color.

It is not SAFE, it is not right, it is as wrong for the tire as using a "silcone fluid based dressing with a hydrocarbon solvent for it's carrier".

If the tire is as bad as to have a build up of the silicone, and you attempt or actually remove it, you are just taking off those important tire components as the silicone/dimethal did when they attacked the side wall by using a clorinated or highly active solvent.

A pro shop has to deal with this sort of issue and once out the door, out of mind.

However, for an individual's vehicle, don't do it.

Take your time, use a safe water borne cleaner (APC) and scub it, drive it and more of the dimethal silicone will migrate out of the sidewall, and you can clean it again.

After some time, it is gone and you still have some sidewall with what the tire manufacturer put there for a reason.

The flexing of the sidewall is meant to "migrate" the waxes and carbon black to the surface.

Every notice that after a long 100 mile or so run in hot weather that you see, no matter if you use a correct water based amino functional siloxane resin dressing, that the side wall may look shiney and be "tacky" to the touch?

That is the result of the heat flexing of the side wall, moving the anti-UV protective wax and carbon black to the outer layer of the side wall.

It is designed to do that!

When a vehicle sets, the sun hits it, it eats away these protective components, designed to do so.

Ever notice that RV's etc that set for a long time usually have covers on the tires?

The sun and it's UV's will eat away the protective components since the RV is not being driven, creating the flexing and migration from inside the sidewall to the surface, so they have learned to keep the UV's away from the tires.

Long winded and I could go on, but just read and "think" before taking an action that may end up costing you a lot of money and compromise your safety.

Grumpy
 
Nothing wrong with using a aminofunctional siloxane water based dressing on them.

That sort of product, which now days, most companies make is actually non-damaging and helps to ward off the damaging UV rays, without removing the waxes and carbon black from the tire's sidewalls.

Grumpy
 
Ron Ketcham said:
"clorinated solvent"
Click to expand...



What about non-chlorinated brake cleaner?



05084.jpg
 
Is it a hydrocarbon based cleaner?

Yes it is.

And what does any hydrocarbon based/petroluem distillate solvent do as far as reaction with such components that are in a tire?

Your turn.

Grumpy
 
Ron Ketcham said:
Is it a hydrocarbon based cleaner?

Yes it is.

And what does any hydrocarbon based/petroluem distillate solvent do as far as reaction with such components that are in a tire?

Your turn.

Grumpy
Click to expand...



That's what I figured based on what you said, but since you specified "chlorinated solvent" I thought I'd bring it up anyway.



(or to quote your buddy Dave Hester, "YUUUP!!") ;)
 
Clorinated are a high VOC, very "active" family of solvents.

These sort of "solvents" are no longer available without special permits in many states due to their VOC content.

I can buy products that contain clorinated solvents in Iowa, but not in states like California and I think 14 or 15 other states.

Matter of fact, bought an aerosol carb cleaner today at AutoZone that says right on the label "containes clorinated solvents", as I finally pulled the carb of my 1975 Ranchero so I can rebuild it with new floats, and other parts.

I have a gallon of xylene, which would have done pretty good (carcenigenic), some acetone, MEK, etc, just decided to go with a chemical compound that is for one thing, soaking and cleaning carb's.

It needs it, only 76,000 miles on the Beast, but a long time, many years.

The plastic floats are toast, so you know what that causes.

Grumpy
 
Ron Ketcham said:
Oh my God!

Does anyone actually know the chemical composition of a modern tire and it's side walls?

The manufacturers puts anti-UV waxes in the rubber, there is carbon black for heat absorpsion, etc.

Oily silicone dressing do provide a "getto shine" to a tire, but as all the major tire manufacturers state, "don't use them, they break down the side wall of the tire!" (some even put a disclaimer in their tire warranty regarding the use of such dressings)

That said, when you spray a "clorinated solvent" to the tire, you remove even faster these components and in time in time, a couple of things happen.

1. As soon as you do clean with brake cleaner, you do observe the "browning", which means that the carbon black and anti-UV protective waxes have been somewhat removed. (early side wall failure)

2. The removal of these components will normally cause the tire sidewall to exhibit a "brown" color.

It is not SAFE, it is not right, it is as wrong for the tire as using a "silcone fluid based dressing with a hydrocarbon solvent for it's carrier".

If the tire is as bad as to have a build up of the silicone, and you attempt or actually remove it, you are just taking off those important tire components as the silicone/dimethal did when they attacked the side wall by using a clorinated or highly active solvent.

A pro shop has to deal with this sort of issue and once out the door, out of mind.

However, for an individual's vehicle, don't do it.

Take your time, use a safe water borne cleaner (APC) and scub it, drive it and more of the dimethal silicone will migrate out of the sidewall, and you can clean it again.

After some time, it is gone and you still have some sidewall with what the tire manufacturer put there for a reason.

The flexing of the sidewall is meant to "migrate" the waxes and carbon black to the surface.

Every notice that after a long 100 mile or so run in hot weather that you see, no matter if you use a correct water based amino functional siloxane resin dressing, that the side wall may look shiney and be "tacky" to the touch?

That is the result of the heat flexing of the side wall, moving the anti-UV protective wax and carbon black to the outer layer of the side wall.

It is designed to do that!

When a vehicle sets, the sun hits it, it eats away these protective components, designed to do so.

Ever notice that RV's etc that set for a long time usually have covers on the tires?

The sun and it's UV's will eat away the protective components since the RV is not being driven, creating the flexing and migration from inside the sidewall to the surface, so they have learned to keep the UV's away from the tires.

Long winded and I could go on, but just read and "think" before taking an action that may end up costing you a lot of money and compromise your safety.

Grumpy
Click to expand...



Oops. Haha



You probably wont find a flat rate tech who will take their time.



Good thing the majority of tires i used brake clean on were getting replaced.
 
As I said, if you are a volume shop, got to get it out and over the curb, please some suit at a car lot, do what it takes.

If it one's on car, hope those who read get some factual information regarding this concern.

Anyone can access tire manufacturers, etc and find that what I posted is the real world regarding tires today.

And, you don't even want to know what I did to tires when I was playing with cars, detailing, etc in the late 50's and early 60's.

Not ashamed, didn't know any better.

Grumpy
 
Same reason as using IPA on trim and wipers. It eats a layer of rubber. Not as serious as tires failure.



I have used Mineral Spirits to clean auction cars that strong APC would not touch. Wet tire, spray APC and then some Mineral Spirits. A scrub and feel the rubber being softened. Not good. Defiantly a last resort.
 
salty said:
Same reason as using IPA on trim and wipers. It eats a layer of rubber. Not as serious as tires failure.



I have used Mineral Spirits to clean auction cars that strong APC would not touch. Wet tire, spray APC and then some Mineral Spirits. A scrub and feel the rubber being softened. Not good. Defiantly a last resort.
Click to expand...



I have used IPA on many cars' wiper blades includibg mine. My original wipers lasted 3 years before they started to streak. Im on my 2nd set and they are on their 3rd year now.



I guess eating a layer of rubber is probably why it stops them from streaking... Like polishing paint, levels the surface
 
Very good information, as always, Ron! Thank you!

Ron Ketcham said:
Take your time, use a safe water borne cleaner (APC) and scub it, drive it and more of the dimethal silicone will migrate out of the sidewall, and you can clean it again.
Click to expand...

What about water based degreasers, like Megs Super Degreaser? Would these be suitable for tire cleaning?
 
Better than a petroluem solvent.

Wouldn't use it anymore than necessary, as it has some caustics in it, but not a bad product.

Almost any water borne cleaner will work, just takes a bit longer and may have to be done more than once.

Grumpy
 
Ok, so just got new tires on my wife's MDX after about 4.5 years (replacing the OEM). Mainly replaced them due to severe degradation of the sidewalls. Here's what I was thinking about doing:



1. Clean with OPT Power Clean and a brush

2. Apply either Prima Nero or OPT Opti-Bond to the tires (Necessary or just for looks)?
 
See what happens when one gets old!

You are correct, and I also left out other parts that are affected, just getting old and forgetful.

Did a full tech article on this subject back in the late 90's for Professional Car Wash and Detailing magazine, perhaps it is archived there.
 
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