New Car = Brown Tires Question
- Thread starter quantex
- Start date
Use a type of wheel/tire cleaner. I use 1Z wheel cleaner and it helps get that brown off of there. Now you also have to understand different tires hold dressing better. I have some tires on my car that hold dressing and make it look like I just applied it a week after it was put on. My girlfriends tires look like there's nothing there a day later. If they are brown though, use a cleaner first.
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Blooming - after the antiozonant works its way to the outside of the tyre and is exposed to the ozone in the air, it oxidizes and turns brown. The technical term for this effect is blooming. Many chemical compounds, especially solvents, react vigorously at ambient temperatures as the oxidizing process takes place between water and the tyre polymer-binding agents. Water tends to wash away the natural oils and micro-waxes that help to maintain the tyres flexibility
Tyre Cleaning
The slightly porous nature of rubber (however this varies according to the polymers used) attracts oils, dirt, brake dust and road grime. For any type of protection to work efficiently on rubber it must be able to adhere to the surface. First remove any brake dust, blooming, road tar, grease and grime, silicone and oxidized rubber from the surface to properly clean it. The key to tyre dressing durability is deep cleaning the tyre, spray or apply your cleaner allow to soak in for a minute or two and then scrub with a fairly stiff tyre brush, once clean you should be able to take an old white dry terry towel and rub the tyre surface, it should be almost pristine (if not repeat). Tyre cleaner needs to be strong enough to tackle a heavy build-up of tyre dressings, silicone and road grime, but not damage wheel coatings.
A quality citrus-based cleaner (P21S® Total Auto Wash) should clean the tyres down to the original rubber surface, this is especially important when you apply a new dressing, as dressings won't adhere to, or create the right shine on dirty rubber or silicone residue. This tyre cleaner is a strong concentrate; spray-and-rinse, without scrubbing, if you are starting on an old, neglected surface, use a fairly stiff tyre brush for the first application and a spray & rinse at least 3-4 times a year
Alternative products – Optimum™ Polymer Technologies - Power Clean (diluted 3:1 or to 5:1) or Griot's Garage - Rubber Cleaner, 3M Tyre & Wheel Cleaner # 39036
“Tyre Cleaning and Care� - http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/138250-tyre-cleaning-care.html
Tyre Cleaning
The slightly porous nature of rubber (however this varies according to the polymers used) attracts oils, dirt, brake dust and road grime. For any type of protection to work efficiently on rubber it must be able to adhere to the surface. First remove any brake dust, blooming, road tar, grease and grime, silicone and oxidized rubber from the surface to properly clean it. The key to tyre dressing durability is deep cleaning the tyre, spray or apply your cleaner allow to soak in for a minute or two and then scrub with a fairly stiff tyre brush, once clean you should be able to take an old white dry terry towel and rub the tyre surface, it should be almost pristine (if not repeat). Tyre cleaner needs to be strong enough to tackle a heavy build-up of tyre dressings, silicone and road grime, but not damage wheel coatings.
A quality citrus-based cleaner (P21S® Total Auto Wash) should clean the tyres down to the original rubber surface, this is especially important when you apply a new dressing, as dressings won't adhere to, or create the right shine on dirty rubber or silicone residue. This tyre cleaner is a strong concentrate; spray-and-rinse, without scrubbing, if you are starting on an old, neglected surface, use a fairly stiff tyre brush for the first application and a spray & rinse at least 3-4 times a year
Alternative products – Optimum™ Polymer Technologies - Power Clean (diluted 3:1 or to 5:1) or Griot's Garage - Rubber Cleaner, 3M Tyre & Wheel Cleaner # 39036
“Tyre Cleaning and Care� - http://www.autopia.org/forum/guide-detailing/138250-tyre-cleaning-care.html
Dan
Well-known member
A strong APC or a dedicated tire cleaner will help. On very finicky tires, I really like No-Touch, there hasn't been a tire it has let me down on.
Ron Ketcham
Active member
Let me guess, the car is not driving for an hour or so every once in a while to get the side walls hot?
Of course some manufacturers tires "bloom" at a different rate than others.
Blooming is the action of the micro waxes which comprise the UV blocking barrier on the outside of the tire, as the tire gets warm, this "wax" migrates in a very small amount to the outside of the tire structure.
(ever notice how that on a warm day and an hour or so of driving that the tire's sidewall seems "greasy"?).
Another concern is ozone, which attacks the tire as well, and the blooming process reduces it's damaging effects as well.
That is the "blooming" action, it is designed into the tire.
Do not use hydrocarbon based cleaners to clean the tire, as the solvents break down the wax and will contribute to premature aging (cracking) of the sidewall. Not safe!
Use a mild water based, non-citrus, all purpose and a soft bristled brush to agitate the side wall and remove the browning, which is for the most part, a sulfur based part of the tire that is mixed into the carbon black. (the citrus types clean very well, but tend to remove excessive micro waxes from the sidewall)
Apply a "non-greasy", non-dimethal silicone, water based dressing to the tire.
Allow to dry (set), apply a second coat, allow it to set/dry and wipe with a dry towel to further set the resins.
All the tire dressings do is to provide a darker look to the rubber and create a small amount of reflection to bounce the damaging UV rays off the tire, and to a small extent, block the natural migration of the micro waxes from the sidewall.
If a vehicle is not being driven, but stored outside for days at a time, try to park it where the exposure to direct sunlight (UV rays) is at a minimum.
Try to actually drive the vehicle once a month long enough to heat up the tires, and created new blooming.
If the vehicle can not be parked in shade or if it is in an urban area with high ozone content, then purchase a set of wheel/tire covers ($10 at Harbor Frieght).
I had this very issue with my old Bird after I put new tires on it. Don't drive it much, and the tires were starting to "brown", so I cleaned them, dressed them with a water based and put a set of the wheel/tire covers on. It is no longer showing browning, as the ozone and UV rays exporsure is greatly reduced.
Grumpy
Of course some manufacturers tires "bloom" at a different rate than others.
Blooming is the action of the micro waxes which comprise the UV blocking barrier on the outside of the tire, as the tire gets warm, this "wax" migrates in a very small amount to the outside of the tire structure.
(ever notice how that on a warm day and an hour or so of driving that the tire's sidewall seems "greasy"?).
Another concern is ozone, which attacks the tire as well, and the blooming process reduces it's damaging effects as well.
That is the "blooming" action, it is designed into the tire.
Do not use hydrocarbon based cleaners to clean the tire, as the solvents break down the wax and will contribute to premature aging (cracking) of the sidewall. Not safe!
Use a mild water based, non-citrus, all purpose and a soft bristled brush to agitate the side wall and remove the browning, which is for the most part, a sulfur based part of the tire that is mixed into the carbon black. (the citrus types clean very well, but tend to remove excessive micro waxes from the sidewall)
Apply a "non-greasy", non-dimethal silicone, water based dressing to the tire.
Allow to dry (set), apply a second coat, allow it to set/dry and wipe with a dry towel to further set the resins.
All the tire dressings do is to provide a darker look to the rubber and create a small amount of reflection to bounce the damaging UV rays off the tire, and to a small extent, block the natural migration of the micro waxes from the sidewall.
If a vehicle is not being driven, but stored outside for days at a time, try to park it where the exposure to direct sunlight (UV rays) is at a minimum.
Try to actually drive the vehicle once a month long enough to heat up the tires, and created new blooming.
If the vehicle can not be parked in shade or if it is in an urban area with high ozone content, then purchase a set of wheel/tire covers ($10 at Harbor Frieght).
I had this very issue with my old Bird after I put new tires on it. Don't drive it much, and the tires were starting to "brown", so I cleaned them, dressed them with a water based and put a set of the wheel/tire covers on. It is no longer showing browning, as the ozone and UV rays exporsure is greatly reduced.
Grumpy