Not happy with my tires...

rockford33

rockford33

New member
Alright, I am finally getting back into having time to do detailing, so washed the car with some PB's Super Slick & Wax. :)

Went to dress the tires and not happy with my choice of tire dressing. I used to use Vinylex, which if I remember I thought was ok. Then I switched last year to PB's Bold'n'Bright. It was ok, I liked it because it also cleaned, so I sprayed it on the tires to clean, and then again to dress. Last fall, decided to try Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel. Was less than impressed, partially because my tires (and my wife's tires) are VERY ridged, so I had a very hard time applying the gel (love it for my exterior trim though!). Today I pulled out some 303 Protectant and used that on the tires. It is ok, very matte finish.

I stopped using the Vinylex because it always seemed that my tires were very brown. I haven't noticed them that brown since I stopped using it, even though it says it is water based with silicone, so not sure why my tires were browning.

Anyway, I might go back to Bold'n'bright, but curious if anyone has any other suggestions or ideas to clean and dress my tires. Always seems that, even after I clean my tires, I can wipe them with a white terry towel and get black on it. Might try PB's APC, followed with B'n'B. Gotta finish up my other products first though :D

Thanks :dcrules
-Neil
 
I'm unclear as to what you are using to clean your tires before dressing. A clean tire dresses so much easier.

I primarily use PB's BnB for tire and wheel well dressing. Have for a number of years now (>5 years). But I clean (read scrub/rinse, repeat as necessary) thoroughly with APC before dressing.
 
Have you tryed a good whitewall cleaner on them? As far as otc products Westleys Bleach White is a really good one. It will usually cut off any old dressing that's on them and give you a fresh sidewall to work with. It will take care of your browning prob I'm sure.
 
Mr. Clean said:
I'm unclear as to what you are using to clean your tires before dressing. A clean tire dresses so much easier.

I primarily use PB's BnB for tire and wheel well dressing. Have for a number of years now (>5 years). But I clean (read scrub/rinse, repeat as necessary) thoroughly with APC before dressing.
Click to expand...

:bigups
 
i just got westleys tire cleaner in the states and love it, i should have bought a few bottles instead of one ..

anyways i just cleaned and treated my dads wheels with a fresh two coats of the last of my hot shine tire spray and hope it lasts longer this time with a thorough cleaning prior to the new season .


pretty soon i am going to get the auto glym tire dressing and doing a whole review .
 
Mr. Clean posted what I would also recommend i.e. a good scrub with brush(es) and a good APC to fully clean the sidewalls first.
 
Usually I am either scrubbing my tires with car wash (either Meg's Gold Class or PB's Super Slick & Wax) or I also have a gallon of Meg's Citri-Gel APC. Scrub with a brush, dry and dress. I used PB's B'n'B to clean and dress when I had a bottle as per the instructions.

I guess I just haven't found that right look yet. These tires (Continental ContiExtremes) seem finickier than the stock tires (Bridgestones) they replaced. They seem to brown easier, soak the dressing in, and not get much of a sheen to them. I sprayed dressing on them today and 1/2 hour later you couldn't tell.

Maybe using the SS&W was my problem today? I was pressed for time and didn't want to mix up a batch of Citri-gel.

Thanks,
Neil
 
My tire/wheel/well wash bucket will usually have a mix of car wash soap, but I still spray the tires/wells down with APC (unless they are really dirty @ 4:1 dilution ratio) and scrub with 2 different tire brushes.

Meg's Citri-Gel is a great product and you (and I) are lucky to still have some. I don't nomally dilute it further than 1:1 because it seems you lose the "clinging" ability.
 
rockford33 said:
These tires (Continental ContiExtremes) seem finickier than the stock tires (Bridgestones) they replaced. They seem to brown easier, soak the dressing in, and not get much of a sheen to them. I sprayed dressing on them today and 1/2 hour later you couldn't tell.
Click to expand...

I think the problem might be those Continental Tires. My parents had those (came stock) on their Camry, and talk about a horrible tire. Poor ride, loud, uneven wear, low tread life, they browned badly. About anything you could complain about on a tire, these tires did it or had it. And my dad is a shadetree mechaninc from wayback, so it's not like he neglected them maintenance wise. I know he bought a set of "budget" Michelins for the Camry, and the difference is night and day. I could only imagine if he had sprung for a set of nicer Michelin Tires.

Regarding the dressing, normally I'd recommend VRT, but since it's a lotion and has to be applied much like a gel I suspect you may not like it. ANother good one I was reminded of today was Stoner's More Shine Less Time. You might want to give it a try.

And I second the suggestion about using some sort of dedicated tire cleaner (like Bleche White) to clean those tires. If they are anything like my folks' old Contis, you'll need something storng to clean them each wash.
 
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