Really having difficulty with getting tires to look nice - and last

B

BMW335i

New member
I have tried multiple tire products...Armor All Tire Foam, Detailers Advantage Tire Foam, Mothers FX, Z16...and so far the shine is really quite minimal and gone within a few days.



I do scrub the tire before application, and I usually do a few passes with the foam swiper..Any ideas?



So far, the best product has been Mothers FX..but not by much.
 
Tire foam is never going to last long, it was never really meant to. If you want something that really lasts, you'll have to try other products. I see you already have, so, maybe try a gel?



But regardless, how are you doing it exactly? I see you use a foam swipe, which is good, although I personally would just spray a spray product right on the tire. But, are you wiping it down afterwards? That'll affect durablility, although its a must with spray products.



Maybe what you can try to do is leave your tires undressed for a couple of weeks. Just wash them normally, but don't redress them. Let them stay naked for a few weeks to let all the old dressing "die." Then try again.
 
paul34 said:
Tire foam is never going to last long, it was never really meant to. If you want something that really lasts, you'll have to try other products. I see you already have, so, maybe try a gel?



But regardless, how are you doing it exactly? I see you use a foam swipe, which is good, although I personally would just spray a spray product right on the tire. But, are you wiping it down afterwards? That'll affect durablility, although its a must with spray products.



Maybe what you can try to do is leave your tires undressed for a couple of weeks. Just wash them normally, but don't redress them. Let them stay naked for a few weeks to let all the old dressing "die." Then try again.
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I typically scrub lightly with ONR or wash soap. Then, I take Mothers FX, apply to a tire swip, and give a few swipes. If the shine is dull, I come back and give more swipes. Usually, this doesn't do much and the tire looks I never did anything in the first place. The shine just "dies" very soon after application.
 
I use Top Of The Line's Tire Cleaner as well as the Grape Tire Dressing. No tire dressing is going to last if the rubber isn't clean, and I've never had good luck using ONR to clean the tires. Wheels, sure, it works pretty well. You'll be amazed at the brown filth that seems to ooze out of your tire when you spray on TOL's tire cleaner. It really is an impressive sight. After they are clean, any tire dressing will last longer, but I get an easy two weeks out of Grape tire dressing, plus it smells incredible!
 
You may be doomed for a good looking, long lasting tire shine. I can use the exact same products and techniques on 3 different cars; the wife's PT Cruiser convert., my BMW, and the Slugmobile, the winter driver. The Cruiser and the BMW tires look spectacular, the Slugmobile with it's old Michelins look adequate for 3 - 4 days then looks terrible.

The Yokos on the BMW and the Goodyears on the Cruiser always look like a million bucks and hold their looks day after day after day.

I don't know what it is with those old Michelins, but they just never look spectacular so you may be dealing with a similar situation.

Just a thought, albeit pessimistic.



My products: TOL Hi-Temp rubber cleaner, Endurance gel, Granitize.

-John C.
 
i've been using meguiars endurance and have been a big fan of it. seems to last for a long time. it isn't as shiny as its initial appearance obviously but the tires stay nice and black for a while.
 
I have some of the Black Magic. Had it sitting in my cabinet for about two years. Hopefully it doesn't go bad...
 
How old are your tires. They may have hardened from being on the car for so long

Do you have hard compound tires on your car. HP or UHP tyres are quite soft so they suck in the gel or liquid and hold it well. Hard ones won't let it stick.



Cheap tyres are medium to hard compound usually

I'm not one for meg's gel as it builds up on the sidewall and attracts dust and leaves a sticky residue.

Just like using paint sealants, you need to prep the tires



Shampoo them well, then clean or deoxidise with clearkote VM or other type of cleaner (don't use alkaline's or acid's)

Restore then enhance them and leave for a few hours and apply the first of three coats of tire gel

Leave each coat on for one hour before applying the next one.

My process (their may be better but haven't seen one yet)



shampoo, VM, Autoglym 07B rubber cleaner, Carlack 68 plastic care, Sonus or Wolfgang tire gel x 3

I don't shampoo them for at least three months. Shampoo and water isn't good for tires anyway.

Even with other brands of gels, the temperate changes in the tires will fade and then bring back the gloss of the gel and allow it to last a long time



Once I notice the gloss fading alot (about two months) , I spray carlack on as a sort of tyre QD spray.

three months is the usual durability

From then on, it's a coat of gel once every two to three months.
 
SVR said:
I'm not one for meg's gel as it builds up on the sidewall and attracts dust and leaves a sticky residue.
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Really? I've been using Endurance gel for months and have never had a problem! I love the stuff.



And its always been bone-dry to the touch for me... in fact, just applied some yesterday on top of a WOWO Armor all tire foam application, and while it looks very wet (but in a clean way :cool: ) it is totally dry to the touch!



Are you talking about High Endurance gel or some other Meg's product?
 
Well I forgot to add I have run-flats. The car is BRAND NEW and so are the tires.



Maybe the composition of the rubber in run-flats is different?
 
Black Magic Titanium tire GEL (silver shampoo type bottle)



This stuff BY FAR outlasted anything else I have tried (I have quite a collection of dressings!). It has a really really glossy look though, too much so for my taste. About $7-$8 at wally world.



Jeremy
 
I am thinking to just wash the tire down with some concentrated APC like simple green or megs. I think that would neutralize any left over tire wet and prepare a nice base.



Don't think its brake dust, because I don't even drive the car and the next day the shine is nearly gone...Maybe I am putting TOO much tire wet to compensate and in effect its ruining the look.
 
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