i know various companies make different types of dressings, but what do you guys use on tires. i know the water based dressings can be use as a for different things(fender wells, engine,int ext) and the solvent based are usually for exterior... any recommendations on who makes a good solvent and water based dressing.......im more baised towards automagic..
water or solvent based dressings for tires
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GoodnClean
New member
Believe it or not, Armor All. Works great, and its cheap. Its what I've been using on my tires recently.
Steve @ Guru
New member
Stay away from solvent based, if possible. That's the direct advice I received from Michelin, Good Year, Bridgestone and DOT engineers... Water based all the way.
GoodnClean
New member
Solvent based dressings can break down the rubber's UV protectant layers and cause browning, cracking etc. Armor All is water based now, BTW.
Steve @ Guru
New member
Once again, our under utilized friend "search" comes to the rescue.
Answered this question earlier
(just funnin' with ya')
Answered this question earlier
(just funnin' with ya')
Jesstzn
New member
GoodnClean said:
I'll jump in now and say it .. I use it too.. Last time I said it I was flamed all to hell cuz it wasn't on the trend ( flavour of the week ) list. I find it is very versitile and different results can be achieved depending on how its applied.
GoodnClean
New member
Armor All users UNITE! We will be persecuted no longer!
THANK YOU for getting this right! :bow :lol Sorry.... a few months ago I went through this thing where I felt like I was trying to singlehandedly convince the world that AA wasn't lethal anymore.GoodnClean said:
In general, for every protectant or dressing application, solvents should be avoided when possible. What damages tires will also damage trim and seals...
Do a search for 303, which is the perennial favourite protectant.
GoodnClean
New member
Join our cause! 
Mr Concours
New member
Armour All,what an undervalued product!I have to agree with everyone else who've said its still superb even though its not flavour of the Month,do check out their multipurpose cleaner which again is a great alrounder on stains and genral cleaning inside and out.
DETAILKING
New member
Some info...written by our very own Mayor!
"....Like the wheels, your tires have several formidable enemies, including water, formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, ultraviolet (UV) light and ozone. Water washes away the natural oils and waxes in rubber that keep it elastic. Formaldehyde and petroleum distillates act as solvents, eating rubber on contact. When ozone is combined with UV light, a reaction occurs that attacks the tire and its polymers.
To protect against ozone and UV damage, a stabilizer molecule called a competitive absorber is blended with the tire polymer. Competitive absorbers work by capturing and absorbing UV radiation and converting it to heat, which is dissipated harmlessly. All tire manufacturers use the same competitive absorber, called carbon black. This is why most tires are black. These absorbers are sacrificial; they expend themselves in performing their function of converting UV light to heat. However, as carbon black loses its ability to perform, it turns gray. This is one reason tires tend to discolor with age.
To protect tires from further ozone damage, tire manufacturers add a wax compound to their formulas. Tires flex when they are in motion, causing the wax molecules to migrate to the surface. This forms a protective barrier between the air (ozone and oxygen) and the tire polymer. In the tire trade this is called blooming. When tires are parked for extended periods, blooming does not occur, and ozone quickly attacks the tire polymer. With UV light and ozone working in concert, the degradation is accelerated, resulting in drying, discoloration and cracking.
To combat the negative effects of water, solvents and UV light on tires, the car care industry makes tire dressings. Tire dressings fall into two groups: oil-based and water-based silicones.
Oil-based silicone dressings are nonpenetrating coatings that seal rubber and vinyl. They are very good at providing a protective surface barrier. Oil-based silicone dressings create a glossy film that never really dries. I'm not a fan of these products, as most contain petroleum distillates as a cleaning agent. Petroleum distillates are harmful to rubber and vinyl, and will cause cracking.
Water-based dressings do not contain oils or petroleum distillates that can harm and dull the surface of rubber and vinyl over time. Most water-based dressings offer a nongreasy, more natural looking satin finish; however, they are not as durable as the oil-based products....."
"....Like the wheels, your tires have several formidable enemies, including water, formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, ultraviolet (UV) light and ozone. Water washes away the natural oils and waxes in rubber that keep it elastic. Formaldehyde and petroleum distillates act as solvents, eating rubber on contact. When ozone is combined with UV light, a reaction occurs that attacks the tire and its polymers.
To protect against ozone and UV damage, a stabilizer molecule called a competitive absorber is blended with the tire polymer. Competitive absorbers work by capturing and absorbing UV radiation and converting it to heat, which is dissipated harmlessly. All tire manufacturers use the same competitive absorber, called carbon black. This is why most tires are black. These absorbers are sacrificial; they expend themselves in performing their function of converting UV light to heat. However, as carbon black loses its ability to perform, it turns gray. This is one reason tires tend to discolor with age.
To protect tires from further ozone damage, tire manufacturers add a wax compound to their formulas. Tires flex when they are in motion, causing the wax molecules to migrate to the surface. This forms a protective barrier between the air (ozone and oxygen) and the tire polymer. In the tire trade this is called blooming. When tires are parked for extended periods, blooming does not occur, and ozone quickly attacks the tire polymer. With UV light and ozone working in concert, the degradation is accelerated, resulting in drying, discoloration and cracking.
To combat the negative effects of water, solvents and UV light on tires, the car care industry makes tire dressings. Tire dressings fall into two groups: oil-based and water-based silicones.
Oil-based silicone dressings are nonpenetrating coatings that seal rubber and vinyl. They are very good at providing a protective surface barrier. Oil-based silicone dressings create a glossy film that never really dries. I'm not a fan of these products, as most contain petroleum distillates as a cleaning agent. Petroleum distillates are harmful to rubber and vinyl, and will cause cracking.
Water-based dressings do not contain oils or petroleum distillates that can harm and dull the surface of rubber and vinyl over time. Most water-based dressings offer a nongreasy, more natural looking satin finish; however, they are not as durable as the oil-based products....."
imported_ajbarnes
New member
I use Armor All too. I love the light shine and protection it gives on tires and interior vinyl, etc.
neoprufrok
New member
Wow.. I must have missed this. Two years ago, AA was derailed for being solvent based.. when did they change?
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
Quote: water or solvent based dressings for tires
~One mans opinion / observation~
Silicone:
Chemical polymers that can be engineered for exceptional water repellence, gloss, and bonding properties. The myth that silicone is bad is just that, a myth, and like most myths there is a little truth in it. Silicone are basically inert, it’s what’s added to them that them bad.
The Good: Poly Dimethyl Siloxane (PDS) is water based, doesn’t migrate (dry out) the platicizers from materials, has less UV radiation absorption and dust attraction properties. Chemists also use silicones to create water-in-oil emulsions, reduce emulsion particle size, to stabilize emulsions, and to improve spreading and coverage of wax products. Most modern silicone formulas are water soluble (no oil or petroleum), and are completely inert. The best way to describe most forms of silicone is to think of it as a man-made wax ester. Silicone is created by the reaction generated when you combine fatty acids with PDS.
The Bad: a cheaper additive to Silicone is Dimethyl, it contains petroleum distillates which are environmentally unsound and give a slick, oily finish, which attracts dust and dirt. It also causes rubber compounds along with sun iteration to remove the micro-wax in tyres as well as its carbon black (it’s what gives tyres their colour) they are often mislabelled as modern /synthetic Polymers by manufactures.
The Ugly: Silicone is an active ingredient in sun UV amplification. As a low quality silicone dressing evaporates away, the silicone is left behind, the sun then amplifies these residues, and the drying process is accelerated, all this causes rubber, EDPM, vinyl and plastics dry out, which turns them grey or brown, losing their flexibility and prematurely fail.
~Hope this helps~
Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/
justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*
~One mans opinion / observation~
Silicone:
Chemical polymers that can be engineered for exceptional water repellence, gloss, and bonding properties. The myth that silicone is bad is just that, a myth, and like most myths there is a little truth in it. Silicone are basically inert, it’s what’s added to them that them bad.
The Good: Poly Dimethyl Siloxane (PDS) is water based, doesn’t migrate (dry out) the platicizers from materials, has less UV radiation absorption and dust attraction properties. Chemists also use silicones to create water-in-oil emulsions, reduce emulsion particle size, to stabilize emulsions, and to improve spreading and coverage of wax products. Most modern silicone formulas are water soluble (no oil or petroleum), and are completely inert. The best way to describe most forms of silicone is to think of it as a man-made wax ester. Silicone is created by the reaction generated when you combine fatty acids with PDS.
The Bad: a cheaper additive to Silicone is Dimethyl, it contains petroleum distillates which are environmentally unsound and give a slick, oily finish, which attracts dust and dirt. It also causes rubber compounds along with sun iteration to remove the micro-wax in tyres as well as its carbon black (it’s what gives tyres their colour) they are often mislabelled as modern /synthetic Polymers by manufactures.
The Ugly: Silicone is an active ingredient in sun UV amplification. As a low quality silicone dressing evaporates away, the silicone is left behind, the sun then amplifies these residues, and the drying process is accelerated, all this causes rubber, EDPM, vinyl and plastics dry out, which turns them grey or brown, losing their flexibility and prematurely fail.
~Hope this helps~
Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/
justadumbarchitect * so i question everything*
imported_Macgirl1
New member
To add to the mix, I use 1Z's Tiefenpfleger (pronounced “Tee-fen-flee-gar�). Comparable to 303 in looks. I use about three different products depending on what I'm doing and which auto I'm cleaning, either 303, Tiefen, or ArmorAll. Like it's been said before, go water-based and don't look back. :xyxthumbs
DetailQueen
New member
I am a fan of 303 but promise not to stone AA users !
: )
: )
andriver
Detailing Hobbyist
I also use the 1z Tiefenpfleger. I am really impressed with the satin look and durability.
jasonatv22
New member
I use EO Wet. I know it's safe. Besides, my tires don't last but around 20k anyway. I could pour nitric acid on them and the sidewalls would last the life of the tread.
I'll only switch to another product if it smells good. And there is a definate Tire Shine Smell Gap.
I'll only switch to another product if it smells good. And there is a definate Tire Shine Smell Gap.
Jcrawford
New member
im at a loss...what are some examples of solvent based dressings?