Tire Dressings

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I would be very cautious about using non-tire shine products like floor polish, brake fluid, etc. on tires. Just because they may look good on the tire doesn't mean it's not damaging the tire. Without knowing exactly what chemicals are used, no one but the manufacturer would know if the tires are being damaged my limited or long-term use.

I would highly recommend sticking with products that are formulated for tire use.
 
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Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I like Michelin's tire dressing a lot, and use it whenever I get the itch to. I often leave them dry, but every now and again, I'll apply a thick coat of the Michelin dressing. It doesn't dry slimy like a lot of others, and doesn't have petroleum products in it. It also doesn't dry super-shiny; it's more of a matte-black finish. It's made by Pylon.

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-care/tire-care-products/


I didn't know they still made that stuff. It's AWESOME. A bottle of it lasts forever too!
 
Black Magic makes something like this. It's called Titanium Matte Tire Finish.
Originally Posted By: Racerjk
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I like Michelin's tire dressing a lot, and use it whenever I get the itch to. I often leave them dry, but every now and again, I'll apply a thick coat of the Michelin dressing. It doesn't dry slimy like a lot of others, and doesn't have petroleum products in it. It also doesn't dry super-shiny; it's more of a matte-black finish. It's made by Pylon.

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-care/tire-care-products/


I didn't know they still made that stuff. It's AWESOME. A bottle of it lasts forever too!
 
Originally Posted By: johnsmellsalot
Meguiars Endurance is the BEST tire dressing I've used so far. It gives the tires a deep black shine without making them look greasy. It lasts for months. My tires are a year old and they look better than the day I bought them. Make sure you shake the bottle before using it. If you like your tires to look "wet", get the high gloss.
It had better work! For the $8.79 it costs for the pump sprayer in my locale
wink.gif
I was kind of curious how well it worked......all I gotta say is the shelf is always full :p


Me personally, I'm a fan of just using regular car wash soap. I clean my wheels/tires FIRST before washing the car (since they are technically the dirtiest...) so I'll dribble the soap directly onto the tires while I'm prepping my wash bucket of soap. Then I wash by hand each wheel/tire with one of the wide "wheel brushes" - works pretty good.
 
Originally Posted By: mshu7
I would be very cautious about using non-tire shine products like floor polish, brake fluid, etc. on tires. Just because they may look good on the tire doesn't mean it's not damaging the tire. Without knowing exactly what chemicals are used, no one but the manufacturer would know if the tires are being damaged my limited or long-term use.

I would highly recommend sticking with products that are formulated for tire use.


Good advice. Just one note - Pledge is probably fairly safe to use as it's mostly water and silicone - it's probably very similar to spraying the tires with silicone spray...
 
Originally Posted By: cchase
Originally Posted By: mshu7
I would be very cautious about using non-tire shine products like floor polish, brake fluid, etc. on tires. Just because they may look good on the tire doesn't mean it's not damaging the tire. Without knowing exactly what chemicals are used, no one but the manufacturer would know if the tires are being damaged my limited or long-term use.

I would highly recommend sticking with products that are formulated for tire use.


Good advice. Just one note - Pledge is probably fairly safe to use as it's mostly water and silicone - it's probably very similar to spraying the tires with silicone spray...


Personally, I try to stay away from silicone products. They tend to be greasy and can also brown the tires. My personal preference is a water-based formula. The durability isn't as good as silicone products, but the potential drawbacks from silicone keep me from using it.
 
Ooops, couldn't edit my above post in time:

I know there are a lot of tire "dressings" on the market...is there a list of which ones that are NOT safe for the tires? Someone told me those Spray on Foam and Go dressings are the worst, something to do with the chemical that makes the foam "dissipate" causes the rubber to dry out as the foam disappears....and really, it makes sense....I'd much rather a soapy lather to help me wash away the dirt and grime, than some "blinding" slick black tires lol.

as bad as that question sounds, it's crazy that they would create or even "market" a product that is not "safe" for the rubber compounds....
 
Originally Posted By: ahoier
Ooops, couldn't edit my above post in time:

I know there are a lot of tire "dressings" on the market...is there a list of which ones that are NOT safe for the tires? Someone told me those Spray on Foam and Go dressings are the worst, something to do with the chemical that makes the foam "dissipate" causes the rubber to dry out as the foam disappears....and really, it makes sense....I'd much rather a soapy lather to help me wash away the dirt and grime, than some "blinding" slick black tires lol.

as bad as that question sounds, it's crazy that they would create or even "market" a product that is not "safe" for the rubber compounds....


I'm not a fan of any "spray and go" or "clean & shine" sprays. I personally think that tires/wheels need a true cleaning step before being treated. If your wheels and tires aren't very dirty, car wash soap is good enough as someone else mentioned earlier. If they are fairly dirty, just pick up some name-brand (Meg's, Mothers, etc.) wheel and/or tire cleaner. Once dry, I prefer to treat them with a water-based dressing, allow to soak/penetrate the rubber, and then wipe off any excess before driving the vehicle. I don't have a list of over-the-counter tire treatments that are safe or not safe. All I can recommend is to stick with name brand. If the treatment is milky, it's probably water-based. If it's a clean liquid, it's probably silicone-based (and very greasy/shiney).

Also, most wheels these days are painted just like the paint on the car, which means you can wash, clay, polish, & wax or seal them just as you would the paint. Spray waxes work great for wheel protection. If you go this route, car wash soap is all you should need to clean the wheels. True wheel cleaners will most likely strip any and all protection. With spray waxes being so easy though, I hit my wheels with one each time I wash. Keeps them looking good and they stay cleaner longer.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: mshu7
Originally Posted By: cchase
Originally Posted By: mshu7
I would be very cautious about using non-tire shine products like floor polish, brake fluid, etc. on tires. Just because they may look good on the tire doesn't mean it's not damaging the tire. Without knowing exactly what chemicals are used, no one but the manufacturer would know if the tires are being damaged my limited or long-term use.

I would highly recommend sticking with products that are formulated for tire use.


Good advice. Just one note - Pledge is probably fairly safe to use as it's mostly water and silicone - it's probably very similar to spraying the tires with silicone spray...


Personally, I try to stay away from silicone products. They tend to be greasy and can also brown the tires. My personal preference is a water-based formula. The durability isn't as good as silicone products, but the potential drawbacks from silicone keep me from using it.


I agree - but it certainly isn't going to degrade the rubber. Some people swear by using Pledge on just about everything.

I'm not a big tire dressing fan as I have yet to find one that doesn't end up slinging off if you drive in the rain.
 
This is why I use the Michelin products. Not because I like Michelin tires (I do), but because it's marketed by a tire company, so it's probably one of the surest bets of a "safe product". I think Goodyear used to have a dressing as well, but I don't think they've marketed it for years now.

Then again, I think few of us own tires long enough for "unsafe" dressings to really cause any damage. I suppose if you owned tires for 10-15 years, that kind of thing gets more important, but for those of us who probably average 3-5 years on a set of tires, I doubt dressings have a whole lot to do with how long, or short, a tire's rubber may last.
 
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
This is why I use the Michelin products. Not because I like Michelin tires (I do), but because it's marketed by a tire company, so it's probably one of the surest bets of a "safe product". I think Goodyear used to have a dressing as well, but I don't think they've marketed it for years now.


I would have to agree with your logic! I've not used the Michelin products, but I'm sure Michelin has tested them against their tires to make sure their of a certain level of quality, which should be pretty good considering the name.
 
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It works. I was a little skeptical at first too because it's more expensive. But since it lasts so long, the high price doesn't make a difference.
Originally Posted By: ahoier
Originally Posted By: johnsmellsalot
Meguiars Endurance is the BEST tire dressing I've used so far. It gives the tires a deep black shine without making them look greasy. It lasts for months. My tires are a year old and they look better than the day I bought them. Make sure you shake the bottle before using it. If you like your tires to look "wet", get the high gloss.
It had better work! For the $8.79 it costs for the pump sprayer in my locale
wink.gif
I was kind of curious how well it worked......all I gotta say is the shelf is always full :p


Me personally, I'm a fan of just using regular car wash soap. I clean my wheels/tires FIRST before washing the car (since they are technically the dirtiest...) so I'll dribble the soap directly onto the tires while I'm prepping my wash bucket of soap. Then I wash by hand each wheel/tire with one of the wide "wheel brushes" - works pretty good.
 
Originally Posted By: Racerjk
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I like Michelin's tire dressing a lot, and use it whenever I get the itch to. I often leave them dry, but every now and again, I'll apply a thick coat of the Michelin dressing. It doesn't dry slimy like a lot of others, and doesn't have petroleum products in it. It also doesn't dry super-shiny; it's more of a matte-black finish. It's made by Pylon.

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-care/tire-care-products/


I didn't know they still made that stuff. It's AWESOME. A bottle of it lasts forever too!


+2 I agree, Michelin's tire dressing is great. However I haven't been able to find it for some time now. Where do you buy it?
 
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I only use the stuff once or twice between lets say April to November. I don't like shiney, or the stuff all over my wheels or slung down the side of the car. I prefer the stuff in a spray bottle (as opposed to an aerosol can). I use an eagle 1 applicator pad and wipe of the excess afterwards. A bottle lasts me forever, so there is a good chance that when I buy more, it will have changed. I'm covering 3-4 vehicles.
My 0.02
 
Originally Posted By: guile
+2 I agree, Michelin's tire dressing is great. However I haven't been able to find it for some time now. Where do you buy it?


I can't buy it locally. I buy it from a retailer in Blacksburg, VA. There are places closer to me, but my in-laws live in that area, so I swing by and pick up a bottle or two when we're up there, if I need any.

Closer to me, there are places within 50-60 miles, but the outfit in Virginia is most convenient.
 
I like the non-foam aerosol sprays. You use less product, it stays where you spray, and it doesn't run as much as the foam. The spray bottle type, I tend to have to over use to get the same desired effect. I have been using the aerosol non-foam Turtle Wax Tire Shine with great results.
 
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