Originally Posted By: Clubber_Lang
I'm not sure if this is true, but I've read other places that cheaper tire shine actually degrades and yellows tires.
What brands do not do this? Which brands are bad for tires? Any chemical ingredients to watch out for?
(I have armor all tire foam around the house, a cheaper brand)
I think the general consensus is that the more a product depends upon silicone as an ingredient, the worse it is for the rubber, both visually (from buildup over time) and molecularly (also from buildup over time). I'm sure there is some truth to those claims, but I suspect once all the variables are factored in, the reality of the whole situation makes definite outcomes like those much less likely for any given person's vehicle.
If you buy and regularly use the absolute cheapest tire shine products you can find, and you rarely (or never) give the tires a good scrubbing and cleaning while doing a car wash, then you should not be surprised if the tires gradually take on a dull brown hue. And if that same approach to tire care/cleaning continues on for several years, then you should also not be surprised to one day notice cracks and brittleness are the new norm for the outside of the tires.
But let's face it, that type of apathy toward your car's tires is rare. Almost everyone will take better care of their tires, even if by accident! Which changes our formula's variables, and thus makes the outcome more nebulous.
Bottom line IMO: find a product that you like and use it after every car wash if necessary. But most important of all, clean the tires at every car wash. If you keep cleaning off any residual buil-up of the product before applying more, it will be hard for it to accumulate in the rubber and eventually cause problems.
Personally I like Stoner More Shine, SCG Beyond Black, Duragloss something_something (forgot prod's name), Griot's Garage tire spray (aerosol), and only one or two others I am blanking on at the moment. I've tried just about every OTC tire shine out there and a few non-OTC s well in an effort to find the perfect product for me. And those listed above are the one's I liked enough to use again.
Unfortunately I like the satin/matte look on the tires (on my black car) much more than the shiny, wet-look everybody else seems to love, so take any recommendations I might give on this subject as personal opinion only.
