Tire shines and protectants

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Depends on what they're made of. Some of them may have the tendency to strip oils from the rubber which accelerates dry rot/cracking.

Personally, I rarely use anything on my tires.
 
I thought they prevented dry rot?

Regardless, I only use tire foam. I do not care for the shiny wet look. Tire foam just keeps it clean & black. I use either Meguiars or Armor All.
 
Opinions seem all over the place, and facts seem hard to find.

Some say they're all terrible, but then again Michelin makes a tire shine product.

I dunno. My last set of tires that I used Armor All tire shine were all dry rotted after four years. But, they were dry rotted the same amount on the inside as the outside. So I guess it didn't do anything, neither did direct UV rays.
 
In my experience I've never seen a tire shine product "rot" a tire. The only cracked tires I've had were cracked everywhere, not just the outside sidewall where "protectant" had been used.
 
Apply with foam rubber applicator. If you just spray it on thick, the tires tend to develop a drug dependancy to this stuff.
 
The reason opinions vary all over the lot is that the formulations for these products varies all over the lot.

Some have anitoxidants (AO's) - which is good. Some have petroleum distillates - which is bad.

But part of the picture is that the rubber in tires contains waxes that migrate to the surface and provide a physical barrier to the oxygen in the atmosphere. These waxes make the rubber look dull.

In order to make a tire "black black" (as opposed to "grey black"), you have to remove that layer of wax - and that has adverse affects on oxidation. Adding AO's helps prevent this oxidation, but once the AO's are used up, oxidation takes place. without that waxy barrier, the subsequent oxidation is now more rapid. The only solution is a repeated application.
 
I've been using these types of products since the first time that I have heard of them in the 70's and have never had an issue.
 
From everything I've been told and read the silicone based products are the ones that ruin the built-in UV protectors in the tires. I use More Shine Less Time from Stoners and I think it's the best tire dressing I've ever used. It's also not silicone based.
 
Originally Posted By: grampi
From everything I've been told and read the silicone based products are the ones that ruin the built-in UV protectors in the tires. I use More Shine Less Time from Stoners and I think it's the best tire dressing I've ever used. It's also not silicone based.



That's also what I've always thought. Same issue with silicone on interior plastics and weatherstrips, etc. I'm gonna try the Stoners as their glass cleaner is A1.
 
Interesting...i think ill stay away from tire shines for awhile. Its probley what caused my Yokos to crack.
 
When I first had the Generals put on my Mazda, they looked terrible. The sidewalls were orange/yellow. It looked like I had taken my Mazda through a mud bog. So after a few months of using Armor All Tire Foam nearly twice a week to keep them black, they now stay black for several months at a time before needing another coat.
 
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i stopped using these products altogether last year, My wife and i both have newer rubber on our auto's and as long as the car/truck get a washing once a month (this includes scrubbing the rubber with plastic brush and washbucket water, dawn dishwashing soap) our tires just look clean and black.. ive wasted so much $$ over the years on products.. i feel foolish now.
 
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
i stopped using these products altogether last year, My wife and i both have newer rubber on our auto's and as long as the car/truck get a washing once a month (this includes scrubbing the rubber with plastic brush and washbucket water, dawn dishwashing soap) our tires just look clean and black.. ive wasted so much $$ over the years on products.. i feel foolish now.

Live and learn. To me its a waste using that stuff. Good looking tires one day, dirty the next.
 
Originally Posted By: ARB1977
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
i stopped using these products altogether last year, My wife and i both have newer rubber on our auto's and as long as the car/truck get a washing once a month (this includes scrubbing the rubber with plastic brush and washbucket water, dawn dishwashing soap) our tires just look clean and black.. ive wasted so much $$ over the years on products.. i feel foolish now.

Live and learn. To me its a waste using that stuff. Good looking tires one day, dirty the next.


That's because you're not using the right product. Try the Stoner's. You won't be disappointed.
 
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
i stopped using these products altogether last year, My wife and i both have newer rubber on our auto's and as long as the car/truck get a washing once a month (this includes scrubbing the rubber with plastic brush and washbucket water, dawn dishwashing soap)

To me, this is as bad as using some of the worst tire shine products out there. Dawn is a very strong degreaser - it is actually used to strip wax from car paint (if you want it stripped) and I imagine it would be quick to remove those protective waxes that CapriRacer was talking about from your tires. If anything, use dedicated car soap, not Dawn.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
i stopped using these products altogether last year, My wife and i both have newer rubber on our auto's and as long as the car/truck get a washing once a month (this includes scrubbing the rubber with plastic brush and washbucket water, dawn dishwashing soap)

To me, this is as bad as using some of the worst tire shine products out there. Dawn is a very strong degreaser - it is actually used to strip wax from car paint (if you want it stripped) and I imagine it would be quick to remove those protective waxes that CapriRacer was talking about from your tires. If anything, use dedicated car soap, not Dawn.


i agree with you about the stripping, i should have stated that i use (whatever its called) from autozone.. its a car wash (gentle), but i havent bought any in a few months so the most recent washes have been dishsoap. although i havent used alot of soap, maybee a teaspoon in 2-3 gallons of water.. I know dishsoap will pull the was off ur cars finish QUICKLY..
 
I've used the tire foam on my RV tires before. They looked great when I did it. But when I went back to get my RV out of storage (and it is enclosed storage out of the weather and sun) a few months later the tires were all BROWN/ORANGE looking! Awful and was hard to scrub it all off. Never again. It was the Armor All Spray tire foam.

I am going to try Stoners as recommended above and do the same thing and see how it turns out.
 
I like the Aerospace 303 for all exterior rubber trim and tires. very low sheen and it appears to protect very well. I live in Las Vegas so the sun doesn't get any tougher on tires/rubber than here. I also use it on weather stripping around the windows and other rubber/plastic trim. 303 has worked great for years for me. YMMV
 
The 303 is great on rubber/plastic anywhere on the inside or outside, the problems are it is hard to find and a little expensive. I could not find it at all the stores that sell auto parts, but found it at ACE hardware store.
 
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