Ay Scotty! Sprays, gels, foam... we've seen them all and they make our tires look wet and pretty, but are they really protecting/preserving the rubber or just burning up my hard earned cash? Is there anything that will legitimately protect and/or make tires last longer? Thanks!
My nephew Luke suggested bypassing all the commercial products and using a castor oil & lemon juice mix... anyone have experience with homemade tire dressings? Thanks.
are you sure that's not Luke's recipe for salad dressing? 😆
Ha! Like he would ever cook for us, not a chance. All he wants to do is pick up new power converters... typical kid, but he's good to have around.
Uncle Scotty clears the air! 09:05 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL85_Hw3A-8
dry rot doesn't exist where I am, so it would only be to make it look pretty
Tire dressing looks really good on the tires but it serves no purpose other than cosmetics. Furthermore, it can actually dry the tires out faster.
That's a common misconception but actually not true. Tire dressing, if you use a good one, protects against UV rays and keeps the rubber from drying out.
It is well known that tire dressing contains petroleum substances and petroleum dries out rubber.
Using good quality tire dressing gives a great appearance, but also extends the life of the rubber by preventing dry rot for longer.
You're not wasting your money if you are using the good options.
Well, then please advise! What is a quality tire dressing that extends the life of the rubber?
UV rays are responsible for most dry rot. You can use some Golden Eagle 303 protectant to help keep the UV at bay and extend the life of your tires. Here's a link to it:
https://www.goldeagle.com/product/303-automotive-protectant/
I have had good success using it. At my shop we only use Griot's Garage chemicals. They are expensive but worth the money. Their tire shine also has UV protectant in it as well. Here is a link to that one: https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/black+satin+tire+coating.do?sortby=ourPicks
I've had a friend buy a car from a dealership, they obviously cleaned the car and put some tire dressing before selling it. The tire dressing went all over the paint after the first day, I assume it's a normal thing to expect?
"Normal"? ... well, I've used some of the goopy ones in the past that make the tires look really wet, but in excess it'll splatter everywhere and retain dirt.
They just did a cheap job I guess. Good to know!
I guess they used too much, or it wasn't dry yet
They need to use a satin finish tire dressing to prevent slinging. That will keep things neat and not give you the greasy mess on your paint.
So satin finish matters? How so?
Satin finish dressings are less "runny" than gloss. They do not cause the black shiny "sling" mess behind the tires. If you are having tire dressing sling up on the paint, you are using too much. You should also allot 15 minutes for drying time before you drive the car after application.
Okay thanks!
No problem! Yes I know it is odd that satin and gloss are formulated different, but that is surprisingly the case. I prefer the gloss myself for the extra shine. Just have to remember a little bit goes a long way and to let it dry. 🙂
Well indeed it is a bit confusing, but will it affect the tire's life that much considering they last around 3 years here from simple usage? I feel like the tires will be done before it even starts to dry.
It won't extend the usable life. It is more for cars that don't get driven much and sit outside that you'll see a difference as the usual dry rot will be delayed. But if you are driving the car, I'd consider it just for show.
Alright thanks!
I heard if people spraying this on plastics under the hood, after degreasing the engine bay. Does it protect plastic?
Good question! We've all seen those glossy hoses and plastic pieces glistening under the hood... does it do anything except make them look nice?!
I used a bit of meguiar's (forgot the name but it's some spray bottle that makes plastic looks a bit shinier, mostly for black pieces) in my car interior and I used a bit on the air box and plastic trims after cleaning my hood since I had it close to me and it did look like a deeper black. Personally I used it for esthetics but I don't think it will protect the plastic and rubber all that much, maybe for UV rays but you don't get these under the hood. That is a good question, does it actually help protect the plastic and rubber?
Yes, exactly! Hoping the experts will chime in here... do these products actually protect, and how do we know? Aside from someone telling us how great a product is, etc., is there any concrete evidence of protection or is it all hearsay?
I do know that people used to slick themselves down with oil to get more tanned. A smooth surface scatters less light than a rough surface.
If you want a shiny engine compartment, spray everything with WD40 and wipe it down. That's what the used car dealers do to make the cars look clean, temporarily.
