california-usa

Hello all! So when I wash my car and spray on some regular water based tire cleaners ( similar to those sold at Pep Boys ) my tires never come out as good as when I take my car to a car wash that uses an oil based tire dressing. I asked an employee at the car wash why is it that when I use my tire cleaner the shine only lasts 3-4 days max but when they use their tire dressing the shine lasts up to 2 weeks!. He stated that its because im using a water based cleaner and they use an oil based so my question is...do any of you people use an oil based tire dressing and if so which one do you recommend for that long lasting shine. Thanks!

TOGWT

Tyres:
Are manufactured from a composite of rubber and polymer compounds and are subjected to more abuse than any other component part of the vehicle. As well as airborne contaminants they also have other formidable adversaries, ultra violet radiation (UVR) ozone, oxygen, petroleum distillates, formaldehyde and water.

a) To provide protection from ultra violet radiation (UVR) a sacrificial absorber (carbon black) is used to convert UV radiation into harmless light wave energy and dissipate it.

b) Oils and micro-waxes are added to provide flexibility, and form a protective barrier between the Ozone and oxygen (Ozone is an allotropic form of oxygen, an oxidizer (an oxidizer is any compound that spontaneously emits oxygen) either at room temperature or under slight heating.

c) Many chemical compounds react vigorously at ambient temperatures as the oxidizing process takes place between water and the tyre polymer-binding agents. Water tends to wash away the natural oils and micro-waxes that help to maintain the tyres flexibility.

d) If the tyres are parked for extended periods the micro-waxes and oils dry out, UV light radiation combined with air (Ozone and Oxygen) accelerate the tyre degradation process, resulting in drying, discolouration and cracking. To provide the necessary protection from the negative effects of UV radiation, water, ozone and
other airborne pollutants tyre dressings are used to protect them.

e) Hydrocarbon (petroleum) distillates when combined with formaldehyde (used as a cleaning agent) that are found in some tyre dressings act as a strong solvent and will dissolve rubber/polymer, resulting in discoloration, cracking that ultimately results in tyre failure.

f) Dimethyl (petroleum distillate) silicone oils remove the protective waxes (that help the tyre walls flex) that are found in some tyre dressings. These will accelerate the tyre’s aging process because they remove the manufacturer’s inbuilt protections. These oils penetrate the rubber/polymer encapsulating the carbon black and the waxes forcing them to the surface to where they are then washed away

Tyre Dressings:
1. Water based dressings- (usually a milky-white liquid) does not contain silicone oils, petroleum distillates, waxes, or solvents that can harm rubber and / or vinyl over time. Most water-based dressings use a combination of natural oils and polymers to offer a non-greasy, satin finish. Most of these products also contain UV blocking agents to help keep tires from cracking, fading and hardening. Most, if not all water-based dressings are biodegradable (Zaino Z-16 Perfect Tire Gloss™) whereas Silicone is not.

2. Silicone-based dressings- (usually a clear greasy liquid) that contain petroleum distillates as a cleaning agent. The difference is in the carrier system used. Solvent based products use a hydrocarbon solvent to suspend the product. When you apply it, the solvent evaporates leaving the dressing's active ingredients (Silicone oil) behind; this type of silicone is also not biodegradable. (Eagle One® Tire Shine Spray & Gel)

1. Usually a matte finish
2. Usally a shiny gloss finish

JonM

Hawhyen51

Check out the products from Chemical Guys called Extreme V.R.T. Dressing and two other ones. You can also check Supply Detail Outlet's Pro S-93/94 Tire Dressing.

Yakuza70

I'm not a chemist so that was a tough read for me! I've been told that you should use a water based dressing as oil based ones will, over time, dry out and potentially cause your tires to crack. Is that correct?

By the way, I use the Zaino dressing and it does a good job although it isn't the glossiest or longest lasting when compared to oil based dressings I've used.

TOGWT

Quote: I've been told that you should use a water based dressing as oil based ones will, over time, dry out and potentially cause your tires to crack. Is that correct?

That is my understanding of Dimethyl (petroleum distillate) silicone oils

PS: I'm an Achitectural Engineer not a chemist, my source of reference was-

Information resource: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website, Department of the Environment (DOE), EPA/Purdue University Study 2001 -79 The American Association of Industrial Hygiene (AAIH) American Petroleum Institute (API) publications The Basics of Silicon Chemistry - Dow Corning.
JonM

Anthony Orosco

In a nutshell.....oil based is bad, water based is good. There are good silicones and bad ones and most bad silicone dressings are either clear or have a clue color to them and use a big fruity smell to disguise the solvent in them.

Most water based dressings are white and many of them have little to no smell at all. I highly suggest several water-based dressings, leave the solvent based alone.

Poorboys Bold N Bright
Armor All
Optimum Tire Shine

Don't knock Armor All, it's one of the better dressings out there and it can be bought locally.

Anthony

TLEXTREME

ive used meguires tire shine and that stuff shocked me on my first use : I used it on my old 98 accord with old tires, made them look amazing. almost like a mirror ,not only that but it lasted for 3 days with constant driving. i was shocked !!! now it's the only tire shine i'll use. ill post pics when i can get the car cleaned up after all this rain.

chef chris

Question is...even if the silicone-based products degrade the rubber...how much is it actually going to damage the tires in the 2 years most of us have the tires on the car anyhow?

I've applied tire dressings on every car I've ever owned and never had a blow-out from tire shiner...

sbuswell

armor all extreme shine works the best I've found. it last about 2weeks unless it rains heavily then you're screwed. it is cheaper and you get a ton of uses out of one spray bottle.

elenaran

Meguiar's Endurance lasts 2 weeks easily

Vicman17

I have 3 bottles of the Meg's Endurance tire gel (smells like grapes). I still haven't gone down to half of one bottle since I bought them mid-2003. Using a tire dressing foam pad, the product saturates the pad enough that I don't even need to use more product. Without serious dirt, I can get away with just wiping the tires with the saturated pad that has the black resudue and that is more than enough (gives a semi-gloss shine as well) and still lasts for weeks. The only thing with this product is that if you put down too much, it WILL sling off the tires and splash on the fender lips which won't look good on light colors.

This STILL IS the best tire dressing I have ever used.