Iqb316

Does anyone have a recommendation for tire-wet sprays? They're ok to use? I use to use Armor-All for my tires on our old Chevy and after months of use, the tires started to look like they were rotting (brown discolouration)

I've seen a few sprays around (Eagle-1 etc), there's also a tire-wet foam spray too. I wanna try it if it looks good!

rsly33

iTrader: (1)

I use the Eagle One and i think they are good to use. I think that after a wash, the car looks great with the tire wet, but as your car gets dirtier, the tire wet doesnt fade with it so it kind of looks like youve got vaseline or something on the tires. Overall, I would recommend using it

Nismo

iTrader: (18)

I think armoral is bad for the tires so I heard. I use either meguires endurance and eagle1

NismoMax80

iTrader: (6)

I know some "brown" the tires after awhile. I got the zaino tire dressing. Not as glossy as I wanted, but UV40 protectant. I'm hearing more bad about armorall for leather and tires.

Would hope Eagle one would be ok. I use the Eagle one swipes at least. Helps control where you apply it.

ManualMaxima

iTrader: (10)

if you want soe shiney tires use stoner less time more shine. it is the best sticking tire wet that i have ever used.

endus

iTrader: (1)

Anything that contains silicone is garbage and shouldn't be used. Other than that, go for it.

I use http://www.carcareonline.com/detail....oduct_id=10171 which is pretty good and not that glossy.

Bman

Nothing wrong with Armor All products in general, and don't be turned off by the word "silicone". Mainly try to avoid products containing petroleum distillates (most companies make a product with this) or Stoddart solvent. The main ingredient in all the water-based dressings that people usually recommend (besides water) is PDMS, which IS a "silicone".

endus

iTrader: (1)

There was a thread on autopia discussing this. They said there are types of silicones that are fine for plastic and rubber and other types which are not good for plastic and rubber. Armor all was found to have the type that is not good for plastic and rubber.

Iqb316

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I went ahead and got the Eagle-1 spray. Tried it, looks pretty good! I took a pic, but the angle doesn't show it that well.

Bman

endus, is there a specific thread you can direct me to?

I did some digging, and it seems many people don't like it based on supposition, including convincing threads like this:
http://www.autopia.org/forums/showth...ight=armor+all
While Detailking is a chemist by profession and does know detailing very well, he isn't involved with the detailing product industry, so whatever he thinks is contained in anything can only be an educated guess.

On the other hand, the (banished) Ron Ketcham really is (was? can't remember if he's retired now...) an industry insider and is pretty informed about what goes into what products. Check these out maybe:
http://www.autopia.org/forums/showth...ight=armor+all
http://www.autopia.org/forums/showth...highlight=pdms
Especially the last, which tells how to differentiate between "good" and "bad" protectants. I am more inclined to believe Ron because everyone I spoke to says that he's a good guy and really is an expert in his field. That, along with some other circumstantial observations, such as the fact that most milky white dressings seem to behave quite similarly. This might sound somewhat naive, but after the incredibly bad reputation AA got, and still suffers from, would it still make sense for them to continue to sell a damaging product decades later? The guys at GuruReports also (ahem) "very highly rated" Armor All Original in their latest Tire and Wheel care test.

Believe me, I bought into the "Armor All sucks" mentality quite heavily when I first joined Autopia. I used to bug my friends about using protectants that were not 303 and told them not to use Armor All or other "cheap" products. Over time the more and more I read about this issue, I came to reconsider my position on it, and eventually did an about-face. It is not just me either. A lot of the experienced members with respected opinions also agree. One example: http://www.autopia.org/forums/showth...ight=armor+all

Not trying to flame or be argumentative, just trying to share what I learned and how.... I'm searching for "the truth" just like everybody else.

endus

iTrader: (1)

Definitely...always down for new, accurate info!

None of those were the thread I was referring to, but good info nonetheless. I'll try and search for the thread tommorrow....too tired and too close to quittin time today.

My problem with Armor all was both the myth that it was bad for rubber and vinyl and that it was too glossy for the dash (hate gloss). As far as tires...you/they might be right. I dunno....I'm still sketched out...but maybe...

The 3m stuff I linked to is really good ****. I tend to trust 3m since they seem to make a pretty wide range of quality products and seem to genuinely understand what is safe on certain parts of the car and what isn't. I trusted their microfinishing glaze on my freshly painted hood and it did not let me down. I had a sidewall tear on my RSA's possibly from using Tire Wet, and since changing to 3m haven't had any probs at all....no browning, etc. It also seems to last decently long if you apply it somewhat thick and let it dry.

talisman311

DuPont Teflon @ Advanced Auto.. 5 bux a bottle good for many applications. Teflon-based so doesn't attract dust, I was pretty happy with it after using foams which don't last long, and gels which make everything stick to it. Tire looked like a big green donut in the spring..

Adrian

iTrader: (11)

just ONE wipe of meguires endurance(the purple gel) is all u need

DMad8724

iTrader: (4)

I thought tires browning was just from dirt getting stuck to the tires if the tire-wet was too sticky?

Maximum Velocity

iTrader: (3)

All tires have mold releasing agents (MRA) within the rubber compound. Solvent based dressings are known to "sling" off tires and appear as little black dots on the body of the car. These dots can stain the paint since the MRA can etch the paint. This means that when the solvent based dressing comes into contact with the tire, the MRA dissolves into the dressing. The resulting sling puts the MRA onto the paint of the car and the MRA penetrates the clearcoat and stains the underlying paint. Gels (water-based) are not know to cause much sling at all also do not dissolve the MRAs. A good gel (like PRO's Blue Ice) will cause a satin gloss shine comparable to most sovent based dressings, but is harder to apply initially. It's really give and take for ease of use (liquid solvent based dressings are easier) and gloss (solvent dressing can be more shiny, but there are different grades of solvent dressings for levels of gloss; personally, I like to use gel dressings because of the sling and the apperance is just as good), but in order to acheive glossy tires, silicone is usually present. DO NOTE that painting staining CAN result, but as with anything, it doesn't always happen.

Dave Holmes

I have been a member of Autopia for years now, and agree with Bman. Armor All did have a bad rep, and still hasn't recovered from it. I, however, believe they have fixed the problem in the Original formula stuff. I tend to believe that the milky white dressings are "safe", and the ridiculous shining clear liquids are not. Some of the gels are suspect in my opinion, but I do trust Meg's Endurance as I had used it for years.
My personal preference is for a matte or satin sheen. I really dislike high shine products. I mean, I really dislike them. To me, it makes the tires look "plasticy". I like my tires "black", and definitely not on par with my paint's gloss! Take a look at Concours level cars . Are their tires ridiculously shiny? (I'm not talking about local teenagers entering their rice-mobiles in a car show). On my tires, I use Meg's #40, NXT, 303, and lately even Armor All Original. The key to all of them is to apply (to a spotless tire), let sit, and BUFF off. The buffing is key to a uniform, sling-free, dust-repelling, durable satin appearance.
On a dash, a shine is downright dangerous. It also makes the interior look cheap (again, look at concours cars and their elegant, satin appearance). For mine (and all interior vinyl and plastic), I use one of 3 products; Meg's #40, Meg's NXT, and 303. All 3, when properly applied, allowed to sit, and BUFFED with a microfiber, leave a well-protected, dry (not oily), satin surface that does not attract dust. In fact, my interior stays dust free much longer with these products than with others.
There are other good products out there I haven't mentioned or tried, so the above is not an all-inclusive list The above mentioned (and processes) work for me everytime. They give my car an elegant, CLASSY appearance. This type of appearance seems to be less popular with today's youth who prefer the bling factor more than class.

Dave

PrinzII

iTrader: (2)

I prefer using Vinylex or 303. I like the matte finish as opposed to the higher gloss.

aliti19

iTrader: (2)

I've been using eagle-one gel for the longest time & don't have any issues with discoloration. Just don't let the gel drip on the rims.