Tire Dressing

[qship96]

Since putting the new Michelins on about 7 weeks ago, I have yet to use any tire "shine" product, just cleaning them with a brush and soap/water and am so far happy with the natural look{and the time saving from not having to clean overspray from wheels,etc}

This is the first set of tires I have not used vinylex or 303 protectant on{yet} and wondering if anyone else doesnt use a dressing and whether there is any longterm{3 years} disadvantage to not dressing the tires???

[Dabizzo1]

Never use anything shiny on any surface, especially if in a dry and hot climate. The so call protectant will act a a magnifying glass on the sidewall and if you stop using the product, cracking will accur. I only use clear and dull mink oil on the dash and seats every 2 weeks. I'd leave the tires au naturale. The carbon in tires make them uv resistant enough. They can withstand cyclic hot/cold/wet/dry environments aok. A shiny sheen will make the surface of the tires crack with time. If you do add anything, the protectant should be as dull as possible. My lesson learned was the sidewall destruction of a set of Bridgestone hp40's back in the day from Clearguard Protectant. Material science simply taught me why I was a dumb arse for using it. Hope this helps. Boris

[Jesda]

Indeed, and once the dressing dries off, it looks brown and dirty on the surface. You either have to constantly apply it or deal with brown rubber.

[NightRiderQ45]

I've always used tire shine with no problems. Maybe it's because I wash my car every week so I never have to deal with the "brown rubber" look. My car is black so there is no way that I can have a clean car with dull looking tires. To each it's own...

[marlin29311]

All of those tire shine products are bad for the rubber of the tires and can lead to break down, and if the product is oil based, when it flings off the tire while driving, it can errode your paint. Your car manual states that you shouldn't use them.

[NightRiderQ45]

All of those tire shine products are bad for the rubber of the tires and can lead to break down, and if the product is oil based, when it flings off the tire while driving, it can errode your paint. Your car manual states that you shouldn't use them.

Driving on horrible roads is bad for your suspension/steering and tires if you hit a large pothole. Your car manual also states that you shouldn't use any type of fuel injector cleaner but we know that isn't smart. I don't have issues with the product spraying all over my car. If you put a moderate amount on the tires and let the product dry before driving, you shouldn't have any issues. At least I don't.

[marlin29311]

Driving on horrible roads is bad for your suspension/steering and tires if you hit a large pothole. Your car manual also states that you shouldn't use any type of fuel injector cleaner but we know that isn't smart. I don't have issues with the product spraying all over my car. If you put a moderate amount on the tires and let the product dry before driving, you shouldn't have any issues. At least I don't.

Take a chill pill dude. I'm telling you what the manual says, and the fact that the oil based ones can errode both the paint and the rubber. Water based ones are better, but die off quicker - as is true of any other cosmetic enhancement that is water based.

To the OP - Tires come from the maunfacturer with protective coats on the sidewalls to ensure the "black" stays nice for longer periods of time. There is almost no real "need" to add the stuff, unless you want the "wet" look on your tires. Be careful applying if you do as to not get it on the tread, as this can cause slipping since most of these products are oil based.

[NightRiderQ45]

Take a chill pill dude. I'm telling you what the manual says, and the fact that the oil based ones can errode both the paint and the rubber. Water based ones are better, but die off quicker - as is true of any other cosmetic enhancement that is water based.

I'm chilling...I agree with your statement. I just wanted to come back at your statement that everything in your manual isn't logical. You don't use tire shine products...I use tire shine products. At the end of the day, we are both happy with how our car looks

[2005Q45er]

i think its fine. have used for years with no problem

[Jesda]

Tire dressing causes AIDS and stomps on puppies.

Issue resolved.

[MinisterofDOOM]

There are 16 year old spots on my parents' driveway from oil-based tire cleaner. The stuff repels water. FOREVER. Spray their driveway down with a hose and you'll see 4 spots of dry tenaciously hanging on.