getting beautiful tires

[JMV]

so, i`ve got some zaino z16 tire gloss stuff, but i`m not sure what the best way to get my tires looking really superb is.



You`re supposed to clean the tires before using the z16... i tried using some bon ami scrum stuff (i understand taht its mildly abrasive, and shouldn`t be used just by itself, but i figured if i`m putting a protectant on it it would be okay), and then i tried to apply the z16. The stuff is so damn thin though, that its hard to work with.



Any suggestions on either making my tires extra clean prior to the gloss application, or on better using the z16??



Thanks,

Jason

[BobD]

I would use a tire cleaner made for tires and not BonAmi to start. Then, if you have a thin product going on the tires put some on a foam tire applicator and apply it that way. That should help a lot.

[Driven-528e]

Hi-temp tire cleaner followed by a few thin applications of their Grape Tire Dressing... beautiful, black, glossy tires! The tire cleaner will remove all sorts of brown sludge from your tire that you had no idea was there. It really gets a clean surface to work with. The tire will then soak in more tire dressing than normal, b/c its so clean. In my experience, the tire dressing then lasts longer and looks better. Check out their products on topoftheline.com



Sorry if that doesnt answer your question as I`ve never used Zaino products.

[TigerMike]

Eagle One All Wheel/Tire Cleaner (formerly A2Z) works wonders on my tires. Leaves them perfectly black, ready for any dressing (which I rarely use anyway for other unrelated reasons). I use a nice wheel/tire brush to agitate and them come out great.



Simply spray on, scrub around a couple times and hose off. Presto! Clean tires! :D



For the Z16, I used to use these E1 tire foam swipes, shaped like a half moon for the curvature of the tire. You pour some Z16 in the foam and wipe the tire. I rarely use tire dressings anymore though...

[dsl1]

I`ve been using Bleache White. Does quite a good job removing stuff from tires and makes them look new. Spray on, scrub if needed, rinse of with with hose or just wipe off with towel. Follow with your favorite dressing if you want.

[JMV]

I used to use these E1 tire foam swipes, shaped like a half moon for the curvature of the tire. You pour some Z16 in the foam and wipe the tire.





I like the sound of this, where can i get these??



And as far as the tire cleaner... any other reccomendations besides from topoftheline.com?? I would really prefer something that i could go to autozone or someplace to pick up, even if it doesn`t quite work as well. I`m real low on funds.



thanks for the help!

[imported_themightytimmah]

Go to Autozone or any local place really, and get a good tire brush and a strong APC (Purple Power or Castrol Super Clean) and a spray bottle. Spray the APC on your tires, be careful to keep it off your rims, then scrub it good and hose or pressure wash off. IMHO, you`ll get results on par with any dedicated rubber cleaner out there.

[VroomVroom]

I agree. I`ve been using Costco`s cheapo degreaser (Oil Eater) and it works just fine. I save the good stuff (i.e. 303, Four Star APC`s) for the tougher and/or more sensitive jobs. Apply as mentioned above, and you`ll have a very clean sidewall ready for some love.



I`ve kind of come to the conclusion that the applicator is as important as the product. I`m partial to Poorboys BnB, but I have a lot of dressings. A lot of applicators too. :) Last year I picked up some Adam`s detailing sponges at a truck show, and these things are awesome. They allow you to apply a light coat without missing any nooks and crannies. Everything from Goodyear Eagle GTII (thousands of vertical slits in the sidewall) to my Nitto Terra Grapplers (raised `lightning bolts`) is now a breeze.