Claying a vehicle

I am thinking of claying my truck now before winter. Its 1 1/2 years old and never been clayed. Do you think its time? Also what is a good clay bar to get and any tips on doing it would be greatly appreciated.

It`s well past time for a good claying! There are many clay bars out there and most of them will do the job. I use the Clay Magic bar and you can get the kit at your local auto parts store or wal-mart for about $10. Dwayne carries the big Clay Magic bar at premiumautocare (link at the bottom of the page). If you go with another brand (Mothers, Meguiars) it`s probably best to choose the fine grade versus the medium (medium is generally for heavy overspray).

Wash your vehicle. Tear off a small piece (1/4 or 1/5) of the bar and flatten it out (I like sort of an oval shape). Lube the surface with the solution in the kit and move the clay back and forth to pick up debri. Some folks like to go back and forth on the top panels (hood, roof, truck) and up/down on the side panels. You can also use a quick detail spray or really really soapy water as a lubricant for the clay.

Two keys to claying:

1. Use plenty of lube so the clay does not grab the surface. It should easily glide along the surface.

2. Once the clay is dirty, fold the dirty side together and make a new oval at that point. Don`t just flip the clay over. You`ll get more use out of the piece by folding.

Your suface will be nice an clean at this point. Now, I recommend a good polishing and then waxing from this point, but that is another thread....

You can clay while you wash as long as you maintain a nice slick surface with the soapy wash water and save time that way. I like to clay twice a year for the daily driver.

Thanks guys. This is something I have been considering for awhile now. I just couldnt convince myself it was a worth while procees till I started browsing this forum. I think I am gonna order some here very soon. Maybe like today.

Claying will remove road grime that a normal wash won`t as well as remove the "bumps that you can feel in the paint. A good clay job can leave the paint feeling nice and slick before you start to polish and prep.

In order to prepare the paint for finish Clay it. I will NOT put finish on a vehicle unless I clay it first. I detailed a vehicle the customer had for 1 month. I clayed it and it almost made you sick to see all the crud that came off of the paint. My customer asked me what I did and "Why didn`t it look like this when I got it brand new from the dealer".

Video of claying
http://www.tacscar.com/
Clay Magic
http://www.premiumautocare.com/detailingclay.html

You`re wondering if clay is necessary because you take for granted the tiny bumps that you feel in the paint even after you polish or wax. Clay will take out all these tiny imperfections and leave the finish smooth as a mirror. Just try one 2` x 2` section and you won`t have to be sold. I watched that little Tascar video and I think you need a hell of a lot more lube than that guy used. Don`t be stingy with it. If you are doing a first timer, I would trot down to the local auto store and buy a bottle of Eagle One for about $5 or so. Cheap and very good for the application.