Question On The Various Types Of Tire Shine Products

[imported_ChaoticBliss]

Can someone please explain the pros and cons of foam vs liquid vs gel tire shine products? I am looking to try something different (I currently use Endurance Gel but I dont like how it gets crap on my rims).



Thanks

 

[travisdecpn]

I find that no matter what type of protectant you use, you have to make sure that you buff any excess from the tire. This really helps avoid sling on both your wheels as well as your fenders.

 

[jfelbab]

I use Endurance High Gloss on one of my cars. I apply to all the tires then buff them with a towel. They don't sling after that.



I use Meguiar's Hot Shine High Gloss (trigger) on another and this I spray onto a hand applicator and wipe on the tire. It's dries quickly and doesn't sling.



The Endurance is much wetter looking and the Hot Shine is more of a satin look.

 

[du3ce]

can u use car wax on ur wheels?

 

[hrspwr00v6]

on the rims yes, on the tires themselves. no.

 

[du3ce]

oh ok yeah i've waxed my rims just wondering about tires, any reason why though?

 

[thinkweb]

It's alright to wax the 1998-2001 and 2003 tires on a Honda Accord, but the '02s are made out of Canadian Goober ruber, so wax can't be applied. Lol, just kidding, don't worry about the tires, they're fine without.

 

[SVR]

Foam sprays are messy unless you have a steady hand, Gel can be shilacky and leaves a sticky residue on the tyres which will build up and Liquid shines are the easiest to apply



I don't recommend the meguiars gel.



Here are my methods



1. Meguiars Pro Vinyl Protectant & Valvoline Syn Power Shine



Spray the meguiars on a cloth and some to the tires. Then buff off and spray the aerosol valvoline over the top for a dry, non sling wet look finish



2. Jal Chemicals Tyre Rejuvinator



Apply the liquid to a cloth and outside edge of tyre. Apply in one big motion clockwise over the tire and buff



Give rejuvinator product time to cure and slowly absorb into the rubber, thus bringing back the suppleness and dark black color to the tyres



3. Car Chem Seal It



Spray Liquid tyre rejuvinator directly onto tires, remove excess from wheel. Do not buff



Allow a couple hours at least to absorb. If you drive the car very shortly after shining the tyres, the shine won't last the trip to your destination.

With both Seal It and Jal, the more time you give it to absorb, the darker and wetter the finish



best results obtained after 6 - 24 hours. Will last at least a week even in rain if allowed this much time

 

[wash-girl]

In my experience, the most important part of keeping tires looking great is to make sure they're completely clean and dry, before applying any protectant. I use Bleche-White and a scrub brush on the whole tire, sometimes twice, to be sure it's clean. Then I dry and detail the rest of the vehicle, while the tires dry off, and I use a blue shop towel to soak up any water caught in the lettering, at the bottom of the rim, and in the nubs (my tires are big all-terrains, so there's often a lot of soaking up to do).



Clean dry tires are most important when using gels or liquids. I've found the tire foams to be a little more forgiving. I also use the all in one foams for times when I don't feel like spending a whole lot of time on the tires. The cleaning ability is a decent hold-over, until the next time I'm gonna do a big cleaning and use a gel. I still like TW Tire Wax the best for the "main detailing" and consider the all-in-one foam my "tire QD." Right now, I'm testing out the NXT Protectant as a tire dressing. It has looked good for the past 4 days, but there hasn't been any rain yet. We'll see.