tire dressings harm rims?

B

bigsled

New member
this is my 1st post. i tried finding this topic but no specifics i saw. ( i'm new, give me a break) i was wondering if tire dressings like armor all, harm aluminim rims when you get overspray on them? the dealer did'nt seem to know. i wipe the overspray off right away, but i dont know if i get every drop off. i know i can try wipes or a piece of cardboard like you guys have suggested.

also, i was reading some of these forums about tire blooming, i've used westleys tire cleaner for many years and never knew it could harm them?? my tires never turned brown from using it?? some people have been writing saying : dressings that arent water based can harm your tires.. how much truth is there to this??? thanks..... sorry for all the questions at once
 
Thanks for taking the time to write a good post. You have asked some interesting questions and I am sure many will post their replies.



I am not all that sure tire dressings will actually harm the rims. However, I personally have never liked the idea of spraying the tires directly and allowing the overspray to get on the rims in the first place. I perfer to always apply the dressing to an applicator cloth first and then wipe it onto the sidewall of the tire. That way there is almost no chance of any dressing getting on the rims. It may waste some of the product, but it's a lot safer and worry free way of doing things.



Thanks again for a good post.
 
In my opinion, products like ArmorAll will have no effect on your wheels. I don't think any dressing will have any effect on the metal of your wheels. Some of the dressings which have solvents could damage the paint/coating of the wheels, but this would be a cosmetic concern (although a large one), but not a safety problem as you allude to with some dressings possibly damaging tires.
 
I do the same thing as mirrorfinishman... i use an old sponge (after its done its duty with the dishes) and spray the tire dressing on it and then apply it to the tire... if it does touch my rim, i quickly wipe it off with a towel i keep nearby..
 
In the years I have been overusing tire sprays I have seen no damage. I havent seen damage from properly used but frequentlt used wheel cleaner either. My BMW OEM rims get AZ at least 2 sometimes 4 times per week in the summer with NO damage, still look new. They also get overspray from E1 tire shine, no damage
 
Sprays are banned from my detail shed. It's gel only such as WG Black Diamond and Black Onyx, you can't go wrong with them

The 1980's technology silicone rich solvent based tire dressings still in use today won't do any damage if wiped off quickly but I wonder what they would do if left on for a week in very hot sunny weather
 
Considering that OEM rims are painted and clearcoated, its no different to getting over-spray on your paint work when treating plastics. Stick to preferably water based products, wipe off any overspray ( or better still get an EO tyre swipe - awesome things ) and you will have no hassles.....
 
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