Tire protection

[Hjfowler]

I've tried searching this topic, and I'm sure it's out there, but I need some clarification.

1. Is tire protection necessary? And what exactly does it do other than make the tires/wheels look cool?

2. What is a good OTC product, and how often does it need to be applied to get the desired result/protection.

As always, thanks in advance!

[jamesboyy]

It depends on what type of tire protection you put on the tires if you use water base IMO it will feed the rubber/trim vitamins while supplying UV protection if you use solvent base its like make up as for otc wise meguiars tire gel(purple one) is alright but if it was me I would go with a product like carpro perl

[GenesisCoupe]

I've tried searching this topic, and I'm sure it's out there, but I need some clarification.

1. Is tire protection necessary? And what exactly does it do other than make the tires/wheels look cool?

2. What is a good OTC product, and how often does it need to be applied to get the desired result/protection.

As always, thanks in advance!

1. Using a tire protection (tire shine) for general public is for appearance purposes, but for anyone knowing a little bit about tires is that it protects against UV that can turn tires brown and other damage such as cracking.

2. I like using Poorboy's Bold N' Bright. It's water based and gives a nice satin shine. I apply it about once a month, mianly because i wash my car once a week in the late spring-fall.

[Hjfowler]

Ok. Well after reading both posts, I appreciate the responses. I guess what I'm looking for is protection. Not necessarily "looks."

Water based is the way to go then?

[GenesisCoupe]

Ok. Well after reading both posts, I appreciate the responses. I guess what I'm looking for is protection. Not necessarily "looks."

Water based is the way to go then?

Water based wont sling like a silicone dressing.

I mean you can always wipe off any leftover residue from a silicone based but in my opinion the better of the two is the water based.

[wlshephard]

Check out tuff shine

TUF SHINE Tire Appearance Kit, tuf shine tire dressing, permanent tire shine, permanent tire sealant (http://www.autogeek.net/tuf-shine-tire-appearance-kit.html)

[Hjfowler]

Check out tuff shine

TUF SHINE Tire Appearance Kit, tuf shine tire dressing, permanent tire shine, permanent tire sealant (http://www.autogeek.net/tuf-shine-tire-appearance-kit.html)

Yea I saw that. It makes me nervous to have such a permanent look on the tire.

[trekkeruss]

Modern tires are formulated to combat UV and ozone damage. When you use a dressing/coating on a tire, you're only covering the outside face. The tread and inside face get nothing, and the tire is mostly "unprotected" anyway. So using dressing is mostly about looks; any protection is minimal to non-existent. It must be true because there are millions of tires on the road that have never seen a dressing, let alone a cleaning, and people aren't having to replace their tires because they weren't dressed. My sister's car is like that.

[HateSwirls]

I'm not big on Meguiar's Endurance Gel but you can buy it over the counter.
If you choose to try it, apply thin coats, let it soak in some but then take a paper towel not to mess up your good towels then wipe off as much as you can, that way you won't have sling but your tires will look much better, it will give to a dark, rich color.

I love Meguiar's Hyper dressing, one gallon makes up to five gallons, the more you dilute it the less shine you'll have but still would have nice looking tires, it may seem expensive at first but once you dilute it you'll find out it really will save you money :)

[Hjfowler]

I appreciate the advice. I'll try to find some OTC first to test it out and see if I like the dressed look.

Is it also true that some tire dressings actually have the opposite effect, and dry the tire out??

[Desertnate]

I used Duragloss #253 for the first time this weekend on one of my cars. I really liked the satin finish it creates. It makes the tires darker that when knew without the shine, sling, or debris collection of some treatments. It has already survived one rain so far, which is more than some products can boast.

[The Guz]

My brother likes using Meguiar's hot shine which is available locally. I gave him a couple tire applicators which he uses. Another nice tire dressing that I just tried is from Mother's M Tech line which is available at autozone. I apply it with a foam tire applicator. Works well. You could also try Meguiar's new ultimate tire coating. I have seen it at pep boys.

[Hjfowler]

I did some research. I really like meguiars products, but I went with PERL because of the versatility and the price point. I'll post some pics later once the product comes in.