tire brush scratching the actual tire. the heck?

**timaishu** · 03-08-2014, 11:53 PM

So I got new tires recently (Nitto Motivo) and I washed my car yesterday and wanted to remove their tire shine and I noticed after doing the first tire with my stiff bristled tire brush, it actually left marks on the side wall.

WHAT!?????

I have never seen this before. I have used this brush on 4 other sets of tires Ive maintained in the past with no problems.

It must be some new fancy compound or something. I heard these tires are a new design, so perhaps this is the cause? The sidewall does feel very smooth in a way I have never felt before in a tire.

I will see if I can get pictures tomorrow. After the first tire, I did it lightly on the second to see if it really was me, and it was. No scratches before, scratches after. I finished that on off and the others with my old soft bristled rim brush..

Has anyone encountered this before? Going forward, I am not using that brush anymore. What is the best way to scrub clean the sidewalls without a stiff bristled brush?

**spiralout462** · 03-08-2014, 11:59 PM

A pressure washer may be your answer, but you may have to be so careful that it may not remove anything other than light grime.

**Rsurfer** · 03-08-2014, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by timaishu

So I got new tires recently (Nitto Motivo) and I washed my car yesterday and wanted to remove their tire shine and I noticed after doing the first tire with my stiff bristled tire brush, it actually left marks on the side wall.

WHAT!?????

I have never seen this before. I have used this brush on 4 other sets of tires Ive maintained in the past with no problems.

It must be some new fancy compound or something. I heard these tires are a new design, so perhaps this is the cause? The sidewall does feel very smooth in a way I have never felt before in a tire.

I will see if I can get pictures tomorrow. After the first tire, I did it lightly on the second to see if it really was me, and it was. No scratches before, scratches after. I finished that on off and the others with my old soft bristled rim brush..

Has anyone encountered this before? Going forward, I am not using that brush anymore. What is the best way to scrub clean the sidewalls without a stiff bristled brush?

" I finished that on off and the others with my old soft bristled rim brush" Did that not work?

**timaishu** · 03-09-2014, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by Rsurfer

" I finished that on off and the others with my old soft bristled rim brush" Did that not work?

Couldn't really tell to be honest. It had rained a few days before, so the water washed off most of the shine. I honestly didn't pay attention as after I did it I went straight to the paint. I will have to see how much grime comes off on the next wash.

With my old brush and tires, a vigorous scrubbing would lead to brown/black streaming off the tire. I will have to see if I get the same effect..

How about a terry cloth towel? That should have some bite. And I would hope not be able to scratch.. Never in my life did I think I would have to worry about scratching my tires!

**jamesboyy** · 03-09-2014, 12:12 AM

Some tires are more delicate than others what I would do is use my tire cleaning product let dwell for a minute, and hose it off, and do that process four or five times

**GreatAvalon** · 03-09-2014, 12:16 AM

YES! This happens with my tires too! No matter what brush, on all the tires on 3 of my 4 vehicles. The oldest set of tires are 16 months old, then 8 months and then 5 months. 2 Bridgestone and 1 Michelin. The tire brushes scratch all of them. I recently bought a Tuf Shine tire brush to give it a shot. The Mothers one and one I got from over the counter scratched.

What I don't understand is to clean the tire, especially with Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner, they say to scrub the crap out of it. But then it scratches. So I have no clue. But if you put tire shine on it they go away.

**timaishu** · 03-09-2014, 12:19 AM

Originally Posted by GreatAvalon

YES! This happens with my tires too! No matter what brush, on all the tires on 3 of my 4 vehicles. The oldest set of tires are 16 months old, then 8 months and then 5 months. 2 Bridgestone and 1 Michelin. The tire brushes scratch all of them. I recently bought a Tuf Shine tire brush to give it a shot. The Mothers one and one I got from over the counter scratched.

What I don't understand is to clean the tire, especially with Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner, they say to scrub the crap out of it. But then it scratches. So I have no clue. But if you put tire shine on it they go away.

I dunno man. I have had 3 sets of tires on my car; this set is #4 and this is the first time its happened. Ive done my brothers car on all three sets of tires he has had(no problems) and my moms two sets of tires(no problems).

It was a mix of brands too:
my car - nexen, yokohama, dunlop, and now these nittos. The three prior had no issues.
brothers car - some off brand crap tires, dunlop, kuhmo - no issues
moms car - continental, hankook - no issues.

I don't get it.

**FUNX650** · 03-09-2014, 09:47 AM

Maybe Nitto has come up with a "breakthrough", by mucking around with these tires (on the materials science level) by using a silica-polymer/natural-rubber blend.

Who knows...
Perhaps the less-heating-up characteristic of the sidewalls by use of this tire compound, particularly to the Motivo, also lends a degree of sidewall-softness---a softness that not only can provide better grip---but also a softness that can be witnessed through its greater ability to be scratched during a quite rigorous tire-cleaning-session.

Bob