Q's Re: Dressing BIG Knobby Truck Tires

[Coach Steve]

My next door neighbor has a big, obnoxious Dodge Heavy Duty 4X4 truck with a 16" lift kit and all kinds of other various mods. The tires are enormous Nitto Grappler's with knobs that extend out to the sidewall. The knobs are big which creates fairly deep valleys between them. The pic below doesn't really do these crevices justice but it is what it is.


My question is, how do I adequately apply dressing - any dressing - to these tires? I'm not a big fan of spray-on dressings but, if that's the only method suitable for these kinds of tires, then so be it.
After washing the truck yesterday, I started to apply dressing using a cut sponge and quickly discovered that,
A. It couldn't possibly be the best choice
B. It would take an enormous amount of time doing it with a sponge and attempting to get in between each and every knob.

I eagerly await your suggestions!



It's a 2014 swirled out white mess. After washing and claying it, the paint literally looked worse than before I started. The swirls are present over the entire truck which I'm not all that concerned about. They'll rub out quickly with my DA and the right product/pads - although, the horizontal surfaces are going to be a bear (especially the roof) given the height of the truck overall. Standing in the bed only allows me to reach about half the roof since it's a dual cab.

The fact that it's white and it's way too tall to get it inside, out of the sun, makes for some serious snow blindness! The Arizona sun really makes the swirls pop, no matter the angle or distance!

He owns a tree and landscape business so the truck is used every day, all day so I have to do the paint correction work in phases over several days thereby having to re-wash the area to be worked on prior to eliminating the defects. It's a big, inconvenient time consuming job but it's my next door neighbor and good friend so the usual discounts and deals are in place. Not going to be a monster money maker, that's for sure!

I don't have a pic of the truck at the moment but I will take one when the owner gets home from work later today and post it here.

[TuxedoTaurus]

I use an air compressor and a cheap Small paint gun from HF and apply Opti-bond.

Another option is apply with a brush.

[Eldorado2k]

I apply with a flagged tipped brush. Rub it in real good to prevent sling, or better yet finish it off by blowing them with Master Blaster Sidekick.

Before:



After:

[Huot25]

I apply with a flagged tipped brush. Rub it in real good to prevent sling, or better yet finish it off by blowing them with Master Blaster Sidekick.

Before:



After:

Those tires came out awesome! I'll have to pick up a brush to try that with my tires, they are such a pain to dress due to all of the ribs on the sidewall. Thanks for the tip!

[Eldorado2k]

😉👍🏽

[JamMaster Jay]

I recently helped a buddy with knobbys on his truck. We tried a few methods before a small paint brush seemed to be our best option. I love the paint sprayer idea, never thought of that!

[Coach Steve]

Thanks, everyone for the suggestions. I guess the problem I have with the spray method is overspray. How do you avoid overspray?

Here's the truck.

[Justin at Final Inspection]

I always make sure to apply tire dressings to tires and wheel wells before I apply my LSP, weather it be a wax, sealant or coating. This way you don't worry about overspray on your finished surface.

As for applying it to knobby tires I usually just spray it or use a brush.

[Eldorado2k]

Thanks, everyone for the suggestions. I guess the problem I have with the spray method is overspray. How do you avoid overspray?

Spray it directly into the brush, then swipe across the tire.

[donbeezy]

http://www.autopia.org/forums/detail...ghlight=preval

I use a preval sprayer with opti bond