Need a new tire dressing!

I've been having difficulty with the two dressings I have right now. I have 303 Aerospace Protectant, and Chemical Guys VRT (or something like that). My problem isn't how they perform on plastics--both of them work great on plastic surfaces. I'm having difficulty using them on tires. I've tried everything...different dwell times between application and buffing, different amounts of buffing, different applicators, multiple applications...and nothing works. After the dressing sits for a couple hours it ends up looking like this:



Sort of blotchy and uneven looking. I know part of the problem is that since I'm always doing waterless washes in parking lots, I can't always get the tires 100% clean. So maybe I need to look into something to get the tires cleaned better as well. I know that Tarminator works wonders on nasty tires but is it safe to use if I can't get it all rinsed off?

So back to tire dressing. I like my tires to be pretty glossy, and that's generally what my clients want too. Before I got into detailing seriously I would use a silicone-based dressing and then buff it down some, so I'm looking for something that's gonna give me that look, and that is also relatively cost-effective. What do you all think? Any input is appreciated

 

I head great luck with adams svrt but I haven't tried a bunch but it delivers good results if you like more shine two coatings 10 minutes apart works well. I've also read great things about opti-bond. But I don't think either are super high on the shine factor.

 

My 3 i use in my shop are.

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Auto-Finesse-Satin--Tire-Gel_p_797.html

http://www.detailersdomain.com/Adams-Super-VRT_p_222.html

http://www.meguiars.com/en/automotive/products/g7516-endurancereg-tire-gel/ This is my favorite but you have to make sure you go back about 15min and wipe down tires again but I get about 2 weeks on this one.

 

I would suggest a heavy cleaning with a degreaser. I've seen similar issues in the past with other products when the tire hadn't been deep cleaned in some time. Stiff brush, lots of cleaner, and get that rubber back to 'naked' before trying anymore dressing.

 

I would agree an APC as Dylan mentioned above or even Stoner's Tarminator with an old microfiber towel to remove all that left over gunk/dirt/grime

 

Tarminator is a beast.

 

CarPro PERL is great stuff, gives an even blacker look than Opti-Bond to me.

 

If you like shiny, Optimum Optibond would be a good choice. Mix 60% OB with 40% water.

 

I use Optibond neat and have had great results. I find there to be a light sheen after wiping the tire down 10 min after application. IMO not very shiny at all and I absolutely hate a shiny tire.

 

Adams VRT is great stuff, been using it for 4 year without issues!

 

Another vote for Optimum Opti-Bond.

 

Love Megs endurance tire gel. I use Adams VRT too, I find durability to be the same for both, but like the look of Megs better.

 

911 fanatic recommended duragloss 253 to me years ago, and I haven't looked back! love the stuff.

as others have said, though... I've had similar problems when there was greasy residue still left on the tire. Try cleaning with some stronger cleaners and a brush.

 

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I'll be buying one of those suggestions when it comes time for me to place another order

This is a bit off topic, but is there something similar to tarminator that can be purchased OTC? I seem to recall that there was a 3M product, maybe adhesive remover, that I was thinking of...

 

Yes you should be able to buy 3M Adhesive Remover locally and it is good stuff. I keep both 3M AR and Tarminator around. Whatever you do, do not get either on black plastic trim it will discolor the trim.

 

Regardless of what dressing you use, the cleaner the tire the better. I use Stoner's Tarminator and an APC.

 

bump for adams vrt

 

You should give HD Dress a try. Its water-based and it allows the user to easily adjust the level of gloss. Here's a thread I did on it here:

http://www.detailingbliss.com/topic/28571-hd-dress-gloss-adjustable-exterior-dressing/

 

You should tell Autoality to carry HD Dress

 

If it were up to me they'd carry EVERYTHING, but I don't think they'd listen :giggle: I say you guys put the bug in T's ear!