Which tyre shine product do you use and recommend?

[Tony Prodigy]

10 minutes ago, TommyM said:

I use paper towel folded & folded, then simply throw it away. X amount of pieces per wheel. Works a trick.

Doesn't it get 'linty' ?

I purchased a whole bunch of tyre dressing applicators a while back and when it starts to get a bit soily I throw it out and use a fresh one. These are good as they follow the contour of the tyre nicely. You can find them relatively cheap on Ebay.

 

[TommyM]

10 minutes ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Doesn't it get 'linty' ?

I purchased a whole bunch of tyre dressing applicators a while back and when it starts to get a bit soily I throw it out and use a fresh one. These are good as they follow the contour of the tyre nicely. You can find them relatively cheap on Ebay.

 

If you use a good 3ply paper towel (i use aldi's one, brilliant stuff), then fold about 4 sheets together..... nope, i never get lint if i'm honest 🙂

Might try them applicators possibly !

See how they work

[Squalled]

In the last few years I've used 3 different tyre shines.

- Export
- Bowden's Own
- Armorall

Export: My personal favourite of the 3 I've used. For the price you can't complain, I usually pick up a few when SCA have them as a bundle of 6 or so. Love the wet look and it's pretty simple to apply. I use an old face towel we've had for years at home that we use for tyre shine application. The only draw back is that it probably lasts a fortnight or so at the very most if there is no rain.

Bowden's Own: Of the 3, I found this one to be the most disappointing especially when I began supporting and buying Bowden's Own recently (I had tyre sheen long before I even realised it was Bowden's). I wasn't really happy with the finish, it does give a nice subtle look but I personal prefer the shiny finish. I also found that after applied it, it didn't really stick to the tyre and flung off onto the body which I wasn't sure if I had applied it incorrectly. I did want to try it again but I can't seem to find the bottle anymore.

Armorall: I currently use this at the moment as it was a free one we got some time ago. It is a foam application and I apply it to the same towel and rub it in and I do like the finish, I find that it lasts about as Export but I do find it a bit more annoying to apply compared to the Export tyre shine.

After having a quick browse, I think I may give the Meguiars Gel a go the next time I need tyre shine.

[Tony Prodigy]

3 hours ago, Squalled said:

Export: My personal favourite of the 3 I've used. For the price you can't complain, I usually pick up a few when SCA have them as a bundle of 6 or so. Love the wet look and it's pretty simple to apply.

I've never used this one personally but I have a friend who does and it's fine. It's quick and easy to apply and doesn't sling.

3 hours ago, Squalled said:

Bowden's Own: Of the 3, I found this one to be the most disappointing especially when I began supporting and buying Bowden's Own recently (I had tyre sheen long before I even realised it was Bowden's). I wasn't really happy with the finish, it does give a nice subtle look but I personal prefer the shiny finish.

Never used this either, but I do it's a low sheen product, so if your after that wet look, this one won't satisfy. If you found it to be slingy, maybe let it set overnight and see if this helps.

3 hours ago, Squalled said:

Armorall: I currently use this at the moment as it was a free one we got some time ago. It is a foam application and I apply it to the same towel and rub it in and I do like the finish

I won't go out of my way to but this one, but if I have it, the only use I have for it is the tyres and nothing else. I've had some freebies in the past and they've served me well when i'd run out of my usual stuff I use.

If you're thinking of using the Meguiars tyre Gel, I think you'll also be disappointed. It gives you a matt finish and you need to lap it on heavy for it to be able to penetrate. Sometimes you will have to even apply a second coat. The tyre needs to be warm to hot for best results. You need the pores to open up for the product to soak in. It slings too.

I've got myself a new tyre shine product I have yet to try and test. I'll do a reveal in the detailing section when i've finished and report back for you guys. Keep an eye out. Should be interesting.

[Squalled]

20 minutes ago, Tony Prodigy said:

I've never used this one personally but I have a friend who does and it's fine. It's quick and easy to apply and doesn't sling.

Never used this either, but I do it's a low sheen product, so if your after that wet look, this one won't satisfy. If you found it to be slingy, maybe let it set overnight and see if this helps.

I won't go out of my way to but this one, but if I have it, the only use I have for it is the tyres and nothing else. I've had some freebies in the past and they've served me well when i'd run out of my usual stuff I use.

If you're thinking of using the Meguiars tyre Gel, I think you'll also be disappointed. It gives you a matt finish and you need to lap it on heavy for it to be able to penetrate. Sometimes you will have to even apply a second coat. The tyre needs to be warm to hot for best results. You need the pores to open up for the product to soak in. It slings too.

I've got myself a new tyre shine product I have yet to try and test. I'll do a reveal in the detailing section when i've finished and report back for you guys. Keep an eye out. Should be interesting.

Thanks for the feedback Tony, appreciate it.

With the Tyre Sheen, I think because I applied it and just left it as opposed to applying, and wiping afterwards led to it flinging off the tyre itself. I'm the same with Armorall, I only use it since it's there and I mean it does the job for the moment but I definitely rate the Export stuff, can't go wrong.

[campbeam]

I have not had any Sling and Fling issues mainly because I have applied various products and let them set to dry for a few hours.

Preference is to let the tyre shine to dry off overnight.

[Squalled]

On 12/4/2020 at 1:46 PM, campbeam said:

I have not had any Sling and Fling issues mainly because I have applied various products and let them set to dry for a few hours.

Preference is to let the tyre shine to dry off overnight.

When I applied Bowden's, I let it sit basically for a day or before doing my highway drive where it all flung off. In saying that, I may give it a go again if I ever want a less glossy look.

[campbeam]

25 minutes ago, Squalled said:

When I applied Bowden's, I let it sit basically for a day or before doing my highway drive where it all flung off. In saying that, I may give it a go again if I ever want a less glossy look.

I have never used the Bowden's product and your feedback is not that encouraging. My car is also not driven daily as I commute by bus. Probably after doing a tyre shine on Sunday at the girlfriend's place then a short drive home, the car is most likely going to sit for about 3 days before the next drive.

I have found that different tyre compounds also have an effect upon the tyre shine results. Dunlop tyres fitted on the front look shinier and the shine lasts longer than the Pierlli tyres fitted on the rear. At the moment, front and rear tyres look the same so will have to wait a few weeks to see the usual difference. 

[Tony Prodigy]

On 11/16/2020 at 1:16 AM, TommyM said:

it lasts weeks, protects against tyre browning

I don't know how I missed this. Actually it's not the tyre shine product that contributes to "browning" of the tyre. It's the tyre itself which bleeds what is called "antizonant", a chemical that's in the rubber to prevent rotting of the rubber. The effect is known as "blooming" and you can almost never get rid of this during the life of the tyre as it will continue to bleed out as the tyre ages. Admittedly, the use of wheel/tyre cleaners can accelerate the rate of blooming, which is why some dilute their wheel cleaners 4:1 and sometimes 7:1. You can only hide it with the use of tyre shine. It doesn't bother me all that much to be honest. When the car is due for a wash, the tyres will also be cleaned so this kind of resets the process anyway with a fresh application of tyre shine.

Here's a link I found that also explains this .

https://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?27366-Tires-turning-brown

 

[Tony Prodigy]

Here's some pics from my last car wash therapy session. The pics illustrate the "blooming" residue removed during the tyre/wheel cleaning.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Tony Prodigy

[domej]

I also have used Bowden's Own Tyre Sheen and am a bit disappointed. I used Bowden's Own Orange Agent to clean the tires (great stuff btw) along with a drill brush attachment. Sprayed it directly onto the tire, spread it around with a foam applicator and let it dry overnight. After 5 days and about 600km, it had worn off. I hope they come up with a new formula because their other products are great.

[Tony Prodigy]

Just now, domej said:

I also have used Bowden's Own Tyre Sheen and am a bit disappointed. I used Bowden's Own Orange Agent to clean the tires (great stuff btw) along with a drill brush attachment. Sprayed it directly onto the tire, spread it around with a foam applicator and let it dry overnight. After 5 days and about 600km, it had worn off. I hope they come up with a new formula because their other products are great.

Not an ideal situation Dominic. I know where you're coming from. The best way is to spray directly to the tyre and let it soak in as opposed to the wipe on method. If you have the time to wait overnight I'd encourage this. The only downside of direct application is the overspray on the rims. Not a deal breaker but will require wiping after spraying the tyre shine.

Wipe on method for me usually entails two applications for a decent soak. I also suspect that the Bowdens product is non silicon based. Make sure you shake the bottle well before you use it. Pretty expensive stuff.

[domej]

Thanks for the suggestions Tony. Certainly did all of those already to give the product the best chance after reading Squalled's disappointment but still left with subpar results.

[campbeam]

I mainly wanted to clean the windscreen so ended up hand washing the car including the tyres yesterday morning. 

Applied Aerospace 303 to the tyres with a foam applicator pad. As Tony mentioned with the wipe on method, I did do 2 applications per wheel. Rather than jack up the wheels, I moved the car forward 1/2 a wheel rotation and gave that section now on top, 2 applications.

Car was let sit for about 4 hours before being driven in the afternoon. Checked now and there was no obvious sling around 3 of the wheel arches. 4th arch was probable but my hand washing was fairly quick. 

[Squalled]

14 hours ago, domej said:

I also have used Bowden's Own Tyre Sheen and am a bit disappointed. I used Bowden's Own Orange Agent to clean the tires (great stuff btw) along with a drill brush attachment. Sprayed it directly onto the tire, spread it around with a foam applicator and let it dry overnight. After 5 days and about 600km, it had worn off. I hope they come up with a new formula because their other products are great.

Glad I'm not the only one who's had the same drama. I love all their other products as well, Orange Agent works really well and leaves a nice smell compared to other cleaners I've used in the past. My top 3 Bowden's products in terms of what they offer and their results would have to be Happy Ending, Wet Dreams and After Glow.