Car Brite

[mis3]

I went to the dealership and I noticed that they use Car Brite tire shine. It's white liquid and they guy just sprayed and no wipe. I did not stay long enough to see the final results.

How is this Car Brite tire shine product? Should he wipe the wheels after the spray?

[DrdetailNashville]

Re: Car Brite

I don't know specifically about that tire shine, the one I have used is blue like All-Season Dressing. They also have a water based dressing that is white kind of like Hyper Dressing. The white dressing on the tires wouldn't last very long at all, maybe a day or two. And its going to wash off very easily if it rains.

[mis3]

Re: Car Brite

Would these tire dressings harm the wheels?

I never spray directly on the tires. I would spray into a pad and wipe the pad to the tires. Am I being unnecessarily cautious?

[Cypresswill]

I have sprayed dozens of different tire dressing to tires directly. No wheels have ever been damaged by the overspray.

[DrdetailNashville]

Re: Car Brite

I don't think it would damage the wheels/tires, but the overspray is going to get all over everything. I always apply it with a paint brush.

[Guitar280Z]

Re: Car Brite

I always stay away from tire sprays that are "shiny." Tires should not be glossy. If you're not sure, go to a tire store and look at the sheen on the new tires. If you are so worried about having glossy-looking tires at all times of the day, you might consider leaving your vehicle in the garage and taking the bus everywhere.

[Xzotik]

Re: Car Brite

Here's what the TIRE BRITE web site states, fyi:

Description TIRE BRITE is specially formulated to give that deep glossy finish that will keep looking great for weeks, even through multiple washes. TIRE BRITE leaves a rich satin finish and a protective barrier that prevents surface cracking and discoloration while helping to repel dirt, dust and moisture. No wiping, no rubbing, no mess. Just spray and walk away.
Applications

Vinyl	Rubber
Exterior trim	Plastics
Mud flaps	Leather
Bug shields	Fiberglass

Directions

IMPORTANT – TIRE BRITE is slippery and should not be used on or near gas, brake, or clutch pedals, steering wheels, seats of motorcycles or bicycles, or other surfaces which may be adversely affected by a slippery coating. Hold can 8-10 inches from tires or surface to be sprayed. Direct spray head away from face. Using a steady motion, apply a uniform coating to clean tires for best results. If desired, product may be sprayed on a rag and wiped on tires. Although TIRE BRITE will
not harm or discolor most materials, always test first in a small, out of sight area before using on rubber surfaces.

[Guitar280Z]

Re: Car Brite

If you re concerned about overspray or protecting the wheel covers or body, you should consider using a rag or piece of cardboard (or something similar) as a shield.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Car Brite

Dressings designed for vinyl, rubber and plastic that are white and milky in appearance are almost always water based. Think Hyper Dressing, Natural Shine, M40, even Armor All, 303 Aerospace Protectant, and so many other mainstream to boutique products. These tend to dry fully so sling is rarely a problem with them, unless of course you load it on the sidewall and then drive off immediately. We're not big fans of simply spraying any of these products directly onto the sidewall and then leaving them as you often have some light overspray onto the wheels, you may not get very uniform coverage if you just spray and walk away, etc. We prefer to spray onto an applicator of some sort, whether cloth, foam or a brush, then apply to the sidewall in an even and uniform fashion. Allow it to set for a few minutes, then come back and give a final wipe down with an old terry cloth towel to remove any excess product.

The application method you saw being used is common in production type environments with a wide variety of water based dressings. It won't hurt anything, but it's a bit of a shortcut that can turn sloppy if the product is overused.

[Blueline]

Re: Car Brite

I always stay away from tire sprays that are "shiny." Tires should not be glossy. If you're not sure, go to a tire store and look at the sheen on the new tires. If you are so worried about having glossy-looking tires at all times of the day, you might consider leaving your vehicle in the garage and taking the bus everywhere.

I also hate shiny tires. Having tried quite a few brands, my standard now is Armor All Natural Tire Foam. My tires always have the new matte black finish, and the stuff seems to last forever without the need for frequent reapplication. I have used it on tires with chrome wheels and alloy wheels, and have found no damage from over spray.

[Guitar280Z]

Re: Car Brite

It's probably mentioned in one of the other many tire Foam topics, but I wonder why people feel the need for glossy tires. It's the same for all other other rubber items. If you gloss the tires, why aren't you glossing your door seals, rub moldings and dashtop? The answer is easy; it's either a dangerous thing (glossy dashtop or steering wheel for example) or that's not how it was when t was new/freshly made...

Usually, people want to shine the vehicle for use or for a show to show off its perfection, but tires aren't chrome-plated, so perfection in tires doesn't include the gloss.

Save the gloss for the clear-coated wheel covers.

[Guitar280Z]

Re: Car Brite

Here's a quick question:

What would be a good source for a dense pad to apply your tire stuff? I mean a sponge of the closed-cell type, so it doesn't just absorb the product and squish it all over your fingers. Stores are full of the open-cell sponges. and a paintbrush seems fine, but only if you can dip it.

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Car Brite

Two of our favorite choices of applicator for any sort of tire dressing - high shine, low shine, aerosol spray, trigger spray, gel, water based, solvent based - are the SM Arnold Tire Brush, pictured here, and their wheel brush which looks very similar except it has green bristles that are a bit stiffer:



You can find these for around $5 at most online detailing supply places. Usually it takes nothing more than a couple of trigger pulls to get enough product onto the brush to cover half the tire, so it really minimizes use of the product and helps to prevent the sling associated with heavy applications. The bristles allow the brushes to distribute the product nicely into all the little nooks and crannies of the sidewall graphics, and even give good coverage to the portion of the tire that contacts the ground. These work equally well on low profile tires as well as large truck tires, and they can be washed out reasonably well with a good degreaser after use.