Tire dressing...good or bad?
 

Normally I like to keep my tires nice and shiny and wet, just like it came from the dealership when new. However just yesterday I cracked open the manual to check on the tire rotation schedule, and decided to take a glance at the included Dunlop warranty sheet (mines are Dunlops). In it it mentions that tire dressings should NOT be used, and to even tell the dealership to avoid using tire dressing, as the tires already contain compounds that prevent cracking and whatnot. Using dressings could potentially destroy the compounds.

Is there some truth to this? Should I be leaving my tires alone?

I haven't heard anyone had their tires wear prematurely do to tire dressings. I don't think companies would sell products that would knowingly be detrimental to tires. I use aerospace 303 on mine which protects rubber from uv rays among others. imo, looks 10x better black ans shiny with than brown and without.

Ok, I can actually ad an opinion here. I never use tire dressing on my tires. I scrub my tires with a brush when I wash my vehicle, and I have never had a problem with them getting dull. They are not glossy, but that is something I try and avoid anyway. :eek:

Dressage....
 

Must admit, I have used them on occasion.

If you do use some, avoid getting ANY on the actual tread surface - they are mostly silicones and some of the slippiest compounds made! :eek:

S

I go for the shiniest stuff possible on my tires. The way I look at it, as long as you don't use pure silicon or products that have a heavy silicon base usage--you are ok. Besides, tires are consumable anyway--by the time they 'crack' from the usage of tire dressing you will probably need new tires anyway. I knew a guy that used pure silicon on his tires--"Man I can make your tires shine like mine" I was like "Ok I'll holla at you later about that"--thinking in my mind--bullsh*! you are gonna use that on my tires.

Tire dressing is fine to use. It is true that silicone based products will break down rubbers and plastics over time but at such a slow rate you will wear the tires out long before the first hint of breakdown. If you look at cars from mid 90s and notice a lot of the guys who used to show the cars have cracked or bad looking dashboards, its because they used a silicone based product (i.e. armorall) on their dash a lot. The sun by itself can crack a dash as well and dressing protects it but essentially does the same thing at the same rate.
Essentially, damned if you do, damned if you dont. IMO, you wont have you tires long enough to create any damage, youre tires would be more likely to dry rot.

Now, there are a few silicone free dressings out there that will give you a semi glossy look and you could soak your tires in it and nothing would ever happen, you just dont get the same high gloss as the silicone stuff

Hey KYRX8... I grew up in Lexington, Ky. I come home to visit a couple times a year.

let me know when your gonna be here again. I own www.lexistreets.com and am all the time putting together meets and cruise ins. Youll have to join us. WHen will you be here again and what part of Ltown did you grow up in?

I lived over in gardensprings for about 18yrs, and then palomar. Went to lafayette sr...class of 91. :eek: I won't be back this year until after summer.