anybody treat their winter tires?

[tim eh?]

I'm an automotive writer, and I can post some articles I have written regarding tire detailing and the effects of various products on rubber, if anyone is interested.

yes please

[repenttokyo]

yes please

Here's an excerpt:

When inspecting your tires, you should look for any areas that look dried out or cracked. This kind of damage can occur when a car has been sitting for a long time, or when the tires are very old. Exposure to high heat or excessive amounts of sunlight and ozone can also speed up this drying process, as can repeated washings with harsh soaps or polishes that contain petrochemicals. Tires are actually black to help protect them against these elements, as the rubber is mixed with special ultraviolet light stabilizers and absorbers called carbon black.


Like many filters, over time carbon black gets used up and changes color. In the case of old tires, this color is a dull gray. Tires are also embedded with waxes that gradually make their way to the surface of the rubber during use to protect against ozone. If a tire sits for a long period, these waxes are not released and the tire is unprotected, leading to a ‘dry rot’ condition and cracking.


Most tires are warranted against this kind of damage, but if your tires are out of the warranty period, there are a couple of things you can try to deal with small cracks. The first is to use a restorative product that does not contain liquid silicon. This shield will also impart a shine that could disguise dried out or cracking tires. While it may look shiny, the silicone oil can actually work to dissolve the waxes inside the rubber, which only accelerates the aging process of the tire. You should also make sure that the product you are using does not contain any petroleum-based cleaning agents, as this will only exacerbate the problem. Water-based tire restoratives also exist, and provide a similar level of protection with less of a gloss. However, if your tires are significantly dried and cracked, it is not worth playing a guessing game regarding the integrity of your tire’s sidewall. You should replace any tires which do not appear to be in drivable condition. Spending a little bit of money now on new tires is preferable to losing your life in a car accident caused by sidewall failure.

[Rick L]

I'm looking at a bottle of Armor All. It states, "Helps prevent cracking, fading, discoloration and premature aging". Is this a lie?

Here's an excerpt:

When inspecting your tires, you should look for any areas that look dried out or cracked. This kind of damage can occur when a car has been sitting for a long time, or when the tires are very old. Exposure to high heat or excessive amounts of sunlight and ozone can also speed up this drying process, as can repeated washings with harsh soaps or polishes that contain petrochemicals. Tires are actually black to help protect them against these elements, as the rubber is mixed with special ultraviolet light stabilizers and absorbers called carbon black.


Like many filters, over time carbon black gets used up and changes color. In the case of old tires, this color is a dull gray. Tires are also embedded with waxes that gradually make their way to the surface of the rubber during use to protect against ozone. If a tire sits for a long period, these waxes are not released and the tire is unprotected, leading to a ‘dry rot’ condition and cracking.


Most tires are warranted against this kind of damage, but if your tires are out of the warranty period, there are a couple of things you can try to deal with small cracks. The first is to use a restorative product that does not contain liquid silicon. This shield will also impart a shine that could disguise dried out or cracking tires. While it may look shiny, the silicone oil can actually work to dissolve the waxes inside the rubber, which only accelerates the aging process of the tire. You should also make sure that the product you are using does not contain any petroleum-based cleaning agents, as this will only exacerbate the problem. Water-based tire restoratives also exist, and provide a similar level of protection with less of a gloss. However, if your tires are significantly dried and cracked, it is not worth playing a guessing game regarding the integrity of your tire’s sidewall. You should replace any tires which do not appear to be in drivable condition. Spending a little bit of money now on new tires is preferable to losing your life in a car accident caused by sidewall failure.

[BMWDriver]

I'm looking at a bottle of Armor All. It states, "Helps prevent cracking, fading, discoloration and premature aging". Is this a lie?

It's called "marketing".

[BMWDriver]

Thanks Repen, very informative. It's no big surprise considering petroleum compounds are used in tire manufacture. It would then only be normal for petroleum based solvents to degrade, to various degrees, something made with petroleum compounds.

[repenttokyo]

I'm looking at a bottle of Armor All. It states, "Helps prevent cracking, fading, discoloration and premature aging". Is this a lie?

in the long run, stuff like armor all can have a negative effect on your tires and vinyl if you live in a climate where you see a lot of sun - because of way that the silicone attacks the waxes, leaving your tire shiny but fairly unprotected against UV light and heat.

Here's my opinion: if you have been using armor all, and it has been working for you over a long period of time, then i wouldn't worry. for your next set of tires, I would not use the armor all and start with a non-silicone protectant from the start. The more you use silicone, the more it saturates into the tire, making it necessary to 'clean it out' with a non-silicone treatment over time that could lead to blotchy looking tires for a few weeks. However, if you start from scratch, then you essentially have a clean slate when it comes toi protecting your rubber.

Non-silicone sprays are generally going to give you less gloss, so that is a consideration too.

This is just my advice - I am not an expert on the topic but I have had the chance to write about it extensively over the past 6 months for several clients, so it is fresh in my mind. Personally, I switched over to Aerospace 303 Protectant as an experiment, and I have found MUCH less graying on my tires, esp. after it has 'worn off' and needs to be re-applied, in comparison to the silicone products I used to use.

[tim eh?]

in the long run, stuff like armor all can have a negative effect on your tires and vinyl if you live in a climate where you see a lot of sun - because of way that the silicone attacks the waxes, leaving your tire shiny but fairly unprotected against UV light and heat.

Here's my opinion: if you have been using armor all, and it has been working for you over a long period of time, then i wouldn't worry. for your next set of tires, I would not use the armor all and start with a non-silicone protectant from the start. The more you use silicone, the more it saturates into the tire, making it necessary to 'clean it out' with a non-silicone treatment over time that could lead to blotchy looking tires for a few weeks. However, if you start from scratch, then you essentially have a clean slate when it comes toi protecting your rubber.

Non-silicone sprays are generally going to give you less gloss, so that is a consideration too.

This is just my advice - I am not an expert on the topic but I have had the chance to write about it extensively over the past 6 months for several clients, so it is fresh in my mind. Personally, I switched over to Aerospace 303 Protectant as an experiment, and I have found MUCH less graying on my tires, esp. after it has 'worn off' and needs to be re-applied, in comparison to the silicone products I used to use.

so i guess the graying really indicates the condition of the entire tire, not just the surface of it. this is cool, i'm tempted to look around at products but i have half a bottle of aerospace just sitting there...

i couldn't give a rat's ass about gloss.

[repenttokyo]

so i guess the graying really indicates the condition of the entire tire, not just the surface of it. this is cool, i'm tempted to look around at products but i have half a bottle of aerospace just sitting there...

i couldn't give a rat's ass about gloss.

aerospace will work fine

[Rick L]

Thanks Repen for the info. I try the one without silicone. Didn't know it can damage rubber. Like I said, I have always use Armor All... I'll try something else for the next set...

in the long run, stuff like armor all can have a negative effect on your tires and vinyl if you live in a climate where you see a lot of sun - because of way that the silicone attacks the waxes, leaving your tire shiny but fairly unprotected against UV light and heat.

Here's my opinion: if you have been using armor all, and it has been working for you over a long period of time, then i wouldn't worry. for your next set of tires, I would not use the armor all and start with a non-silicone protectant from the start. The more you use silicone, the more it saturates into the tire, making it necessary to 'clean it out' with a non-silicone treatment over time that could lead to blotchy looking tires for a few weeks. However, if you start from scratch, then you essentially have a clean slate when it comes toi protecting your rubber.

Non-silicone sprays are generally going to give you less gloss, so that is a consideration too.

This is just my advice - I am not an expert on the topic but I have had the chance to write about it extensively over the past 6 months for several clients, so it is fresh in my mind. Personally, I switched over to Aerospace 303 Protectant as an experiment, and I have found MUCH less graying on my tires, esp. after it has 'worn off' and needs to be re-applied, in comparison to the silicone products I used to use.

[tim eh?]

...put them on today...

bridgestone 'all-seasons' 225/60/15 8,000km vs nokian hakkapelita5 205/65/15 3,000km

tread is definitely deeper and wider on the nokians.



i treated the nokians with aerospace on both sides even tho the sun don't shine much on the inside of the tires.

rick i wouldn't worry too much about armor all - i used to use it on my last vehicle and i think it does protect against road goo at least. i had a bad tire that had been treated on the outside with armor all but not on the inside and it was the inside sidewall that went bad.

ben - thanks for all that info.