Tire Armor

[falcaineer]

Applied Tire Armor today. Took about an hour all toll, from getting all the tools, etc. ready to cleanup. First things first since we usually love them...the smell will likely not be one of your favorites. Smells like household paint. But the application was pretty straightforward. Longest, "most difficult" part was cleaning the tires thoroughly, but that wasn't too bad. Took 3-4 passes with TRC to get completely white foam. I also cleaned the wheels and fenders so that added some of the time mentioned earlier.

 

I only applied one coat, which left a satin/VRT-like finish. The directions said another coat could be applied after 10-15 minutes to give added gloss, which I assume is more Tire Shine-like. But this was my first try so wanted to see how one coat does for look and durability. They look pretty good (though I like them shinier), and the durability is TBD. I'll update this post over the next few weeks. But after driving once on a dirt road, no dust stuck to them.

 

Some lessons learned:

- I first tried a grey MF pad, but the results were lacking. Then I followed the directions on the bottle and switched to a grey foam tire block. MUCH better.

- Directions say to use "4-5 sprays into tread block and covering the majority of the surface area." I think that's somewhat misleading. I needed quite a few more all around the tire to get even coverage.

- Some got ontol the rims while I was spreading it. Not sure what effect it might have, but it's not really noticeable.

 

Now for pictures...

 

Before

 

During...white foam = clean tires

 

Dried, clean tires to work with

 

After...

 

 

[RayS]

Thanks @falcaineer, I was debating on ordering some, but after reading your review, I will add some to my Monday order.

[TheWolf]

Looks great!

[kaj41354]

Thanks for the demo @falcaineer. My order is due Monday.  Will have to try on the daily driver and see what happens with the PA road crap.

Edited November 25, 2018 by kaj41354
spelling

[falcaineer]

Forgot to add that applying the single coat to all four tires barely put a dent into the amount in the bottle. More of a road chip, really 😆. Sure, mileage will vary with size of tires, etc. But safe to assume this 8oz bottle will last a while for the average user.

 

Wish I had a before pic, but here's the after.

 

 

*Bottle shaken to add bubbles and make seeing fluid level easier.

[Parad0x]

I've been using Tuf Shine tire clearcoat for years now and it is/was a great product.  I'm certain this product will perform the same if not better.  Proper preparation is VERY important with this product.  Any old silicon product on the tires, as well as anything else for that matter, must all be removed for it to adhere properly.  Clean clean and clean the tire again until you see only white foam forming while cleaning each tire.  Any brown/yellow in the foam and there is still more cleaning to do.  But all that cleaning is worth it because once this is applied, all you really need to do is touch it up every so often with a new coat.  When applying the new coat, you don't need to do the intensive cleaning anymore, just enough to clean whatever dirt and such is on top of the tire armor.

 

When applying the tire armor, expect foaming or bubbling while it is being wiped on/applied.  That's normal as is the blueish color.  The bubbles and color will all disappear as it dries.  I've always used a small orange sponge to apply the Tuf Shine and will probably continue using it for the Tire Armor.  The sponge is from Tuf Shine tire clearcoat and it just 'works' at what it needs to do.  I kind of wish Adams didn't use a spray bottle for this but rather a bottle with a spout like the 16oz bottles of shampoo.  I wouldn't want this over spray getting on anything else on the car.  If the product gets on the rims while applying, remove it before it dries.  You can remove it if it does and it dries but it will be noticeable once dried to best to avoid to begin with or clean up quickly.

 

Just my recommendations from using a similar product for a long time now.

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by Parad0x

[ObsessedDetailer]

Thanks for showing us Chris! This seems like a great product! Cant wait to try it out! Great write up too!!

[8675309'SS]

Looking forward to updates, Chris.

[Team Adam's]

Thank you for the write-up, Chris! Looks great and laid evenly for application! Preparation is key to this process, just like in a ceramic coating procedure. 

 

I have 1 coat of Tire Armor on my Colorado Tires and we've been hammered with rain and sleet the last couple days here in Boulder, I'll be doing a follow-up video to show the sheen of the tire after a quick wash! 

 

Here is my original after picture with one coat. 

[zw470]

Any feedback on removing Tire Armor that inadvertently makes is way into the wheels? I imagine wheels with a traditional gloss finisbu would be no problem but I imagine wheels with a matte finish could lose a problem. I know I had a hell of a time getting VRT or Tire Shine off the matte black wheels on my F150, even when they had a nice coat of Paint Sealant on them. 

[Parad0x]

15 minutes ago, zw470 said:

Any feedback on removing Tire Armor that inadvertently makes is way into the wheels? I imagine wheels with a traditional gloss finisbu would be no problem but I imagine wheels with a matte finish could lose a problem. I know I had a hell of a time getting VRT or Tire Shine off the matte black wheels on my F150, even when they had a nice coat of Paint Sealant on them. 

From my experience with a near identical product to Tire Armor, isopropyl alcohol on a rag, microfiber or sponge and gentle wiping will remove dried product from rims.

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Parad0x

[Zraeee]

Two coats in... still not much gloss coming through. Definitely not close to the level of Tire Shine... anyone achieve a higher level of gloss after 3 or 4 coats?

 

Cheers,

Zach

[poorboy10]

I'm in the same boat as you Zraeee, 2 coats and not nearly as much shine as I would like.

[pirahnah3]

In the latest water cooler vid, @Kyle@Adams showed off his recently coated tires. They were certainly dirty and cleanup looked like it was a breeze, the dream of a spray on hose off application. I will say I thought they were a bit dull myself, but he did comment on being able to dress over them as desired. Not sure of the longevity of said dressing but it is an option. Also for those of you having coating issues, he also mentions that some tires can take quite a few coats to get to a desired shine level while other manufacturers take very little. 

 

 

[Red Rambler]

I will add what I can. The below tire/wheel is brand new. This is with 2 coats of tire armor. It is more of a matte appearance and I did two rounds of tire n rubber cleaner with a tire brush. I am pleased with the appearance as I don’t like them super shiny. 

Edited December 8, 2018 by Red Rambler

[ObsessedDetailer]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing Keegan! Looks great. Im gonna have to take my wheels off and really give them a thorough cleaning. I want to but its just been so cold here i havent been wanting to bust the hose out and freeze my hands off! 

[falcaineer]

Was going to give an update...but found my hose is frozen 🥶. A clean car (RW) with dirty tires and wheels just feels wrong. 

[Beemer]

Use an old rag to wipe them down with RW.  They should clean up pretty well with Tire Armor on them.I

 

[falcaineer]

20 minutes ago, Beemer said:

Use an old rag to wipe them down with RW.  They should clean up pretty well with Tire Armor on them.I

 

 

Good idea, I'll give it a shot. Was really hoping to try just a blast from the hose, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards right now.

[GXPaycheck]

I wonder how this product would work on PlastiDip.

[Red Rambler]

12 hours ago, falcaineer said:

Was going to give an update...but found my hose is frozen 🥶. A clean car (RW) with dirty tires and wheels just feels wrong. 

I saw this the other day, someone suggested using a sidekick blaster if you own one to clear the water out of the hose after use, however any source of air would work. I ran into freezing hose issues as well. 

Edited December 11, 2018 by Red Rambler

[falcaineer]

1 hour ago, Red Rambler said:

I saw this the other day, someone suggested using a sidekick blaster if you own one to clear the water out of the hose after use, however any source of air would work. I ran into freezing hose issues as well. 

 

Another great idea! I do have one so will give that a try if/when my hose thaws.

[Chris@Adams]

Looks great!

[GXPaycheck]

8 hours ago, Red Rambler said:

I saw this the other day, someone suggested using a sidekick blaster if you own one to clear the water out of the hose after use, however any source of air would work. I ran into freezing hose issues as well. 

 

I always do this when the temp drops. Compressor works wonders. It’s especially fun when someone is standing by the other end of the hose 😱

[Ls1transam]

Really like the look it gives . I’ll order some in the spring. Weather has went to sh** lol

[Derion951]

Hey guys, so i recently used the tire armor on my tires. Did 1 coat, because i don’t like them super shiny. I love the product, and have had no issues. 

However last night i accidentally curbed my wheel, leaving a parking deck. There is now a ugly brown splotch the whole area my tire hit the curb. I tried to scrub the scuff with a rag real quick and it just comes away dirty with no change. If i hit the tire with tire and rubber cleaner will this help? Or will i need to reapply the tire armor?

 

Sorry for the novel, guys.