Topic: Best way to make tires shine without making tires brown??

[KGCCS]

A dressing/conditioner type product for the tires does more than just add awe to a freshly-detailed vehicle. Tire dressings help replenish the oils within the rubber of the tires which prevents cracking later on. If maintained properly and depending on the type of product you use, you can drive your vehicle for extended periods of time with tires that still hold a decent shine and do not turn brown, dirty, etc.

[safristi]

Dorin's BEST...................

[Rabbit Girl]

"303 Aerospace Protectant" (available at Canadian Tire, etc...) is really nice for tires, dash, trim, etc.  It's more of a matte finish but has good UV blocking properties which definitely help prevent tires from turning brown.

I personally use that every time I fully wash/wax/detail my car (about once every 6 weeks in summer), and am working on the last bit of Simoniz Midnight Black tire gel that I have left, using that every other week or so in-between the 303 application.  The gel gives a really good wet look, lasts about 10-14 days, and I still retain the UV blocking of the 303.

I was always told though that it was the tire dressings that were turning the tires brown and that the best way to get rid of the brown was to scrub it off and not use tire dressings....what do you guys think?

[KGCCS]

The tires only turn brown in some cases because the dust/dirt, etc is attracted to freshly-dressed tires. The reason for this? Most tire dressings (except water-based ones.. which do not last very long.. 1 day tops) contain silicone which attract dust, dirt, etc while driving. When washing your vehicle you can usually avoid this by spraying some tire cleaner onto the tires which should remove the build-up.

In the end its a give and a take. On one hand a freshly-cleaned/detailed vehicle really stands out once the tires are dressed (which also helps protect the rubber from cracking and harmful UV rays) however, on the other hand it opens the door for tires attracting dust/dirt, etc and sometimes turning brown or dull. Personally, I find that dressing the tires on a vehicle is what makes the entire cleaning/detailing worth it, as it accents the nice shiny paint

[Snowman]

I understand washing and waxing the car but why bother with the tires?  Is it just cosmetic or does it make them last any longer? 

My wheels and tires represent about 30% of my car washing time.