We get asked a lot on how to keep tyre letters clean and crisp along with a few classic cars sporting white walls.
So Why Have Tyre Letters?
- Race cars have racing tyres.
- Racing tyres have tyre lettering.
- Cars with tyre lettering are race cars!
Tyre letters certainly do add a little panache when finishing a car, and for well fitted wheels on a tidy car it’s a sure way of looking good. The problem is those tyre letters are around the dirtiest section of the car and cop daily abuse from the road, environment and your cars brakes. This leads to those crisp white letters getting brown and ruining the look of the car.
Why do white walls and tyre letters go brown?
For those who are keener eyed you may notice the browning of the tyre when you apply a wheel cleaner to the rubber. That browning is a reaction to the wax used in the manufacturing of the rubber, and is quite normal. As the tyre gets older the wax comes to the surface, is slowly oxidized by the air and turns light brown on the tyre. This wax can go onto the tyre lettering through gravitational pull and in the case of white walls, can seep through the white wall paint if only a thin coat is applied.
So how do you look after tyre lettering or white walls?
STEP 1: CLEANING.
TYRE LETTERING: As you gently wash the wheel at the start of the job, apply a liberal dose of Custom Wheel Cleaner to the tyre wall. You will need to agitate this cleaner to remove the browning however it needs to be safe so the lettering is not pulled off or damaged.
WHITE WALLS: Painted white walls can be treated the same with Custom Wheel Cleaner and soft bristled brushes used to clean the paint.
STEP 2: DECONTAMINATE TYRE LETTERING
MAGMA. The new product has more than proven to be efficient at cleaning wheels and bodywork and is excellent for tyre letters. Magma will help remove the stubborn brake residue and iron particles from the tyre wall, while adding a little shine to the lettering. Spray on, leave to work and before it dries just gently rinse off with a low-pressure hose.
STEP 3: DRESS THE TYRE
High Performance Tyre Gel is the best way to get low profile tyres looking dark and shiny. With the exceptional cling and better application control over spray tyre dressings, it is the perfect combo when finishing the tyre. We recommend doing this on dry tyres after the car is washed for best results.
Once applied to the tyre, grab a microfiber and squirt a little Custom Wheel Cleaner into the cloth. Gently wipe over the tyre letters to remove any excess tyre gel that may be on the lettering as the gel will not sink into the plastic. Leave the tyre gel alone on the rest of the tyre, or if you have to dry, gently wipe the excess off the rubber.
Once this is done your tyre letters or white walls should be crisp and white and ready to shine!
PAINTED WHITE WALLS
Painted white walls are always cleaner when they are left untouched.
