You’ve all cleaned your tires after yesterday’s Tire Cleaning article, so let’s get to the fun stuff… tire dressings! The importance of dressings is two-fold; 1) protect the tires, and 2) make them look great. The definition of protection is pretty consistent, but we all have our own ideas of what finish looks good on a tire.
I’ll cover the three dressings we offer here at Griot’s Garage, very similar in the protection they provide, but quite different in finish.
Tire Rejuvenator - The Daily Driver Dressing
This dressing was designed with long-lasting protection in mind. It actually has a pigment dye property, so it lasts a long time and only needs to be applied every month or two. You won’t get much gloss or shine from this dressing, but the finish is nice with low maintenance. I love using this on my wife’s car and when detailing vehicles with large tires like trucks and SUV’s.
Vinyl & Rubber Dressing – A Concours Finish
This is my favorite tire dressing. It provides excellent UV protection, is water-based, and gives your tires a nice sheen similar to when they were brand new. While this dressing has the shortest life of any of our dressings (1-2 weeks) the finish is worth the extra application or two per month. Here’s a tip: Apply Tire Rejuvenator as a base coat whenever you wax your car. This keeps tires looking good in case the Vinyl & Rubber Dressing wears away.
Long Lasting Tire Dressing – Dressing for Your DUB’s
Long Lasting Tire Dressing was designed for customers wanting a high-gloss finish for their tires. This dressing usually lasts at least 2-3 weeks without needing to be reapplied. My favorite aspect of this dressing is the ability to apply it in layers to achieve a deep gloss. With a thin coat or two you’ll get a low-gloss finish, but you can add another couple coats for a high-gloss finish to match your 24″ chrome deep-dishes.
1) Rejuvenator 2) Vinyl and Rubber 3) Long Lasting
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The application process for each of these dressings is the same: 1. Apply product onto your applicator sponge. I prefer our Dressing Applicators for tires with grooves and raised lettering on the side walls, but the Blue Detail Sponges also do the trick. 2. Spread in thin, even coats across the tire, ensuring you get in and around all the grooves and lettering. Applying thin coats will give you a more even finish and help avoid the dressing flipping down the side of your car. So, to sum up what we’ve learned about tire care… There are two main things I’ll stress; clean your tires often, and apply dressings in thin coats. Clean tires look better and last longer. Thin coats of dressings will give you an even finish and, most importantly, keep the dressing off the side of your car! Learn More: As always, if you have your own car care questions or tips, let me know in the comments! |
 1: Apply product to applicator  2: Spread thin, even coats |
May 28th, 2009 at 8:50 am
When dressing my tires, I like to use the Weatherproof Tire Dressing followed by the Long Lasting Tire Dressing. I find it adds a very clean, dark, and glossy look.