What's the best way to prevent this? I'm using Griots Vinyl & Rubber dressing, which leaves a nice finish, but it's a dirt magnet. I have to drive a couple hundred feet (in/out) on a dirt road a few times a week. Has anyone used Stoner's More Shine? It advertises that it repels dirt.
Find blacker dirt. Anything that leaves an oily residue on the tires will pick up dirt like a Hoover.
Most rubber/vinyl enhancers bring ions along with which attracts dust. A good final washing with whatever you use to wash the car should neutralize this. I discovered this principle early on trying different dressings on the plastic skirt and arches and it seems to help quite a bit. I also use Griot's products now after sampling several different products. Some plastics engineer might come along and shoot my theory full of holes but anecdotal evidence to the contrary indicates you should give it a try before surrendering. I do like the black dirt suggestion.
303 Protectant. No dust problems with mine. It doesn't "shine" like most tire dressings do, but that is why they attract dust and this doesn't. Also works great on the plastic trim.
I'm in Nathan's camp, a few fast corners at the legal limit. :devil: Impractical, but you could get down the drive and then do a spray bottle wash and quick wipe to rid yourself of the dirt. :crazy: Depends on who your trying to impress or if your OCD kicks in....
These are runflats. So far hard cornering isn't cleaning the sidewalls. It doesn't wipe off. I use a scrub brush with Griots rubber cleaner to get it clean. Water beads on the treatment. Not too OCD but it just looks funny when the rest of the car is clean and the wheels look like donuts.
Re: Stoner's More Shine...I've used it for years and find it to be a very good product. Now, I usually don't drive in dust/dirt but you can "go lite" when you apply it and minimize the depth of the shine on the tire. I also order the product directly from Stoner in cases of 12 cans each; re: better price per can.
Both Prima Nero and 303 Aerospace Protectant help repel dust, thereby reducing your issue quite noticeably. 303 is slightly more durable than Nero, yet Nero has a slightly more matte finish than 303. Either option is going to help though! -Heather
I thought I would update this in case anyone else runs into this issue with "tire" products. Since starting this thread I switched to Stoner's More Shine. Dirt doesn't seem to stick to it at all. No more dirt donuts!
I've been a Stoner customer for many years. It does very well for the purpose you are planning to use it for. Also, it generally last for a few weeks provided you are not out in a monsoon storm. But...on the MINI, I note it does "splatter" the wheel opening front and back plus I will find some on my front doors, etc. Maybe a way to combat the splattering is to apply it with one of the appliers you can buy at the auto parts store that looks like a sponge but is curved. Last, if you buy it by the case directly from Stoner, you can generally do so for about $1 less per can than at the auto store.
That dirt looks bad on a performance tire. Switch to some snows drive in dirt & there you have it, instant rally look. Way cool!