Troubleshooting TUF SHINE Tire Clearcoat

Occasionally we get calls from customers about problems with the Tire Clearcoat not adhering and flaking off the tire.  In almost all cases we were able to resolve the problem.

The following are recommendations to avoid or repair a problem.

1.    First, we stress reading the cleaner instructions and following them carefully.  Proper cleaning is the key to success!  The best gauge as to whether or not the tires are clean is to scrub and rinse the tire repeatedly until the suds are white, usually 2 or 3 times.  99% of the time this is true and the results are what are expected and the customer is thrilled with the results. 

2.    Some customers suggest that you clean the tires and then drive for a day or two to let any remaining residue that may be left in the pores to surface and then do a final cleaning with TUF SHINE Tire Cleaner.  

       3.    Do not rinse the tire brush in a bucket of water between cleanings. The water will get contaminated by the silicone residue on the brush and you will re-introduce silicone onto the tire.  Rinse the brush with a stream of water from a garden hose.

       4.    Scrubbing in multiple directions to ensure that the ribbing and areas around lettering is a must.  The TUF SHINE Tire Brush supplied with the kit is designed especially for this purpose and has the right amount of scrubbing power, but still fine enough to get into these areas.

5.    If 3 cleanings are still not providing you with white suds, chances are there is a waxy petroleum based dressing on the tire.  Adding 30% household ammonia or isopropyl alcohol to the cleaner may help.  In extreme cases, cleaning with straight lacquer thinner or denatured alcohol from your local hardware store may be required (Wear protective gloves) This would be a one-time process to prep the tire for the clearcoat, and should not do any more damage to the tire than normal weathering and oxidation of the sidewall since it evaporates so rapidly.  We suggest using a slightly damp rag to slow down the evaporation of the solvent to give you more working time.  We have followed this procedure ourselves without any negative consequences. 

6.    Follow up with a final cleaning using the TUF SHINE Tire Cleaner to remove any remaining residue.  Allow tire to dry before applying the TUF SHINE Tire Clearcoat to the tires.  Once you seal the tire with the tire clearcoat, the factory lubricants still in the tire are locked in and will not allow the rubber to dry out or crack. 

7.    If there are some areas that start to brown and flake after applying TUF SHINE Tire Clearcoat, consider going to a do-it-yourself car wash and use the tire cleaner setting and pressure wash the tires to remove the old dressing and the TUF SHINE finish in areas where it is flaking off.  Then follow the TUF SHINE cleaning process again.  Cleaning with the brush and cleaner should remove any clearcoat from stubborn areas that were not pressure washed off so that the next coat of clearcoat finish will adhere. The clearcoat that had adhered in the beginning should not be affected, but may be dull looking.  Apply additional coats, as needed, of the tire clearcoat to blend in the finish for a uniform appearance.