Yellowing white walls

[Guest Shoe1932]

Hello all,

Anyone recommend a good cleaner for whitewalls? Tires are less than 2 years and are starting to yellow. (See photo). I have tried a few things but do not want to get too crazy and damage the tires. I have yellow wire wheels on the car and the wheels and tires at this point seem to blend together. I promise you, the tires are not dirty. I scrubbed them clean 2 weeks ago.

Thanks in advance for all your help

[Dwight Romberger]

Yipes!

I was given a set of whitewalls for my pickup. I scrubbed them with every product I could get my hands on. They were whiter, but not white. In another forum somone explained it is only a very thin top layer of rubber that has turned yellow. He suggested sanding that thin yellow layer off with fine sandpaper. I did a little test. the yellow is actually very thin. I am going to do it, and find something to seal the whitewalls from stains and UV light.

I'll let you know what happens

Dwight

[60FlatTop]

I usually have a folded piece of 800 grit sandpaper in the wheel washing bucket when I clean the white walls. Liberal use of Westley's and the light sanding leaves them stunning. And makes you smile.

Notice each wheel gets raised so you can rotate the tire and do in anally perfect:

raising the car and putting it on a jack stand to clean the tires, the priorities some people have.

Edited April 4, 2013 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

I have used a product called "Tire White" which has diotomatious earth in it that works as a fine abrasive.

[michaelod]

If the cause of the yellowing is organic in nature, some judiciously applied bleach might do the trick.

Thanks,

[Pete O]

Wesleys Bleach White works for me.

[19tom40]

LA's Totally Awesome General Purpose Cleaner, available at Dollar Tree, does a better job of getting the whitewall white than Wesley's bleach white. Unfortunately, the tires will continue to yellow until replaced. I had a set of Firestone tires made in New Zealand that would get that yellow over the winter. Tire dressing made it worse. I had a bottle of Westley's Tire Dressing Remover that I bought in the Early 1990's and used that to get the tires white in the Spring, That product has not been made for over 15 years now. Here is a photo of my car with the tire cleaned by the Dollar Tree product.

[buick5563]

I use Simple Green and a nylon tire brush. There is no residue or dirt left like Westley's can do. I believe some whitewall companies frown on using bleaching agents.

[Restorer32]

I grew up in Dad's recap shop. The capping process would "toast" the white walls. If I had a nickle for every whitewall I sanded....

[Restorer32]

and another nickle for all the used tires I painted with black enamel thinned with gasoline....

[60FlatTop]

I did the capping AND the regrooving thing at my Grandfather's shop, starting at age 11. You can't use too much gas to thin where the regrooving cuts into the cords.

Up here where the winters are cold burning the threads and a little of the buffing power will get you nice and toasty, though. The elbow of the stove pipe can get red hot so dust will sparkle when it hits.

When I painted the Riviera in 1980 we had a special stove with a door big enough to put a tire and wheel in. We'd stoke her up early so code enforcement didn't see the smoke and the get the panel du jour close the heat. Lacquer goes on good that way. When you are done you take out the short steel rim with the bead wires ready for scrap.

Then while the paint drys you can go back to trimming 8.25 X 20 run flats and using a Bernzomatic to melt out the old tube.

All done to a car radio hooked to a battery and Hank Williams playing. I wonder what they did in places that weren't New York.

Bernie

[superbuick]

I have dealt with this many times. I never use whitewall cleaner on my newer wide whites! It will damage the rubber by striping the oil out of the rubber. I have 12 old cars with white walls, so I have done my share of cleaning. Use simple green, superclean or 409, the trick is soap based cleaner, not bleach! I had a set that were 6 years old and looked 15 years old with cracks on the sides. The last owner used whitewall cleaner often and they dried out and cracked.

If the white walls are yellow, then clean with scotch brite scrubber or wet/ dry sandpaper, the white is deep enough to work with. This has worked on 25 year old yellow white walls, they don't always come all the way white, but are much better.

Now the real trick, after they are clean apply 2-4 thin coats of "mop and glow" . It may sound silly but it seals the tire, the black and white keeps there color with no shine like Armaral. Do NOT use Armaral is it will damage the tires over time.

I have used this treatment for 4 years and saved countless time washing the car, as I don't have to clean white walls any more. They stay clean now and will last much longer with out the harsh chemicals on them. Everyone I have told this to has loved it.

- Steve

[FLYER15015]

Back in the '50s, my grandfather an I used S.O.S pads to clean the whitewalls. lots of work but good results.

Back in the '60s I used an Amway product called ZOOM with great results.

Now I use Wesleys Bleach White and have had good results.

I don't "seal" them but the Baby is not a daily driver, and for shows and tours it seems to be fine.

Just my $ .02......and worth every penny.......

Mike in colordo

Edited April 4, 2013 by FLYER15015 (see edit history)

[Guest Grant Magrath]

LA's Totally Awesome General Purpose Cleaner, available at Dollar Tree, does a better job of getting the whitewall white than Wesley's bleach white. Unfortunately, the tires will continue to yellow until replaced. I had a set of Firestone tires made in New Zealand that would get that yellow over the winter. Tire dressing made it worse. I had a bottle of Westley's Tire Dressing Remover that I bought in the Early 1990's and used that to get the tires white in the Spring, That product has not been made for over 15 years now. Here is a photo of my car with the tire cleaned by the Dollar Tree product.[ATTACH=CONFIG]186055[/ATTACH]

Those whitewalls were made right here in Christchurch at the old Firestone factory in Papanui! I was gutted when Firestone took the molds back to America. They were good tyres. Still got a set on the 1935 Dodge.

Cheers

Grant

[Guest Shoe1932]

Hey Guys

Thanks For All The Responses! With The Sidemounts, I Have 6 Tires To Clean So I Might Use A Few Of The Techniques To See Which One Works Best. I Think I Will Try SuperBuicks (Steve) Recommendation And Some Simple Green And 800 Grit Sandpaper As 60sFlatTop And Others Suggested. Good Idea On Lifting The Car When Doing The Whitewall Cleaning.

Thanks