DFB's Tire Dressing Spreadsheet

[DFB5.0]

Following the same formula as the soap spreadsheet, this is a collation of every tyre dressing I've used since 2003. Again, this is a condensed version of my thread on the topic -

The Tyre Dressing Form Guide | 2015+ S550 Mustang Forum (GT, EcoBoost, GT350, GT500, Bullitt, Mach 1) - Mustang6G.com

Just keep in mind that tyre dressing appearance is subjective. From my point of view, I don't want that super glossy "wet look" for cosmetic reasons, but also because gloss typically translates to sling. Having said that, I want to see a before and after, so a completely matte finish doesn't win me over either. My preference therefore is somewhere in between, a satin finish. So, my overall rating number probably reflect that view. Having said that, the spreadsheet provides a wide range of attributes, and hopefully you can get something out of it no matter your preference.

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[SmoothButter]

Thank you! I just used this for my last purchase!

 

[roket]

listen, you do you, but i'm mildly concerned about the scent of "monkey farts" getting an 8/10 rating

 

[MCS]

I haven't used the ADS but that OG Tire Dressing is pretty killer; use it myself. Love the smell. Sadly, Matt's buy in to carry that product was a little bit insane so I passed.

CarPro PERL is a pretty good secondary.

 

[Dave2013M3]

I wish I saw this before hand. I bought the Meguires endurance. Even after sitting on the M2 for 2 days without it being driven, it flings up all over the place.

 

[MattScopes]

Great list, I’ll definitely be picking from it for my next purchase. Though kind of hard to test and would probably take a while, my (and I’m sure many others) biggest concerned with is the durability of the product. So it would great if there was a proper durability rating rather than just taking the manufacturer’s word for it. Even if you just do the rating for your favorite ones, it would be useful info. With that being said, was there one (or a few) that stood out for being more durable than the rest?

 

[DFB5.0]

listen, you do you, but i'm mildly concerned about the scent of "monkey farts" getting an 8/10 rating

I was wondering when someone would notice that.

"Monkey Farts" is the official name of the scent according to the company owner. Doesn't sound very appealing does it.

 

[DFB5.0]

PDF version for those asking.

 

[DFB5.0]

I haven't used the ADS but that OG Tire Dressing is pretty killer; use it myself. Love the smell. Sadly, Matt's buy in to carry that product was a little bit insane so I passed.

CarPro PERL is a pretty good secondary.

OG TD is probably my favourite, just something about it feels special, the scent, the application feel, the look, the ease of cleaning/removal. Perl is great too, but I don't get the same feeling from it as I do the OG.

 

[roket]

I was wondering when someone would notice that.

"Monkey Farts" is the official name of the scent according to the company owner. Doesn't sound very appealing does it.

well then, my concern is now on that company owner and the monkeys they've interacted with. and how they've interacted

 

[DFB5.0]

Great list, I’ll definitely be picking from it for my next purchase. Though kind of hard to test and would probably take a while, my (and I’m sure many others) biggest concerned with is the durability of the product. So it would great if there was a proper durability rating rather than just taking the manufacturer’s word for it. Even if you just do the rating for your favorite ones, it would be useful info. With that being said, was there one (or a few) that stood out for being more durable than the rest?

I seriously considered having a separate column for real world durability, but I decided to leave it out for a couple of reasons -

1. I apply dressing after each wash, because I can, and because I love this step of the process. Because of that, I simply can't comment on longevity.

2. Apart from the daily driver, my cars are garage queens, and they are never driven on wet in the rain or even on wet roads. Providing a figure on longevity under this use-case scenario would be of limited value.

I instead provided the manufacturers claim or wording on the subject, then made not if I observed below average durability in the comments section.

Finally, and I may ruffle feathers with this, but......................

There seems to be an expectation or need for a tire dressing to last a long time. But what does “a long time” mean? A few days, a week, months, a year?

I’m willing to bet that most detailing enthusiasts are applying a tire dressing after each wash. Just like using a drying aid, why does longevity even matter when you reapply every wash? I mention this because I often see people dismissing or complaining about xyz tire dressing not lasting long enough, often several weeks after application. What? Why?

To be realistic, most water-based tire dressings will not hold up to wet roads, let alone a wash. Solvent based dressings will hang on longer, but you end up with a tire covered in a greasy, dirty residue that is harder to remove and stains your brushes. Tire coatings are the happy middle ground, but again, you are at the mercy of mother nature and the harsh conditions a tire is subjected to.

So, that's my thinking/reasoning behind leaving observed longevity out of it.

 

[DFB5.0]

well then, my concern is now on that company owner and the monkeys they've interacted with. and how they've interacted

Scents used in car detailing products are made by a supplier that provide scents to a wide range of industries. ADS don't actually publish the scent name for Ghost, I only found out because I couldn't put a descriptive name to it and then asked Bradely what it was called. That's the story behind it, and yet it still doesn't decribe what Ghost smells like. Let's just say its fresh and pleasant.

 

[DFB5.0]

I wish I saw this before hand. I bought the Meguires endurance. Even after sitting on the M2 for 2 days without it being driven, it flings up all over the place.

NOTE - Below are my observations from using these products and is not directed at anyone or dismissing your choices.

I used Endurance for a while in my earlier detailing days, we're talking 15+ years ago here. At the time, I followed what everyone else expected in a tire dressing................ as in long lasting and glossy. But then I started to learn....................

These are the products that led me away from solvent-based tire dressings. Note that they look great right after application, the drawbacks come later -

Meguiar's Endurance -





Autoglym High Performance Tyre Gel -

Meguiar's Hot Shine -

Gyeon Q2 Tire -

While a solvent-based dressing like Endurance can look amazing right after application, it only goes downhill from there. I'm talking about the fact they don't fully dry, so the hold onto dust and road grime, which causes a discoloured brown appearance. The funk gets all over your wheel and tire cleaning tools, and gunks up applicators. Then there is the sling potential, and leaving marks on my car covers. The final straw was brushing past a tire with my favourite jeans on, which promptly transferred black stains onto them. From then on, solvent based dressings have been (mostly) outlawed in my cabinet.

I think we are all guilty of being set in our ways on certain things, detailing included. In my opinion, if we don't try new things, how do we know what we've been using for years is good or not? Products change and evolve over time, potentially offering a nicer user experience. Also, when Endurance hit the market, the availability of detailing products was extremely limited to a few key brands that all made exactly the same things. Now though, buyers are spoiled for choice, which is why I created the spreadsheet so readers can skip the trial and error process and buy with confidence.

So, if I didn't identify the limitation of a particular soap or tire dressing and go on to try different options, I'd still be using Gold Class shampoo and Endurance TD in ignorance.

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