Pagoda SL Group

W113 Pagoda SL Group => Body, interior, paint, chrome, and cosmetic items => Topic started by: georgem on January 30, 2012, 10:47:41

Title: White (yellow) wall tyres
Post by: georgem on January 30, 2012, 10:47:41

A year or so ago -perhaps longer there was a long thread about whitewalls - how great they look and how to keep them clean with many people bemoaning the fact that they go yellow. I think WWs on a dark coloured car look very smooth but I have always had trouble keeping them white.

I have a set of GT Radials Champaros - OK not the greatest tyre running around but more than adequate for the mileage and the style of driving that we do. They look good too.  About 12 months ago I had to replace one because of accident damage and put the damaged one outside next to the shed to wait for the next run to the tip. A week or so ago I was out there and loh and behold, the white wall, which had been previously a cream colour was bright white. Hmmm says I, whats going on here?  Can anyone make a few suggestions - BTW this is not a test, I`m curious - the reason could lead to a solution to the yellowing disease.

Cheers

George
Brisbane
230SL (nearly back on the road)

Title: Re: White (yellow) wall tyres
Post by: knockmacool on January 30, 2012, 11:18:03

White Wall version of a suntan?  :D

Title: Re: White (yellow) wall tyres
Post by: Garry on January 30, 2012, 11:29:25

George,
Just try a bit of mineral Turps on a rag and see if that helps. Did on mine after trying every other thing to get them white.

Title: Re: White (yellow) wall tyres
Post by: Jordan on January 30, 2012, 11:59:05

Acid rain.

Title: Re: White (yellow) wall tyres
Post by: mdsalemi on January 30, 2012, 13:00:57

Sun bleaching.

If you want to whiten them up use products designed for that; also a little help from 1000 grit sandpaper helps tremendously.  That's what the folks at Coker told me.
The staining is from the "black" in the tire leaching into the white rubber.

Title: Re: White (yellow) wall tyres
Post by: thelews on January 30, 2012, 13:09:55

What also might be going on is that new tires have an anti-UV substance that leaches off the tires to protect them from UV rays.  My car might sit in the garage with beautiful black tires and I'll come back a month later (winter storage) and they look terrible (brown haze) without even having been driven.  Since new (all) whitewalls are just a white band vulcanized onto a black tire, this same substance may be at play in discoloring the whitewall.  A simple orange type or mild degreaser like P21S Total Wash seems to clean up my tires well.