Auto Obsessed here. Tires. What do we, as detailers, want our rubber tires to look
like and what are the tire dressings (or nowadays tire sealants) that can deliver that desired look?
In this video we're going to discuss how we evaluate a tire dressing and also review the
all new CarPro DarkSide Tire Sealant. The look of the wheels and tires is something
that sets off the entire vehicle. Everything else on the car can be perfect, but if those
tires are dirty faded or brown, it's extremely noticeable and it drags down the entire look.
When we evaluate a tire dressing, we look at the following criteria. First is "looks" and there's
three general finish types. One's glossy, and some people kind of call that oily or greasy. Matte,
which is a soft subdued black, or what I call "clean rubber look", or in between. The in-between look is
often called "satin" and a lot of people prefer this satin look. It's a little bit of a sheen there but
not excessively glossy or greasy. CarPro DarkSide offers a satin shine look. Our next criteria we
look at is sling. And it should be pretty obvious, but tire dressings should stay on the tire.
When the tire is driven, obviously there's a lot of force on the rotating tire. If the dressing is
not a good quality, that centrifugal force will fling that dressing up off the tire in onto the side
of the car and nobody wants that. CarPro DarkSide sealant won't sling off. Next we look at longevity.
How long does a tire dressing last. How frequently do I need to reapply to keep my tires looking good.
And there are many tire dressings on the market that last in the two-to-six week range. But in
the last year or so CarPro and a few others have been releasing tire sealants and coatings
and their aim with these products is get that longevity in the multi-month range. CarPro claims
up to three months on DarkSide. Another important category: fading over time. So this is the quality
of how gracefully the product wears as the vehicle is driven over weeks or months. Does it
stay black and fade to gray? Or does it just fall off a cliff and turn to noticeably faded brown?
CarPro claims that up to three months black satin look with CarPro DarkSide. Lastly: ease of application.
How much preparation on the tire surface does the dressing demand? How much time to apply, and
how much time required for drying or curing? Here, DarkSide kind of falls in the middle here. It's not
the quickest or the easiest to apply, but it's also not the most difficult or time consuming,
when you compare it to the other CarPro Tire dressings. How do you use CarPro DarkSide: three
easy steps... clean, apply, and let cure. Step one: wash the rubber with CarPro ReTyre and a stiff
bristle brush to scrub the rubber. Rinse well and clean the rim if needed. Then dry the wheel.
Rubber must be fully dry. Either air dry or towel dry and wait until the rubber is completely dry.
Step two: two pumps of DarkSide onto the applicator and apply evenly to the rubber, ensuring that you
get into the gap between the rim and the rubber and into the treads on the top of the sidewall.
Don't worry if it doesn't look perfectly even when applying. It'll level itself out.
Apply a second coat after 20 minutes if required.
Step 3: wait one to two hours before driving or getting the tires wet. Optimally, if you
can leave it for 12 hours or overnight. Here's an overview of all the CarPro Tire dressings.
CarPro PERL. This is the easiest to apply. It has a lower durability, but better than most tire dressings.
It has a shiny finish. Has the potential to sling if excess is applied. It can be applied over tires
that aren't perfectly clean or fully dry. It has no curing time required and it's the most forgiving.
So CarPro PERL is most suited for people that are looking for something easy to
apply, with little prep. It's the most cost-effective, especially when you factor in it can be diluted.
CarPro DarkSide. This is the second-easiest to apply. It has a higher durability than PERL. It has
a dark satin finish. There's no sling. More prep is required and the tires must be cleaned with CarPro
ReTyre to ensure best results and durability. It requires one to two hours minimum to cure.
CarPro DarkSide is most suited for people that are looking for more durability, that won't have to be
reapplied after every wash. The price point is slightly higher than CarPro PERL. CarPro
BlackOut. CarPro BlackOut is the hardest to apply out of the three CarPro products. It must be evenly
applied on rubber or it'll look streaky. Two coats are required. It has the highest durability of all
the products, though. It has a dark satin finish. It's impossible to sling, and requires the most
prepping/curing time. It requires a minimum of 12 hours curing time and needs to be cleaned
thoroughly with CarPro ReTyre and maybe you might have to do multiple times depending on the age and
the condition of the tire. BlackOut is most suited for people that are looking for something with the
most durability. For someone who doesn't want to reapply the tire dressing for a long time. CarPro
DarkSide, along with all the products we just talked about, can be found in store or online
at autobsessed.com. We've also added the links for the products below to make it easier for you.
Let us know what your thoughts are on the new CarPro DarkSide, and if you have any new
product recommendations for CarPro – we'd love to hear them in the comments below.
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