Quote:
Originally Posted by FUNFER2
Don't even use silicone products on you vinyl or rubber (on tires too) Have you looked at tires that has a silicone base ?. They will turn brown and you'll loose that natural black new look. Just use a good leather cream.  |
Kevin,
I'm not getting into the "is silicon good or bad for modern paint finishes" debate, but I will add some facts to your statement about the reason tires turn brown.
The brown surface color is actually the result of antiozonants that are added to rubber when tires are manufactured. (It is also often re-applied to commercial truck tires when they are retreaded.) The purpose is to create a chemical barrier on the surface of the rubber to protect the rubber from deterioration caused by some components of our atmosphere, primarily oxygen and ozone.
Here's an article that explains it in detail; it's a patent for a process utilizing polymers to minimize this brown coloring.
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/65...scription.html
Pretty heavy reading, but skip to the 4th paragraph for an explanation of the brown coloring.
To say it short, this brown coloring will happen even if you put nothing on the tires. It's caused by the antiozonants coating the surface to protect the rubber. Actually a good thing.
Rodger