Idea for Felt Wheel Liners

[kevincwelch]

Felt liners are probably ok on city cars...

Nope.

I have them, and as someone who drives in the city all the time, they suck there too! I use the Tuff Shine brush to brush the felt liners (when dry) to get off the bulk of the stuff and then use the pressure washer to really clean them.

 

[Calendyr]

My guess is that water based dressing would not last long at all. Neverwet doesn't seems durable either. I was really interested when it came out then saw a very videos with it and it would protect the surface for only seconds on continuous water pressure on it. What you could try would be to use a silicon based dressing. There is a good chance those could last a while. But I don't know how effective it would be. An other thing you could try is a product designed to make outdoor equipment (tents, tarps, etc) waterproof. It's not expensive and it's designed to be durable.

 

[WristyManchego]

My guess is that water based dressing would not last long at all. Neverwet doesn't seems durable either. I was really interested when it came out then saw a very videos with it and it would protect the surface for only seconds on continuous water pressure on it. What you could try would be to use a silicon based dressing. There is a good chance those could last a while. But I don't know how effective it would be. An other thing you could try is a product designed to make outdoor equipment (tents, tarps, etc) waterproof. It's not expensive and it's designed to be durable.

Just want to make a point here about something that is consistently misunderstood.

A water-based product does not mean it can be removed with water and does not, in of its self, imply reduced longevity over an oil catalyst.

Added bonus: one of the major brands of the products you’re recommending to try, Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On, is a water-based product. I’d hazard a guess most are unless they’re an actual wax.

 

[Trip]

View attachment 65223

You can coat with anything. I have used Ragg Top spray in the wheels but everything still sticks. This is the fabric in my 18 Silverado

 

[rlmccarty2000]

Someone on another thread said they used 303 Fabric Protection on their wheel wells. I used it exclusively on my convertible tops and think it would work well. The best way to apply would be to pour some out into another container and paint it on with a brush. I did this with my convertible tops and it worked much better than the Raggtopp aerosol spray as you don’t worry about the overspray.

 

[hooked]

I’ve used Armor All Tire Shine (not sure what the real name is) in the aerosol form mainly to make it look “clean.” I doubt if it’s doing any protecting or repelling. I think I got the idea from these forums a long time back. I was curious if someone has figured out a better way.

 

[BillyJack]

What's the intended purpose of the "fabric" liners?

Correct, at least in GM's eyes.
As engine compartments get smaller, passenger compartments are closer to the wheelhouses, so the noises made by small stones or gravel being tossed around in the wheelhouse by the tire tread grooves become more noticeable. The soft liners are just there to quiet things down. They are expensive, so GM has decided to eliminate the fabric liners in the rear of their trucks for 2019.

Bill

 

[Rsurfer]

Correct, at least in GM's eyes.
As engine compartments get smaller, passenger compartments are closer to the wheelhouses, so the noises made by small stones or gravel being tossed around in the wheelhouse by the tire tread grooves become more noticeable. The soft liners are just there to quiet things down. They are expensive, so GM has decided to eliminate the fabric liners in the rear of their trucks for 2019.

Bill

I have a 2014 Altima and they are liners in the rear, but not the front. I guess Nissan and GM don't agree where the noise might come from.

 

[MikeC78]

I have a 2014 Altima and they are liners in the rear, but not the front. I guess Nissan and GM don't agree where the noise might come from.

On most trucks, you do not sit near the rear axle to experience the noise. The rear passengers on cars do. Our Ford fusion is felt lined in the rear also and not up front. Heck, Ford even has the whole front under belly lined too. Makes it a pain in the rear to change the oil.

 

[Calendyr]

Just want to make a point here about something that is consistently misunderstood.

A water-based product does not mean it can be removed with water and does not, in of its self, imply reduced longevity over an oil catalyst.

Added bonus: one of the major brands of the products you’re recommending to try, Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On, is a water-based product. I’d hazard a guess most are unless they’re an actual wax.

Water based dressing like CarPro Perl, Optimum Opti-bond and Meguiars Hyperdressing have a very short lifespan when exposed to the elements. On tires, you can expect them to fail within a week, where solvant or oil based products usually endure for much much longer. I do not know if it would be the same on a porous material like felt, but I don't see any reason it would be different.

As for waterproofing products, I have never tried any, so that is an idea off the top of my head. They might be amazing or they might be poor for this application. But since they are designed specifically for making fibers waterproof, I would expect them to outperform a product like a dressing that is mainly used to enhance the look of material it is a applied on. But, I might be wrong, it's just my hypothesis and it is not based on tests or any analysis.

 

[Calendyr]

What they should be doing is puting the liners between the plastic fender and the body panel. But that would require very good water drainage or it might cause premature rust.

 

[PaulMys]

I just don't get this whole concept.

How "bad" is the "road noise" in new cars?

I drive brand new cars and trucks for a living. Hundreds of miles sometimes.

I don't notice any noise that would bother even the most discerning driver. And to those that would complain.......

Hey picky American consumers.............. You are piloting a 3-7 ton machine made of metal, glass, and plastic down an asphalt road at 60-70 MPH.

Get a grip. It's all part of the experience.

 

[Eldorado2k]

I find it hard to believe they line them with felt type fabric in order to cut down on noise... For 1, most vehicles have the fabric lining on the rear tires and not the front [even with the vehicles being front wheel drive] but wouldn’t it make more sense to line the front wheel well vs. the rear? I mean who really cares about the passengers in the 3rd row, shouldn’t the emphasis be on the drivers seat if it’s purpose is to cut down on noise?

Why don’t they line the front tires anyways? Like what sort of abuse does the front wheel well endure that the rear wheel well doesn’t? Idgi...

I personally think that they line the wheel well with this felt like fabric in order to try and keep the wheel well looking good compared to plastic wheel wells which usually turn chalky white and quickly turn into an eyesore. You gotta remember, average Joe doesn’t usually even think of cleaning his wheel wells, so they’re just trying to make it easier for him and keep their brand of vehicles looking good.


As far as cleaning them: I spray them with Megs D101 and quickly brush them with a Mothers Wheel Well Brush, then they get sprayed with Megs Hyper Dressing.

Tire Foam can also be used as a quik lazy way of cleaning them, but it doesn’t get them 100% clean the way scrubbing them does. I’ve posted pictures demonstrating the tire foam in wheel wells before.