Opti bond tire gel - is there a trick to this?

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sshinn1

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I just got this in after reading multiple positive reviews and tried it out this weekend. I first tried it on my truck yesterday at full strength, and it seems like it took a lot of product and was very hard to get even coverage - might be in part bacause my tires have vertical grooves all around the sidewalls (Goddyears). I got it on best I coud and it looked great at first, but after drying it is much darker around the rim and looks splotchy as you move further out on the sidewall.

I have read in multiple threads that people like to dilute this product, so today I diluted it 1:1 ans applied to the wifes minivan - much, much easier to get it to apply evenly around the whole sidewall, but same blotchy effect once it dried, dark arounf the rim/bead area, then gets splotchy as you move out. Any one ales had this issue or any advice on what I'm doing wrong?
 
Apply it very thin and let it sit. You'll think you didn't apply enough at first but you have to let it sit. I only use 3-4 pea size dots on my tire applicator. I move the car and then use an additional 1 dot to get the rest of the tire that was making contact with the driveway.

What applicator are you using?
 
I had pretty much the same experience with it. I won't be buying another gallon of it but until this one is gone, what I do is mix it 2 to 1. 2 parts water and 1 part Opti-Bond then shake it up real good before each tire and spray it on the tires with a spray bottle with a good atomizing trigger sprayer on it so that it goes on even and half way between thin and heavy with no runs. I clean off the rims last. I'll use the rest of my gallon up on the buses that I work on or real fast and cheap quick details. My customers that pay for higher quality work get UTTG on their tires
 
Opti bond tire is one of the best tire gel products out there so you should be able to acheive a good result with this. Here is my recommendation for you:

- Best to use a foam applicator
- Thin coats
- Probably best to let the product absorb in between applications
- At least 2 coats of the product

Opti bond is not going to give you a real glossy finish, if that is what you are after I would recommend the Wolfgang or DP tire gel.

Just curious, who shines up the tires on a minivan? Isn't that like putting lipstick on a pig?
 
Are you fully stripping your tires of all old dressings? That could interfere with the full absorption of optibond.
 
Opti Bond is one of my favorite tire dressings. The key is applying it to a clean tire. Did you clean off all the old dressing?
sshinn1 said:
I just got this in after reading multiple positive reviews and tried it out this weekend. I first tried it on my truck yesterday at full strength, and it seems like it took a lot of product and was very hard to get even coverage - might be in part bacause my tires have vertical grooves all around the sidewalls (Goddyears). I got it on best I coud and it looked great at first, but after drying it is much darker around the rim and looks splotchy as you move further out on the sidewall.

I have read in multiple threads that people like to dilute this product, so today I diluted it 1:1 ans applied to the wifes minivan - much, much easier to get it to apply evenly around the whole sidewall, but same blotchy effect once it dried, dark arounf the rim/bead area, then gets splotchy as you move out. Any one ales had this issue or any advice on what I'm doing wrong?
Click to expand...
 
Alko - I assume you mean 2-3 drops at full strength? I tried to use it sparingly at first but seemed like I just couldn't get it into all the grooves, letters, etc without a LOT of product.



I am just using a badic No Mess! tire dressing applicator



I may try to mix it at 2 parts water and try that, but even at 1 part water it's pretty runny. Dave, do you like the UTTG on tires? I got some of that to use on trim but haven't tried it on tires yet



Yes, it is like putting lipstick on a pig but a happy wife = a happy life lol



I didn't strip the tires first, would I just do that with some APC like Simple Green? They have both had Armor All on them before, maybe this is the problem?
 
Opti is finicky. It really needs a clean surface to bond to. It definitely won't leave a shine. I personally like the way out leaves the tire looking clean and flat. I'm not a dan of shinny tires. I agree with Dave,I won't buy it again and I'll continue to use our on quick washes/details and not for full details. I have had the same problem applying it, dueled or , its a bear to get it to apply evenly. I also want blown away with how long it lasted
 
I like to clean my tires with Amazing Roll Off or Opti Clean before applying any new dressing.


 
I use opti bond all the time on tires. Use it at full strength and at 1:1

My only concern is that unlike many other dressings, the opti-bond "beads" off the tires when you spray it on. It just kinda glides off the tires in beads as opposed to sticking and soaking. You really have to work it in with a foam applicator for it to absorb into the rubber. And it has nothing to do with clean or unclean tires.
 
I mixed it 1 to 1 in the 8oz autogeek dispenser bottles..I then use a eagle one tire swipe..this is the only tire dressing that i have used that doesn't sling...you guys that don't like it and have a lot left over ...ill take it off your hands..:props:
 
I have used it on a couple different age tires:

new tires < 1000 miles - worked perfectly

older tires never been dressed > 25,000 miles - first application was splotchy but it was followed up with a second application that took care of that, after a period of time the tires were buffed and looked great.

older tires dressed with random items on a regular basis > 25,000 miles - first application was pretty good but it also followed up with a second application, after a period of time the tires were buffed and looked great.

I am sure I have had better coverage on some of the other products I used throughout the years (greasy/high shine products) but I much prefer the look of opti-bond.
 
thanks for the input - maybe with another application or 2 it will even out.
 
Rsurfer said:
So if I apply Opti Bond over let's say Armor All I won't have bonding issues?
Click to expand...

I would start with clean tires. I mean you could apply it over other tire dressing but I would guess you are compromising the durability of the product or at a minimum the look of the production, which is the part I like best about it.
 
I've had a bottle or two as well. I don't like it. I am curious as to how the air gun works with it. The application seems to be the hang up. And I'm wondering if a low psi fine mist continuous spray would be better.
 
those goodyear tires have tons of grooves and tear up sponge/foam applicators with ease they are a pain with most tire dressings. its not the product. opti-bond should be thin enough to be sprayed through a spray bottle without dilution, havent tried it though. i love opti-bond. and luckily i dont run into many goodyear tires if i do, it takes forever to dress them because of all the vertical grooves that are deep. what might help if it wont spray is get a paint brush and cut the bristles shorter so its a good bit stiffer and apply opti-bond onto tire directly and brush it on then go over it with a tatty microfiber.
 
I haven't had issues with splotchy application. My only issue is with it not being durable at all in the wet. Haven't tried diluting it, but that seems counterintuitive if I'm already seeing durability issues. I like the look Optibond gives, but won't buy it again.
 
I just use Dawn dishwashing soap and water to scrub my tires clean. Works good for me and have never had any problems. I then apply Mothers Reflections Tire care 2x. I prefer it's no grease, no shine, new tire look.
 
sshinn1 said:
Alko - I assume you mean 2-3 drops at full strength? I tried to use it sparingly at first but seemed like I just couldn't get it into all the grooves, letters, etc without a LOT of product.

I didn't strip the tires first, would I just do that with some APC like Simple Green? They have both had Armor All on them before, maybe this is the problem?
Click to expand...


You definitely want to strip the old dressing off. I use OPC (love that stuff). It takes some working into the tires but yeah I just use pea size drops at full strength. Other dressing I'd drizzle the applicator in a back and forth motion. I did that the very first time using Opti-bond and it slung. I quickly adjusted after someone told me to only use it sparingly. Works fanatastic!
 
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