Yes, and Yes.
To speak directly to tires, the rubber does oxidize from contact with
the oxygen in the air, resulting in checked, or cracked side wall
rubber. My '50's vintage Dunlop Gold Seals were purported to be made of
nearly pure gum rubber. Anyway they gripped well in the dry, cracked
quickly, and 10,000 miles was a good life. The early Michelin X tires
were a good deal harder, lasted forever, had poor grip in the wet, and
did not crack. Armor All had yet to be invented, but used car lots put
brake fluid on their car's side walls to make the tires look like new.
Additives, later in the 60's, seemed to reduce oxidation, and may have
been from rubber additives. Certainly they turned brown quickly, and
Armor All was better than brake fluid to make them look good. Once you
started, you were addicted to it, or your tires quickly looked like s--t.
Stories sound right, and match real experience.
Steve
___
Steve Laifman
Editor - TigersUnited.com
stubrennan@comcast.net wrote:
><- - - snip - - ->
>"...discourage the use of products like Armor All on the sidewalls of the
>tires because the Armor All can solubilize the waxes and then remove them
>over time."
>
>Anybody else heard this?
>
>Stu
>
>
>
Dan Cordray wrote:
<- - - snip - - ->
I recall several of the Michelin technical persons who were
participating in this meeting stating rather strongly that the use of
Armor All type substances on tires or other rubber parts was highly
discouraged, and the stated reason was more-or-less as described in the
chemist's letter. That was 15 odd years ago and I don't know if the
recommendation remains the same today.
Dan
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