What can I use to get the blue strip off of white wall tires? And what can I do to keep them clean? Thanks in advance!

 

Soap and water will clean off the blue. Keeping them white is a whole other story. Some of the newer white walls can't tolerate bleach products.

 

I was going to direct you to Westleys Bleach White. But it seems they have sold out to Black magic. Reports say its not even close to the original. So I dont knwo what to tell you. Wander the car care section and look for white wall cleaner. Report back if you find one that works. Google Westleys Bleach white. See for your self.

 

Thanks! I will report if I find something. Hopefully I do :/ I was putting on new tires and got the white dirty..

 

I used Westley's for years. I still have a good supply. However there does seem to be some controversy on the possible damage to whitewalls. I now use Simple Green and a stiff bristle brush. It works very well. I do not ever let my tires get really dirty. Coker Tire has several products to clean whitewalls but I have not tried them.

 

I have used 409 and Fantastic on white letter and white wall tires for years with good results using a stiff plastic bristle brush.

 

I will give it a shot!

 

So inquiring minds want to know .....

How did you ever make out with getting the wire wheels off ?.

 

I use Black Magic all the time and find it superior to anything I have used in the past, Works just like the old Westleys and they say no damage to the tires or white walls, I'm on my third set of white walls and I see no problems so far.....Tedd

 

I took the chance of messing them up.. I got a crowbar and yanked them off. They came off clean! No bends, no breaks! Clean!! I appreciatedon't your help though!

 

If the locks were doing their job ... I don't see how they just came off.

Something had to fail &/or get mucked up somewhere.

 

As sacrilegious as it might sound, I've always cleaned whitewall with a Brillo or SOS soap pad. Yes, I know it's steel wool, but I use it gently, and I've never worn off or marred the whitewall. Just one or two swipes is enough to get the dirt loose, and then I rinse it with a hose. It takes very little effort. I've been doing this on every car I've ever owned or otherwise had reason to wash going back to the 1970s, when I was washing my father's cars and when it seemed every car had narrow whitewall tires.

 

I agree with Tedd,I used Westley's for years, and continue to use Black Magic with no noticeable difference.For badly yellowed tires don't be afraid to use a brass brush or very stiff bristle brush. Larry

 

Or a Brillo pad!

 

I don't have the locking nut but that's fine with me. Nobody steals hubcaps anymore. I don't think :/

 

I'm going to try it!! (:

 

Why sacrilege to use Brillo/SOS pads? Either worked just fine "back in the day."

 

And still works... just more work than Bleche-Wite or other chemical cleaner.

Purple cleaner will clean whitewalls too among other things, just don't use it full strength near paint. Combined with a stiff plastic or brass bristle brush,it will clean them well and you can get it in 5-gal jugs.

Last set of W/W tires I bought for the wagon, last fall, that blue was the toughest I'd ever tried to get off. Chinese made tires. Took Bleche-Wite, brass brush and a lot of scrubbing to get it off. 'Course now, a shot of cleaner and a couple passes with pressure washer leaves 'em nice and white...

 

I bought a set of Toyo whitewalls a year or so ago for my pick-up 72 truck. Very, very limited selection for white strip tires, unless you want wide ones. The blue was very difficult to remove, and it took several attempts with an SOS pad to get it off. That said, the Toyo's ride and track very smooth. A friend of mine high up in the tire industry (not a tire changer) said the Toyo has a very good reputation in the industry. So far I like them a lot.

 

This is not good news for me. I have used Westley's since the 80s on all my tires, even blackwalls, as it gets the rubber (not just the white walls/letters) very clean. I have maybe 1/2 of a big jug left.

 

Cheap Ajax works the best.

 

Mothers FX wheel and tire cleaner. Never tried it on true white walls, but cleans up the white letters nicely.

 

I agree with Ajax or Comet and a stiff brush. Works great, been using it for over 40 years

 

Warning on the bleach white, it will stain non coated aluminum wheels easily.

 

try spray 9 works great on white walls and white letter tires.

 

I remember back in the 80s there was a wheel cleaner especially for uncoated aluminum wheels. It was phosphoric acid(?) and would actually etch the surface of the aluminum.

 

There were and still are a lot of them on the market. I shy away from those.

 

I remember cleaning the whitewalls on my Mother's 56 Mercury with Ajax. That was a really long time ago. That was the first car I ever drove and I was 12.

 

scothbrite pads work for me with a little detergent. Do not use on Diamond Back whitewalls magic erasers pads also work and allowed on Diamondback tires. A nail scrub brush works well for me. Been cleaning white wall more than fifty years still like them http://www.mcmaster.com/#7247T3