Looking for an inexpensive way to transform your car’s appearance? Consider coloring the letters on your tire sidewalls! Not only will it freshen up your car’s appearance, but it’ll also separate your car from the pack with a unique high-performance look.
A Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition with white lettering on its tires, via Tuner Tom
All this project requires is about $20 and a few hours of your time.
First, let’s talk about the paint. You can paint the lettering on your tires any color you want. The most common color is white, followed by yellow. When painting tires, you have to use oil-based paint. The easiest way to apply it on the tire is with a paint marker. Now, let’s take a look at a comprehensive list of all the supplies you’ll need for this project:
Here’s what you need to do with each tire:
1. Remove the tire from your car.
2. Scrub the dirt and oil from the lettering area or the whole tire with a tire cleaner (or Windex if you don’t have tire cleaner). If you’ve used tire shine in the past, you’ll have to apply some extra elbow grease to get it all out. Once the cleaned area (or the whole tire) starts to look dull, it’s clean and free of any oily residue. Wipe with a clean rag until dry.
Make sure your tire letters are completely clean and dry! Credit: CashedOutCars’s YouTube tutorial
3. Grab your medium tip paint marker and shake it well. Pump the tip against a piece of paper, paper towel, or cardboard repeatedly until the paint starts to come out and the tip is well-saturated.
Saturate the tip of the pen with paint before beginning. Credit: CashedOutCars’s YouTube video
4. Color in the letters with the marker. The easiest thing to do is to fill in the centers first and then outline them carefully with the fine tip paint marker.
Take your time coloring in the letters for a clean look. Credit: CashedOutCars’s YouTube video
5. Touch up any of the spots you may have missed and let the paint dry. If you want your lettering to look brighter and bolder, apply another coat.
The end result. Credit: CashedOutCars’s YouTube video
If your car has white letter tires, you know how hard it is to maintain that white color.
White-letter tires catch dirt and stain very easily making your car look unflattering and outdated. To bring back the shine of your tires, you need to know how to clean white letters on tires.
Luckily, there are a few products available on the market today for removing the dirt and stains from the white letters. While the most popular technique is to use SOS pads, there are some bottled cleaning solutions and bleaching agents that work just fine.
Here we will tell you various methods of cleaning your white letter tires so that you can whiten your tires without damaging the rims. Let’s dive in.
Below we have listed the most common and easiest methods of removing the dirt and stains from white letter tires. Go through the procedures and pick one that you find the most convenient.
This is a popular product for removing the brown layer from the white letter tires. By using the SOS pads, you can bring back around 85% of the whiteness.
You can use this abrasive cleaning pad to reach all the corners of the tires and collect the dirt from those hard-to-reach areas.
Here’s how to use the SOS pads-
Step 1) Get a packet of SOS pads from your nearby store. You can also purchase one online.
Step 2) Do the basic cleaning for removing the dust from your tires. Use your regular car washing detergent or soap to remove the dust and dirt from your tire’s sidewalls and around the rims. By doing the basic cleaning you will only be able to clean the regular dirt and minor stains.
Step 3) Now unpack the SOS pads and take one to scrub the dirty parts of the sidewall. The pads are a very powerful combination of steel wool and soap that can easily remove tough messes.
Therefore, you don’t have to use any extra soap or other solutions to remove the dirt. As you scrub, you’ll notice the brown color is vanishing slowly exposing the real white color of the tires.
Step 4) When you’re done cleaning all the corners, use plain water and wash off the remaining soap from the tire to complete the process.
Are your white letter tires turning brown? Then bleaching the tires can be the best way to restore the white color. As we all know, bleach is commonly used to whiten and sterilize various materials. Bleach is basically a chemical featuring hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite.
If using SOS pads or other solvents doesn’t do the work for your tires, you can use bleach to whiten your tire’s sidewall. Keep in mind that, this chemical is very strong and can be harsh on the materials of your tire.
Hence, it’s not recommended to use bleach on a regular basis. Here’s how you can use bleach to keep your white letter tires from turning brown-
Step 1) Purchase a good-quality bleach in spray form and do an initial wash to make sure that your tires are clean.
Also, the bleach will only whiten the tires instead of cleaning them thoroughly. So, use a scrubber to remove the dirt from the corners.
Step 2) Apply the bleach spray on the letters and the stained areas. When you’re done, let the product sit and wait for ten minutes.
Step 3) Use a standard pad of carwash cloth to rub the area and clean it properly. After that, use your hose pipe to wash the tires thoroughly. Reapply the product until the brown layer is fully eradicated.
Many people have found using a cleaning solution or solvent a far more effective and quicker method of removing the dirty brown layer from the white letters on tires. However, since such solutions contain many compound chemicals, some car owners often hesitate to use these solutions.
So, check out the ingredient list and customer reviews before purchasing a cleaning agent. Otherwise, the rims of your tires might deteriorate due to chemical reactions.
Here’s how you can use a cleaning solution-
Step 1) Take a regular pad or carwash towel for applying the solution. Start the cleaning process by wetting the pads and tires using your water hose.
Step 2) Apply the cleaning solution of your choice. WD40 is a reliable cleaning solvent that won’t do any harm to any parts of your tires. If the solvent is in a spray form, apply it directly to your tires while they are still wet.
As for the liquid cleaners, you need to pour the solution into a bucket and mix it well with water. Check out the directions on the container for knowing the exact amount of water you should mix.
Step 3) Soak the cleaning pad or towel in the solution and start scrubbing the tires thoroughly. You might have to put some extra effort into cleaning the white letters. A toothbrush-style brush can be very helpful in this process.
Mostly, the effectiveness of your cleaning will depend on the strength of the solution, and how intensely and how long you scrub the tires.
Step 4) Wash the tires every two minutes and check out the progress. Reapply the solution and keep repeating the scrubbing process until you’re satisfied with the cleaning.
Step 5) When you’re done, use your water hose to thoroughly wash away the remaining solution.
Even after you try all the techniques to clean the white letter tires, some areas remain yellowed no matter how intensely you clean them. In such cases, sandpapers can do magic!
While the process of manually using sandpaper can be painful, many car owners prefer this method over others as no harmful chemicals are involved in this process. Here’s the process of sanding white letter tires-
Step 1) purchase a piece of 400 grit sandpaper. As you might know, sandpapers won’t cost you much.
Step 2) Wash your tires properly to clean off the dust. Now rub the sandpaper against the letters to clear the brown layer.
You can use a sander for this job. Otherwise, simply use your hands to easily reach all the parts.
Step 3) After you have removed all the dirt, yellowness, and stains, use some water to complete the cleaning process.
This home remedy for cleaning white wall tires has worked for many people to some extent. You can use this method for cleaning the minor dirt and marks. Grab your old toothbrush and follow the steps given below-
Step 1) Do an initial cleaning using water and soap. Then apply your toothpaste to the old toothbrush.
Step 2) Brush the letters like you brush your own teeth while targeting the dirty areas. You might have to put some extra effort to remove the stubborn stains.
Step 3) When you achieve your desired results, wash the tires with plain water.
Why do the white letter tires turn brown?
White-letter tires turn brown for a few reasons.
Mostly, the reason is lack of proper maintenance and cleaning. When you skip regular cleaning, dust and stains start accumulating on the white letters. Also, the material of the tire plays an important in creating the brown layer.
Antizonants elements are used in the rubber tires to prevent them from drying or cracking. Sometimes these elements are released from the tire and react with oxygen. This reaction creates a brown residue that is left behind on the tire’s sidewall.
What is the best white wall tire cleaner?
If you want to do the cleaning manually SOS pads are easily the best choice. WD40 spray solution, Cycle Care formulas for whitewall, and Green all wheel & tire cleaner are some of the most reliable chemical solvents. Instead of compound chemicals, you can also use toothpaste or baking soda to clean the dirt, oil, and other marks.
Does Magic Eraser work on white wall tires?
Yes, some magic erasers do work well on white wall tires.
In fact, cleaning white wall tires with magic eraser is an easier and much quicker way in comparison to other products.
You just have to apply the magic eraser on the tires and scrub the area with a regular carwash towel. And the white letters on your tires will sparkle like never before.
That was pretty much everything on how to clean white letters on tires. We have covered the most effective methods of cleaning the tires and bringing back their shine.
For quick cleaning, simply use a strong cleaning solution. If you want to whiten the tire’s sidewalls, bleach them for the best results.
Ed Walker
Ed Walker is an automotive cleaning expert with extensive automotive cleaning skills.
I have been working in automotive cleaning plants with perfection for the past decade. In addition, I own my cleaning workshop, where we wash away firm dirt and grease out of vehicles and turn them into new ones. Sharing cleaning tips for automotive is my passion.
I somehow caught fire to highlight the brand name on the tire (like on sports cars or on off-road tires), but everything turned out to be not so simple ... It turns out that there is no information on the Internet on how to draw on rubber / tires / wheels correctly.
The first step was to find something to draw with so that everything drawn would not fall off the next day. I started looking on the Internet, there are many options, from paint to marker. But I decided to stop at the marker, because. it will be easier to draw. The car at that moment was under repair and on winter tires, which means I had enough time to implement my Wishlist in the summer.
It was very important that the paint with which we paint was elastic and resistant. And this turns out to be not easy. And the most interesting and appropriate (as I thought at the time) was the Edding 8050 tire marker with a 4mm tip.
Marker is specially designed for applying any marks and inscriptions on rubber, BUT this does not mean that it is suitable for applying to tires - as it turned out later. In general, I bought this marker and tried it in the evening. In general, I painted one wheel with this particular marker in 2 layers, but I was not very pleased with the result. They are very uncomfortable to draw. The paint either does not pour out at all, or vice versa, there is a lot at once and spreads. In general, I got along well with him. It cracks and doesn't hold up well. I don't recommend you buy this marker! This is how I tried the marker on the inside of the rubber.
Here the inscription has a border and is easier to draw. The paint will not spill over the edge.
But on the outside, the inscription does not have a side and this complicates the process. Because excess paint may spill out of the letter.
Fortunately, my brother had another marker in the garage - the cheapest paint marker with a 4 mm tip. and the next wheel I painted with it. It was already easier with him, but the thick sting / pen / tip does not allow you to draw accurately. So I found exactly the same cheap marker, only with a 2 mm sting.
And now with a thin marker, everything has become much easier and faster. I recommend this marker for painting tires. If for the first time it took me an hour for the first wheel, then it is many times less. As a result, the rest of the wheels were painted in 2 layers with a thin and cheapest marker. It is not necessary to paint in two layers, it also holds and the effect is the same.
As practice has shown, the brand that is specially for tires lasted the least - about 1 week (it soon decreased, possibly due to the fact that it was on the front right wheel), this is of course very little.
After 3 not even the slightest trace remained. But the cheap paint marker is still holding up, although it is well worn. Top of the wheel covered with ink for rubber Soft99 (there will be a new post about this) - so the inscriptions look very impressive !!!
After following all the rules and with due care, you will get an excellent result. And if you still don’t shuffle the rubber on the sides, then extend the service life.
But do not think that this coverage will last for a long time. The paint is not elastic and cracks. And flies away with time.
Here is the result from a simple paint marker after 2.5 months.
Marker on rubber after 2.5 monthsAs you can see, the marker is almost invisible. But there was no trace of the Edding 8050 marker in a week.
I covered the top of the wheels with Soft99 rubber ink (this will be a separate article) — this way the inscriptions look very impressive!!!
And this is how fresh inscriptions, which are one day old, look like. Updated the inscriptions so to speak. There was an ink on the wheels, which, after 2.5 months, was well hydrophobic. On the Internet I did not find information on how to wash off the ink. It turned out to be nothing complicated - I used "Galosh gasoline" and cleaned everything easily.
I hope you liked the review of markers for tires/rubber/tyres/wheels and now it became clear to everyone how to draw on car tires correctly, and if you have any questions, write in the comments.
White letters on tires | ATT TiresI give my consent to the processing of my personal data
ATT-Tires wheel stickers are made from premium multi-layer rubber with a self-adhesive backing. High adhesive adhesion, elasticity and wear resistance are the main advantages of our stickers over competitors.
Operating temperature of stickers from -95 to +95 C
Average installation time for 4 wheels - 1 hour
Keeping a distance, you can wash safely
Dirt and water repellent finish
Ultraviolet is not terrible.
Does not yellow or tarnish
If something went wrong - replace the damaged elements
Can be glued over original tire inscriptions
I give my consent to the processing of my personal data
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Bright white lettering on car tires looks strict and elegant.
The letters themselves are made of high-strength materials, the unique structural multi-layering of this product will keep the strength and whiteness of the letters for a long time. The dirt-repellent surface will not allow them to look dull and not bright.
ATT-Tires offers you to distinguish your car from a number of other cars by using graceful white letters on the tires of your car. The color of the car in this case does not matter. The main idea is based on the contrast created by the white color of the letters in relation to the black tyres. On a black background, the white letters on the wheels are easy to read, which means it can be used for both personal and promotional purposes. You can put your company logos, the name of the sports club, of which you are an active member, on the tires.
White wheel decals can be installed by anyone in the shortest possible time. Simplicity and ease of installation allow, in case of force majeure, not to replace the entire inscription, but to dismantle the damaged part of the inscription.
This will save money and time on ordering new stickers.
White letters do not fade from UV exposure, do not turn yellow during operation and always look contrast against black tires. Confident legibility of letters while driving, thanks to the strobe effect, guarantees you curious and interested glances of passers-by.
Before mounting the letters on the wheels, the surface of the tires is degreased and treated with a special compound that fills the porous structure of the tire and securely adheres to the surface of the letter. With little effort, you can quickly install the stickers on the tires of your car or motorcycle.
The surface of the tire itself does not require additional grinding before sticking the letters, it is quite enough to wash and degrease the tire, it is not damaged by the chemical composition of the fixing material. The letters are easy to clean in conventional car washes and can withstand high-pressure jets without breaking or peeling off.
The white letters on the tires are in perfect harmony with the color of any car, especially at night, when all cars take on dark shades and bright letters are clearly visible.
