The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline White wall refresh

I am not sure if this is the correct forum. I have some white walls that are still in great condition but have yellowed some. I have tried the standard products like Bleach White. Any suggestions on how to restore the bright white appearance? If cleaning doesn't work have any of you use any type of die or coating (paint?) to whiten them back up?

JC Whitney maybe 60 years ago?

I did just find a YouTube video where the guy uses 300 grit wet sanding and then 800 grit to finish. He then seals with a silicone tire sealer. He claims this will fix white walls that have yellowed. I will give it a try unless someone has another method.

Good morning.
I use Mr clean Magic Eraser's on my whitewalls.
Makes them look brand new. But mine have only been dirty, not turned yellow.
Good luck,
Todd

I saw a video where the guy used a Mr. Clean eraser. He said it worked good but fell apart very quickly and he needed several. He was also only removing dirt and grim, not yellow discoloration.

They do fall apart fairly quickly.
But it makes my whitewalls look brand new.

White shoe polish

I use Black Magic Bleach White in a spray bottle. I let it sit a few minutes then rinse with clean water and air dry. Wally world and some of the parts stores sell it.

The JC Whitney product looks interesting. I wonder if something like white flex-seal would work the same way.

I have and use Bleech White all the time. It for the most part does a good job. My new project the white walls have yellowed and Bleach White is not doing it.

Can’t beat elbow grease. When I was in high school I always used a Brillo pad first and then used a small stiff bristled hand brush with a few drops of mom’s dishwashing soap and a dose of Comet powder. The whitewalls always turned out really white.

Use a fine grit ScotchBrite pad in a drill motor or a die grinder. Grind the yellow layer away to expose the white layer underneath. That's how the white rubber is exposed in the first place- - - -the white is covered by black rubber during the curing process. When I worked at Armstrong Rubber Co. in the early 1980's we produced 14K tires a day, and every whitewall had the white layer exposed by a grinding wheel.
Jerry

Just a suggestion that you might try. I've found that Krud Kutter restores yellowed white plastic parts. Might work on whitewalls, too. Easy enough to try.

Kevin, which version of Krud Kutter? I was going to try it and there are multiple variations. Cleaner/Degreaser, Rust Remover, Sports Stain Remover and a bunch of others. I am guessing the base version, Cleaner/Degreaser?

The best product I've found to clean whitewalls and keep them clean is Westley's Bleche-White. It's made by Black Magic now.

Contrary to popular belief, it does not contain bleach. Wash the tire, apply the product and scrub with a scrub brush. Don't use bleach on whitewalls or, just like your socks and underwear, it will turn them yellow.

I've been using it for over 20 years.

I didn't even know there was anything other than the Cleaner/Degreaser, so yes, that's what I'd try.