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ArmorAll Tire Foam Dry Rots Tires! DO NOT USE

22K views 62 replies 41 participants last post by  Coach 
#1 ·
Attention all, do not use ArmorAll Tire Foam on stock Arctic/Call of Duty tires. It dry rots them.

I do not have first hand experience but my neighbor came up to me the other day while I was spraying it on and asked me what I was using on my tires. He then told me that he had the same tires on his truck and the foam actually dry rotted all four of them. Not sure how long or how many times he applied the foam but I sure am not using it anymore and it was def. worth sharing to the community!
 
#6 ·
I doubt this. A lot.

What you're telling me is that Armor All lacks the money or desire to employ competent chemical engineers and that, despite being in the business for years, they decided to roll out a tire care product that destroys tires. Then, after they made a tire product that destroys tires they didn't realize it and correct the issue?

Alternatively, I would be expected to believe that the rubber formulation on the tires in this thread is so completely different from any other that only they would be affected. Either alternative is unlikely in the extreme, but not impossible.

About how long did it take for folks to change the formula on tire foam when it started exploding in shops? How long did it take to recall a bunch of Firestone tires when they were failing on the road? Shit that ruins tires is a big deal because failed tires kill people and dead people cost companies a lot of money.
 
#10 ·
So Armor-all....one of the most established companies in the world that sells paint/leather/rubber care products....is selling a tire care product that rots tires? I guess a big company like that is too big to have an R&D division that tests products prior to releasing them.
thanks for the heads up.
 
#17 ·
WOW, yep its there, page 544 in mine (5th edition)

=================
Interior Care
Use MOPAR Total Clean or equivalent to clean fabric
upholstery and carpeting.
Interior Trim should be cleaned starting with a damp
cloth, a damp cloth with MOPAR Total Clean or equivalent, then MOPARSpot & Stain Remover or equivalent
if absolutely necessary. Do not use harsh cleaners or
Armor All. Use MOPAR Total Clean or equivalent to
clean vinyl upholstery.
===============

I just sent armor all a question about this, see if they respond.
 
#16 ·
Never had a problem with the foam my self. For interior I've always used Pledge. Gives a mild shine and smells like lemons.
 
#26 ·
My dad has a repair shop that sells tires. He has had several bulletins from various suppliers that state most of the tire shine products do indeed cause dry rot. It might not as long as you keep using the product but when you stop the tire ages faster.

I work at a race track. We had sign holders made out of used Nascar tires. People kept stealing them. So I used a tire shine product that came in a squeeze bottle. It was purple. I don't remember the brand. I gooed some of them up and people quit taking them.:thumb:

After about a year, the ones that I used the product on looked 10 years older than the ones I didn't. They were VERY badly dry rotted and cracked.
 
#27 ·
Not sure what you mean by dry rot. If your speaking of the rubber shell on the outside of the tire that covers the polyester and steel belts then you shouldnt worry. If your speaking of 10 yr rot including polyester cords which begin to look like old rope and frey once the rubber cover greys and cracks away then you need to be concerned. Im leaning towards the outer rubber advertising on your friends tires. Some manufactures tires are so darn old from before the sale, that once you get them they weather crack within months. Its not the dressing you should be concerned with, its the age of the tire. Take the tires serial number down and contact the manufacturer to get the production date. You will most likely find the tire is significantly older then expected leading to premature failure. In addition to the age of the tires, extreme heat and direct sunlight can weather crack tires prematurly also, such as climates in Arizona as an example. Sorry for your experiences with said products, but im leaning towards other causes of the dilema. Good luck, happy jeepn
 
#29 ·
I've heard this rumor before, that it dry rots tires, used it all the time on my Mustang and the tires were fine. I don't think anyone who uses this on their daily driver has to worry.

I find the comments about armorall interesting. I've always heard people say that the stuff for the interior drys out the plastic prematurely. I guess the only way to disprove this is to have someone buy a new jeep, armorall half of it and tell us how it looks 7 years later....
 
#32 ·
I've heard this rumor before, that it dry rots tires, used it all the time on my Mustang and the tires were fine. I don't think anyone who uses this on their daily driver has to worry.

I find the comments about armorall interesting. I've always heard people say that the stuff for the interior drys out the plastic prematurely. I guess the only way to disprove this is to have someone buy a new jeep, armorall half of it and tell us how it looks 7 years later....

I'll look around at work to see if we still have the tire signs. I'll take pics of treated vs. non-treated.
 
#31 ·
I've been told by quite a few auto detailers not to use armor all type products on my vehicle unless I use them every time I wash. Never had dry rot or cracked tires before. One car wash uses some leather cream on my tires and plastic. I forget the last time mine was detailed...
 
#33 ·
Hey, don't shoot the messanger. I figured it was important enough to let the community know. If you think it is bogus, then I am not going to try to convince you otherwise - just trying to help people out.


I will, next time I see him, ask him how old the tires were, how many times he applied..etc.


Sorry to piss people off! :hide:
 
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