Solid White Letter Tires
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 130
Likes: 3
From: Goshen IN
Solid White Letter Tires
Replaced my tires with BF Goodrich w/solid white lettering. The fronts are 225/70R15 and the back is 255/60R15(All with current production dates). The front tire lettering are 'white white', the back are more of a 'yellow white'. I went back to the store and showed them, so they buff the back tires and they did look whiter, but still not as white as the front, most people wouldn't think about it. Now a few weeks later they look like they did before they buffed them, the front still looking white. So I used bleach white on the back with sos pads, it cleaned up some, but still not like the front. Is this because of the diffferent size, different mold?
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,114
From: Crossville TN
You might try wiping the letters with some lacquer thinner. If the rubber is actually white, they will then be white. It could be that the rubber has aged on those back tires. What's the production date on them?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
I have experienced this on other tires. They might never match. I assume its different lots of rubber. I have even had four of the same size and gotten one that's just not white but yellowish. All four of my cheapo china tires are yellowish, I don't like it, but at least they match.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,235
Likes: 898
From: Myrtle Beach SC
This is a common complaint among those who use solid white lettered tires and has been for years. White letters are made from white rubber and than encased when the tire is baked (vulcanized). Carbon black (the black rubber) uses a plasticizer oil that acts as a vehicle to transport carbon block to the white surface.
So you are cleaning off carbon block from the white surface and it will require habitual care for those two tires. You may try a rubber prep product readily available from auto stores...a little less lethal than lacquer thinner but still requires cautious use. Its used to clean tires when repairing them by auto shops.
I have been working with John Kelsey (Kelsy Tire) and a Michelin enginner why this happens and how best to treat.
So you are cleaning off carbon block from the white surface and it will require habitual care for those two tires. You may try a rubber prep product readily available from auto stores...a little less lethal than lacquer thinner but still requires cautious use. Its used to clean tires when repairing them by auto shops.
I have been working with John Kelsey (Kelsy Tire) and a Michelin enginner why this happens and how best to treat.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 130
Likes: 3
From: Goshen IN
Just bought them 6 weeks ago, only have several hundred miles on them. The production dates are Feb & Mar of this year. I'll try the suggestions and see if I can brighten them up some or just live with it and always have to do more scrubbing on the back ones.
2nd Gear
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 2
Likes: 1
From: West Olive MI
Replaced my tires with BF Goodrich w/solid white lettering. The fronts are 225/70R15 and the back is 255/60R15(All with current production dates). The front tire lettering are 'white white', the back are more of a 'yellow white'. I went back to the store and showed them, so they buff the back tires and they did look whiter, but still not as white as the front, most people wouldn't think about it. Now a few weeks later they look like they did before they buffed them, the front still looking white. So I used bleach white on the back with sos pads, it cleaned up some, but still not like the front. Is this because of the diffferent size, different mold?
Here is a YouTube video I made a couple years back.
Last edited by punt1959; Feb 23, 2014 at 07:50 PM. Reason: Misspelling
