For me, the application of a tyre dressing is my favorite of all detailing tasks, as such, finding the "best" applicator is something I'm always on the look out for.
For the most part, there is probably no need to complicate this subject, foam applicators have existed for decades to perform this role. But, I have moved away from foam and now have a preference for brushes.
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Why brushes? They are so much cleaner to use, the dressing is applied to the bristles and doesn't transfer back onto your hands like even the best foam applicators do. This all means I don't have to glove up.
Having tried a number of different brushes, some of them basically re-purposed and rebranded cosmetic brushes, I have settled on a couple of key contenders. And I would definitely say size matters, a smaller brush is too inefficient for this role.
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And that's where the Race Glaze XL comes into the equation. This is an extra large boars hair detailing brush that is ordinarily too big for most applications, but excels at tyre dressing...............
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This brush can be used on low or high profile tyres with ease, simply spray the dressing into the bristles, then work it into the sidewall.
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The only drawback to the RaceGlaze brush is the lack of availability in Australia. I got mine from Obsessed Garage at a huge premium, they are also sold by a singular local supplier -
https://raceglaze.com.au/supersize-n...tailing-brush/
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/produ...a&_ss=e&_v=1.0
The other alternative is to use what's called a chalk brush.............
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/31503241...yABEgJP2vD_BwE
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In recent time, I have been using the Detail Factory Curveball brush. Considering how expensive this brush is, it took a me a while to condemn such a nice brush to the job of tyre dressing......................
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...7f9d38e8&_ss=r
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The best thing about using this brush for tyre dressing is that the soft, fine bristles negate the need to do a final knock back wipe with a towel, the brush finishes down so nicely. I would say that its best used with water-based dressings, a thick solvent dressing would be too thick and sticky for this brush. Also, I have found the brush washes out nicely in water, a little APC if you feel the need.
Since then, I have also found these Maxshine versions. On first glance, these look like a Detail Factory rip-off, but there is some innovation here. Maxshine offer three versions of this brush, the soft synthetic, a boars or mixed hair brush, and the changeable head version that allows the user to unscrew the bristle head from the handle and swap them out as needed.
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...ed-bristle-red
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...a-soft-bristle
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...rush-twin-pack
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The synthetic version works in a similar way to the Detail Factory item, again, allowing the dressing to be evenly distributed and levels down superbly. I find the synthetic brush is ideal for tyres of 40 profile and above, any lower and it tends to drag across the wheel face.
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The mixed bristle version is surprisingly soft, way more than you would expect. The bristles are clustered much tighter than the synthetic brush, which is suited to 30 and 35 low profile tires as shown on the XR8 and Jaguar below.
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I can safely say this is one of
THE BEST ways to apply tyre dressing. In fact, that statement applies to both brushes. Because of the density of bristles, the dressing is easily distributed across the sidewall and into all the groves, but those bristles also mean a follow up knock-down wipe is simply not required. It’s also superbly ergonomic to hold and again negates the need for gloves.
Like the Curveball brush, the only drawback with the two Maxshine brushes is the $27 price compared to a $3.00 foam applicator. However, they are half the price of the Curveball and as many would know, foam starts to get pretty grotty in short order. These brushes will be far more durable and can actually be washed out if desired.
One other brush I have been reaching for on most occasions is The Rag Company Ultra Utility Brush.
https://autobuff.com.au/products/trc...y&_ss=e&_v=1.0
While not especially designed with tyre dressing in mind, its actually brilliant for this role. Due to its size, you won’t be using this on low profile tyres, but for SUV and Pickup tyres, its exceptionally efficient. The only thing I would say is that you need to use a more liquid product, think Carpro Perl at 1:1, Duragloss 253, Adam’s Graphene, Angelwax Elixir, Meguiar's Hyper Dressing or P&S Shine All.
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