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I have an RC10B2 (shelf display) that leave black tire marks everywhere. The pins on the tires are like pencils. These are the only tires that do this.
My preference is to keep the glued vintage tires on the rims. Is there a spray or sealant you would recommend?

TokyoProf wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2023 9:19 pm I have an RC10B2 (shelf display) that leave black tire marks everywhere. The pins on the tires are like pencils. These are the only tires that do this.
My preference is to keep the glued vintage tires on the rims. Is there a spray or sealant you would recommend?

Hope this doesn't sound too basic but you should always store the car with the wheels off the shelf to stop flat spots . Other than that a lot of people use silicone to give the tires some shine , it might help with the marks .

The tires sound like they might be natural rubber. I can't remember the actual component.....but when I did fleet maintenance, there was some damn rubber component/part that I.......bingo, it was air intake pipes/boots. They would get kinda chalky from time-to-time...

Long story short, I would scrub the p*ss out of them with warm soapy water, until I got down to a smoother, more lustery surface finish. There would be tiny black particles, like ash floating on water, in the shop sink after rinsing. Then I'd give them a smudge test with my thumb. If they still imparted the black stuff, I'd scrub them again, etc. until they were "clean". I wouldn't scrub them violently. Just happy little circles with light to moderate pressure. Rinse and repeat until desired results were achieved.

Now, I wasn't scrubbing vintage R/C tires, but that might be worth a try. Assuming they are still pliable. Then apply a light silicone based product to them. Of course "test in a small inconspicuous area" first.

Ah. Just read the "keep them on the rim" part. Still possible, just need to get your soapy water into more of a lather, then some precision trickle rinsing.

Oh yeah, I'd be hesitant to hit them with a sealant and I would think that siliconing them without removing the chalkiness would just make the pins act like grease pencils.

I'm crazy enough...have you examined the tires with a magnifying glass? One of those tiny ones, like a jeweler's loupe. I would take a look at the base of the pins for cracks first. Bend them around with a toothpick and observe the base. My concern would be scrubbing the pins off the face. Maybe I'm over-thinking it.

I'd go with a "GUM" or "ORAL-B" soft to medium bristle and Palmolive because it softens hands while you do the dishes.

Just the rubber oxidizing, even silicone oxidizes. Any automotive tire shine should work. I prefer Mothers 16915 Speed Tire Shine. Rubbed in and wiped off tires/parts look new rather than just shiny. Or you could encapsulate the tire by spraying it with clear plasti-dip or similar, which is removeable. All the sudden wondering about automotive spray wax... or even Endust... hmmm....

It seems like the preferred stuff to coat rubber R/C tires with is 303 Aerospace protectant. You have to be careful with what you use as some rubber protection products will actually cause the rubber to degrade.

Some good info here: https://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?t=17978

Here's what I did to store my finished cars; cheap, looks great and keeps those tires off the ground...a bunch of dollar-store clear plastic containers, with strips of foam tape stuck on the tops. I second the suggestion to use 303 Aerospace Protectant on any plastic, vinyl and rubber.

https://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=19521&hilit=stand&start=62