Hi all,

After the last few track days, I've been building up a collection of tire rubber on my car, mostly on the hood and rocker panels, as well as the plastic guards in front of the rear wheels.

I tried cleaning it with the usual soap/sponge and had no success and I didn't want to pull the polish/wax out so I tried a recommendation from Paul to use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser; it worked amazingly well.

On the painted surface, I used a VERY light tough, basically just let the sponge glide over and the rubber came right off. For the plastic surfaces, it took a bit of scrubbing, but once again, came off very quickly. All I did was wet the sponge, wring it out and rub lightly.

Thought I'd share a tip I got from a fellow rennlister at the track.

 

I used majic eracer on the front of my X3 to remove bugs and road gunk and the rerace did it's job...BUT...it removed thewax and putin swirl marks I then had to buff out.

 

I checked for swirl marks using a florescent and don't see any, but I used VERY light pressure. It's a good caution though; use it at your own risk.

 

I have used many different brands of sprays (3M, AMSOIL, bug & tar removers, etc.), but nothing works as well as Mirachem 500 Foaming Degreaser http://www.ct1w.mirachem.com/topics/.../6000-100a.htm. Note: They only sell it commercially for "janitorial" use, so I had to have it sent to my work address.

This product is amazing for cleaing the top-side of the car FAST, though I am having issues getting rid of the intenase tire marks on the underside of the car.... Perhaps I should try the Magic Eraser as I could really care less about swirl marks on that part of the car...

Thanks for the idea.
-Blake

 

I used detailing clay bar and it comes right off. It is safe on the paint, and takes out all the contaminants that build up. It leaves a very very smooth finish. After clay bar you should put a couple layers of wax back on to put some protection back on the car's paint.

 

I use "black streak remover" from a US company called "Best" at www.epabest.com I stumbled across it at an RV store. I used it first on a section of my older car and liked the way the chemical does the dissolving work on rubber, tar, bugs, etc., so there's less need for grinding at the paint. I follow up with an immediate and thorough soapy wash, rinse and a quick synthetic wax. Putting wax on before the track day (wheels and paint) helps a lot and keeps the brake dust from etching the wheel paint. I also use 303 to coat the fender liners (and just about every plastic surface on the whole car.) 303 is great stuff.

 

I got rubber marks on the orange stripes. Probably got to change those if I wanted to get rid of the marks.

 

WD40 or lighter fluid

 

WD40 is a little too powerful as a solvent and a general purpose cleaner. For starters, it doesn't rinse off and most soaps and detergents will need a lot of work to remove the residue.

As for lighter fluid or anything that flashes off, about all you'll do is break down any plastics or rubber that it touches.

I have used Kerosene in a pinch, on an SUV that was pimpled with road tar and tree sap. It functions well as a sort of "spot cleaner" but then, you've really cut your work out for yourself in terms of a good soapy bath to pick up all the residue and rinse it off the car.

 

The most gentle and effective approach I found is this. It is effortless!

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/amw.aspx

 

I'd start with 303. If that's not working (it works for me) then I'd use the black streak remover I mentioned. If you've actually got something else on the paint or decal surfaces that's acting like a bond or glue, you could resort to spot cleaning with 1:1 dilution of kero or denatured alcohol. Always test on an inconspicuous area. I keep an old sunroof panel as a test surface for any new product. Good old 993 water based paint. Not as hard as the 964 mineral paint, but Porsche puts on ample material giving you a lot to work with in the clear coat before things get ugly. Don't go to any paint cleaner wax or other abrasive, you'll end up with a mess and there's no way to tidy up the surface of the decal once it's clouded by abrasion or solvents. And stick to pH balanced cleaners like 21 for wheels with tar or rubber marks. And make sure to clean off the wheel and wax it, then the next cleaning session will be a breeze.

 

Well, it's got the word "miracle" in its name, so it must be good for all that ails ya. At least the application process described for the product looks appropriate. It sounds very similar to a product branded by Honda -- great for cleaning the plastic and decal surfaces of a motorcycle or jet ski.

 

Long used by bmw club racers. . . that's where I came across it. Great stuff despite the name.

 

Washing and waxing before an event helps removal after -- any cleaner wax or swirl remover.

 

I agree that a thorough wax is the best preventative. And 303 on plastics, trim, etc. But don't use products for cross purposes -- don't use a cleaner wax or a swirl remover to remove rubber, tar, bugs, sap, etc.

As a rule, use the least aggressive solvent and the least abrasive compound and materials. I'd advise against using a cleaner wax unless you're cleaning aged or poorly maintained paint (where the consequential damage of the cleaner wax is acceptable) and don't use a swirl remover unless you're going about removing fine swirl marks and scratches -- you're taking off clear coat and that's something to be done as infrequently as possible. Use a solvent like the ones described already in this thread to attack the rubber or tar or bug or whatever. Try to keep the work area small. Rinse off the solvent and re-apply at least a temporary wax application to protect the paint surface for the next clean-up.