In our hobby, certain trends endure. Over the years, hot ridders have altered their opinions regarding stance, color combinations, and interior textiles, but broad whitewall tires have remained popular. We’ll examine the history of whitewall tires and how they’ve shaped the hot rod scene. Now the biggest sale available on black Friday tire deals.
IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT EXACTLY ARE WHITEWALL TIRES?
White-stripe tire styles are referred to as “whitewall tires” because of the distinctive look they exude. Although the models only differ by a little white stripe on the side rubber, they are nevertheless clearly distinguished.
These white tires were often seen on older types of cars or classic hot rods. Up to the early 1960s, striped whitewall tires were commonly available as factory original equipment. As a result, they serve as a conversation starter in any vintage muscle vehicle.
Whitewall tires are now only produced for high-end vehicles, and only a select few tire manufacturers bother to develop them.
HISTORY:
Let’s examine whitewall history in vehicle manufacture before focusing on hot rods. Natural rubber composition made tires off-white. Zinc oxide made tires whiter. White tires were manufactured that way. As they travelled old dirt roads, the tires became brown.
BFGOODRICH
BFGoodrich incorporated carbon black to their tires in 1910 to strengthen and protect them. Since this new chemical made tires stronger, most new automobiles had black tires. Some tire manufactures just applied carbon black to the tread surface due to manufacturing costs. This accidentally created the first white-sidewall tire. Later refinements included adding a strip of white rubber to the tire’s all-black carcass during manufacture.
White wall tires immediately became a popular addition for most passenger automobiles. Wide whitewalls were popular for new vehicle customers who wanted to pay a little more.
CLEAN WHITEWALL TIRES
Whitewall tires, formerly the pinnacle of car style and elegance, provide a timeless touch to modern automobiles. Although whitewalls are no longer available as an option from the manufacturer, they continue to be a popular choice for hot rods, Volkswagens, and historic automobiles.
Whitewall tires need more maintenance than the more common black wall tires, as anybody who has owned a vehicle with whitewalls will attest. There are a few whitewall-style automobiles in Jay’s collection, and we do our best to preserve them in pristine condition.
In today’s article, I’ll provide some of the tried-and-true methods for maintaining whitewall tires that we utilize at Jay’s shop.
WHITEWALL TIRES HAVE A HISTORY. WHY DO THEY EXIST?
Rubber tires were originally white. Natural rubber ages poorly. Because of this, tire makers started combining specialized compounds with natural rubber to create varied properties. Zinc oxide was one. Zinc oxide contributed to the tire’s white tread and traction. In their day, all-white tires were luxurious.
REMOVING TIRE RUBBER
Start with a security warning. Never use harmful instruments without training. This may harm your tires. If you’re uncertain, ask for guidance or practice on old tires.
Most tires have white rubber on the walls under the black one. Remove the outer layer to reveal the whitewall tires. That requires an angle grinder. 36-grit disc. Discs have holes. They let you view the surface while working due to their quick rotation. To avoid unnecessary damage, remove the tire from the rim. Some perform the following while leaving the tire on the automobile.
Since you want to work on the exterior side, put it on top. Grind the top layer until the white rubber shows. Use 80-grit sandpaper to clean up after going around. Lightly press. Driving safely with white wall tires requires avoiding damaging the layers. Because black rubber lies behind the white layer, don’t rip too much rubber off. Watch the bead. This component of the tire might seal poorly if damaged.
COLORIZING WHITEWALL TIRES
DIY whitewall tires are safer and simpler this way. You just need tape and rubber-safe white paint. “Tire wall paints” are made for this. Other options exist. Try tire marker pens. These are ideal for coloring fine areas like brand outlines. People also use shoe color change spray to paint tires.
All options follow the same procedure. Before painting, remove the tire from the wheel and lay it down. Use underlayment to avoid permanent damage.
- Apply heat to the tire in order to expand the pores. That makes the paint on the tires live longer.
- Secondly, tape off the areas of the tire that you want to keep black before you paint. The amount of white you cover will depend on the breadth of the sections.
- Tires may be painted in whatever color you choose. In order to get the desired effect, you may need to paint in many layers.
- Once the paint has dried, you may take off the tape. Get the tires back on your automobile now.
Rim wheel bands are an option if all you want is a thin, contrasting band of color on your wheels. Those are easy to install and will give your automobile a retro look.
PRESENTING: THE WHITEWALL TIRE OF TODAY
White walls have become a rarity in recent years. They aren’t used on the production of any automobiles, thus you won’t find them there. This despite the fact that they continue to exist.
These days, the customized automobile industry and specialized shops catering to automotive enthusiasts account for the vast majority of sales of whitewall tires. Whitewall tires are a common sight on hot rods, low riders, and custom automobiles.
There was a switch from whitewall to black wall tires. The widespread use of radial tires in the 1970s marked the beginning of the end for non-radial tires and the beginning of the transition to complete carbon black. These tread compounds provide the longevity and toughness required for a risk-free operation. They are cheap in addition to being practical.
WHERE DID ALL THE WHITE WALL TIRES GO?
When tire companies started making their products shorter, demand for white wall tires began to decline. Tire manufacturers were unable to make tires with slimmer sidewall profiles due to the wide white stripe that runs around the perimeter of the tread. This is why people started buying tires that were completely black.
