The best thing to do is take the top off the pen and tip the paint into a container, then use a nice little artist brush to paint the tyre. Also, get an aerosol can of adhesion promoter or plastic primer. Give a couple of light coats over the area you are painting. It dries clear, so don’t worry about masking it. The reason the paint doesn’t stick is because of the mould release agents used in the manufacturing process. The best way to get rid of it is to actually flame treat the tyre with a torch. It burns off all the chemicals.
@@DocsBoost I ride dirt bikes and when you replace the decals on the plastic parts, you have to do the same thing. That’s where I got the idea from. I tried it and it works great.
I watched a vid where a guy used either isopropyl or acetone, I can't remember off hand, both work the same don't they? But, I suppose I suppose it makes sense, it's not just the added chemicals but also oil is in rubber tyres as well, to make them flexible, making it not so great paint to stick to, right? I'm not sure how they faired but it must be possible, kin hell, a lot of brands of racing tyres have them, unless they use some kind of rubber decals....? 🤔 shit, I think I've answered my own question 🤦♂
Using a hair dryer is where you went wrong. Doing that dries the paint on top and then when the paint underneath finally dries, it causes shrinkage of the top layer and then cracks. Just let em dry on their own. This is one modification you CAN NOT rush.
Very nice explanation. All subsequent applications and touchups were left to dry on their own,. I have used many of the suggestions provided to do a better job when redoing the lettering. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share.
True, yes, but white for the car he had in the demo wouldn't make the statement like the matching color he used. I think they _ALL_ can look good at 20', but upon close inspection & getting judged in a local car show, it comes off like a real amateur/child did the work due to the flaking/cracking/peeling/etc that can't be avoided.
Hi doc. Thank you for your insights. Ive painted mine but after painting, i applied a clear coat of spray to protect the tire paints. I hope this helps
Every little bit helps. I believe that small change adds up to greatness. Imagine if we could improve ourselves by 1% per day. Imagine what that could look like in a year!
Phew, it's almost a unicorn quest these days finding a food set of colored raised letter tires. I've found that the acrylic pant in the Painters paint pens ok the shelves in walmart hobby/art isle, works very well to hold back the cracking until a bit longer down the road after application. Acrylic has an excellent flow-out ability, and these pens are fairly consistent. They're manufactured by Elmer's under the brand name 'Painters'
I was considering using something like hot wax or elmers glue around the outside of the letters, let it harden, and then paint the letters. Anything outside the letters would be on the wax or glue, then just peel off the wax or glue and its all cleaned up. Dont know if that would work, or what other product might work better as a false/temp surface around the letters.
Biggest problem i seen here was not priming the pens on a different surface than the tire. Ive done plenty of tires and ive found the cheap sharpie oil paint pens worked the best for me with little to no touch up after the first 2-3 layers
I couldn't agree more. The paint and the tire stickers do not last. I put Nitto Drag Radials (305's) on the back of my 2013 Mustang GT. My question to you and anyone reading this is who sells raised white lettered tires anymore? Can you buy them? Please, someone, anyone give me an answer! Thank you, and thanks for the video.
I used up all the pens I had and the next touch up is almost due. I will try the Sharpie bold yellow. Anything special I should know about the Sharpie Pen?
@@hemp64731 i didn't prep the tires, painted them, waited two hours before I drove it. Got a car wash with tire scrub 3 days after painting them and the paint is still on. Its been 6 days since initial application and they still look the same. Im counting the days until I have to do a touch up.
@@ngerales ok, i bought a bunch of the pens he has and now I'm afraid that it's going to end up cracked, i haven't put the tires on my car yet, i just got another set. I was going to go with the stickers they have but seen the price and now after spending the same amount on the pens i am guessing i should have went with that. But i did buy the sharpie pens that are oil based. That's just in case i have the issue he had. I'm using your idea now.
Great question. The issue here is flexibility. Tires are constantly changing shape and clear coat usually has a problem with that. If you try it, let me know how it worked out. Thanks for the question/comment.
I have 35s on my truck. Lots of letting. I got two pins from autozone on sale for $20 so $10 each. I used little under 2 pins! Trick is.. If your tires have white letters make sure there out!! Coving black isn't easy!! Also.. Had no cracking at all!!! Use type s paint markers!!! Been on my truck for about 6 months now.. Through winter! Starting to fade a little.. But quick touch up. Still think using white letters from factory is the trick! No white letter tires.. Buy ones next time that are
Thank you I’d rather not go through the aggravation. I have enough aggravation in life, then painting my tires and go through the aggravation you went through. You gott a like from me you save me money and time! Thank you
So, what if we just painted one tyre and realised that there is no time to paint all of them? It’s a disaster it takes so much time. How do we take the paint off? Does it need alcohol, white spirit or something else?
as a painter i can tell u oil takes WAY longer twice as long as water/solvent based, usually cans will say 48 hours, and to cure even longer speeding up the drying is like blowing air on soldering lead, it introduces air more than help evaporation ventilation is more important than temperature/humidity for drying (these just mean if you can paint or not and how much extra or not drying time) also i cant see why primer, especially something epoxy based, would be bad. i think adhesion promoter and maybe another type of primer on top would be overkill even theres not enough shaking and heating to help with constant flow, kinda like aerosol cans are better if theyre hot and overly shook, i would put those pins on a drill to shake also for prep theres things like lacquer or nitro thinner, theyre rlly strong degreasers/oil removers, ive tested against many degreasers, then a wipe of alcohol or acetone and you should be good. Also sanding works better than deglosser and then finally 2k clear even tractor supply has it in cans (cheapest ive found) and u wont need to spray but idk rubber surfaces at all so i could be 100% wrong what i mean is im still gonna try this with a quart of enamel paint and brush
I'm a painter too, automotive and houses ( New Zealand). When I was a kid , I saw muscle cars in magazines with red line tires, and I thought they looked really good , but when I got older and owned cars , I just abandoned the idea of having tires like that because they weren't available, certainly not in NZ .But when I was in my thirties, I started to wonder if I could paint the redlines on , and I tried a few different concoctions of paint, but for a long time everything I tried didnt work , it just cracked and flaked off . I finally started getting somewhere with a mixture of red automotive base coat paint and tire vulcanizing glue , it worked pretty good . But later on I came up with a mixture that Iv'e found to be a complete success, and simple , it's red automotive basecoat paint thinned out a lot with automotive adhesion promoter ( I'm pretty sure auto lacquer red would work too) . So, my painting process is , wash the tire , scrub where the paint is going with a scotch brite pad , wipe the sidewall with clean cloths and lacquer thinner until there's not much black showing on the cloth , spray a light coat of adhesion promoter on the sidewall , then I mark with a ballpoint pen where the stripe is to be , then mask off with fine line masking tape ( not the plastic type ) , then start brushing the color on , four or five coats ( Even though it's a thin mixture it seems to cover well) , let it air dry for a while and carefully peel the tape off. I suggest not letting it dry fully before removing the tape , I think it could tear the edges. I cant see why this wouldn't work with white paint for lettering , I've experimented with yellow and silver stripes and they didn't go brown. 🙂
@@DocsBoost I've never had that issue, I clean my new tires with acetone and purple power cleaner before gluing them on and the current ones on my truck have been in there 3 years with no issues.
Thank you sir for saving me time. Pass on this business. I wonder if, though, there is a paint that can be applied with a brush. That would be more controllable and you wouldnt be paying for those discardable pen contraptions.
Hi, How can I paint on the Rubber surface, The reason why I want to paint on rubber is.. Whenver I touch them, my hand is full of the colour (Like I play with colours :) I don't want to wash my hands every time I touch this rubber. Is there any solution for this if you are aware of!!
oh man just did the tires lettering with oil based paint til i saw this, ist possible to use something like armourall tire foam protectant on the tire to keep tire clean
I haven't tried foam, but I have used other tire shine products successfully. I usually don't spray on liberally. I spray on the non-painted part and use an applicator to spread it around. Thanks for the question.
I've been experimenting with my own methods to do this. I've used the paint pens. The white turned ugly brown in a week! I'm attacking it again today with my own idea💡. If it works, I will describe the method here, if you like. Great video 😊
Here's what I did. I cleaned the letters with acetone. Once dried, I did a base coat with the Liquid Super glue. I figured that might bond to the rubber. Must be careful! Before it completely dried, I dabbed Rust-Oleum gloss red paint. It takes a while to dry. Before it dried, I dabbed a second coat of paint. I'm still monitoring the results. I did the 2 rears without the super glue to run a comparison. It's worth a shot 🥃!
The process I used the first time and every time afterwards to touch up the letters was rough the surface with sandpaper, wash with soap and water, rinse with generous amounts of alcohol or acetone (whichever was an easy grab) and then paint.
Thanks for this info. Was going to be a winter project and I felt it would look soooo retro cool on a 2004 GT Mustang Vert. Which it would, temporarily. Not worth the effort/price vs results for me. Very helpful.
Good post! I've been trying for a few weeks with different brands. Even masked off the tire, cut the letter shape out with xacto knife and still sucked. Thanks for the info on tire flex and rapid flaking and such. Too bad it didn't work on the Shelby because it looks great. I've got this....because I ain't gonna try anymore!
I love this concept. Take a super easy fool proof project and have an old person do it and struggle to have a good laugh! Next we should see him talk about why you shouldn’t have smart phones!
No doubt. I have moved on. Toyo has been the best so far. My only complaint with their yellow is that it doesn't match the other yellow on my car. Oh well.
@@DocsBoost id hazard a guess and say using a quality pen on the vulcanised lettering would give you a good smooth coat to achieve the yellow you like.. if it doesnt work the way you like you can just use sandpaper to bring the original yellow lettering back
So, did you use EIGHT of the $14 or $15 pens? I would guess not e/brand holds the same amount of paint, & they don't all cover equally well, right? I'm _REALLY_ looking for a way to get my white letters that are ON the tire, *WHITE* w/o painting over them. I've tried e/home cleaner...products that are marketed to get 'em white, etc, but all to no avail.
I feel your pain. I did not use eight pens for the initial cover job. One pen is more than enough. I found that out during the long run of maintaining the color. Initially, I started 2, maybe 3 pens because of the challenge to keep the damn paint flowing the way I thought it should. That was crazy of me (I found out later). You are correct about different brands flowing differently. Eventually, I found a method for using the pens that produced a workable puddle of paint that I had to spread with the tip. The experience was an evolving learning process for sure. This thread offers a shit load of options from folks leaving comments. Some of them are very solid approaches. I used a combination of techniques through maintaining the painted letters. I have no single solid approach that works every time to everyone's satisfaction. If you go down this path be ready to go all-in or wipe the slate clean. Thanks for the comment.
Why does it crack? Cause the tire flexing while driving. The solution to cracking is finding the most flexible paint possible. Using fingernail polish is the opposite, its way too hard
Curious if anyone can tell me how to remove the paint once you get tired of touching it up? My letters have numerous verticle lines inside of them (Falken Ziex), they are not flat. So i can't just hit then with sand paper or scotchbrite. Will the lacquer thinner remove the paint? Anyone know?
I really never tried removing the paint. However, paint thinner is worth a try. I do know that some of the products I used to "shine" my tires smeared the shit out of the letters. You might try that if thinner doesn't work that well. Sorry, but I can't provide a specific brand of tire shine, because after the first time, I was careful to avoid the painted letters.
@@DocsBoost yeah give it a go mate..that first pen you tried (forget the name) I had the same but in white. Was pretty miserable to use, no consitant flow and never knew if the pen was out or paint. Finally though fuckit and took the tip off and it a much better way of applying it...still needs atleast 2 coats though but happy with the outcome
Just make a stencil by shading a blank piece of paper with a lead pencil, childhood style...then use cardboard or a plastic sheet to cut your particular tire fonts letters out, and spray paint it. Done in less than an hour. A breeze to touch up too.
@DocsBoost there's 17inch sheets of graph paper that would work well for the shading part. Cutting the pencil shaded paper can follow the tires curvature, then use that piece to transfer onto those thin plastic cutting boards, then use that thin plastic as your stencil to place right on the tire...then a few blasts for each part of the tire with the stencil should take less than a minute. Depends on how long it takes you to make your stencil. And once your stencil is made, it makes the next set of tires a breeze if you stick with the same brand and make.
HOW ABOUT PAINTING IT WITH THE PEN AND THEN SPRAYING THAT CLEAR TIRE PAINT OVER THE PAINT? I WONDER IF THAT WOULD HOLD THE PAINT ON THE LETTERING BETTER
What paint though.? Is it acrylic -based? Thats All you need to know as everything else you can get much cheaper and better quality from Professional art shop.
Are you asking about factory painted letters on tires?: Manufacturers used to offer that option but recent searches found nothing but stick-on lettering as a choice. Is that what you mean?
Robert, the first time around I really had issues with paint flow and I opened and used 3 pens. I reality is that one pen will do four tires several times, which has been my experience ever since the first time. I still touch up my tires regularly. No brand of paint has ever lasted more than 10 days looking fresh. I have tried many of the recommendations found in the comments and feel free to try some yourself. Especially, the ones that sound promising to you. Prepping is key. Make sure you prep the surface for the best results. However, as I said, nothing has lasted all that long. Thanks for the question and opportunity to share.
I actually stayed away from them on purpose. I have seen some very poor results on other cars. Who knows, maybe it was poor prep. Maybe, a possibility for the future to test them out.
@@DocsBoost thanks, I'll check them out. I've used spray paint and it works really good, if prepped and primed with oil resistant primer first. But I did the whole side wall, kinda difficult to do just letters with rattle can. Spray paint does hold up to pressure washer and scrub brush.
@@DocsBoost best of luck to you. I did my trailer tires, both were very old. When I had a flat and replaced one that's when I learned to use a primer that is stain blocking. I used rust oleum high performance enamel and it hasn't cracked or chipped in 4yrs. But that's a trailer not used everyday, but does get used. Just liked the look of a full white wall with baby moons.
My wife Peggy actually suggested that, and I used acetone to prep for my touchups. It seemed to work better, but I have done 2 touchups since. I just got back from driving the Shelby to Colorado, and it needs another touchup desperately. I appreciate the time you took to add the acetone message. it does help.
@@DocsBoost We all need to help each other. The reason why I came to your video was because I'm trying to sell my 2011 chevy Tahoe at a local car lot. I needed to use my Tahoe for the weekend and I had a flat tire on it. Well the tire shop didn't have the right tire. (Whiter Lettering) So I'm trying to figure out how to make one tire look like the other ones. A lady is coming to look at it on Monday, I hope she doesn't notice the odd tire. But if she does I'm prepared to fix the situation with the help of your video, Thank you.
That's true about buying them as you say the old school way "RWL". Just any exterior paint? Any special as far as to feature or benefit one should look for in the house paint?
@@DocsBoost also, I was thinking about painting my KO2s where it says BF GOODRICH and have the BF be red, and the Goodrich be yellow; after seeing this video I’m good! I’ll just keep the white letters
This is all user error.. rubber doesn't draw paint into the tip, you need to draw the paint into the tip by using it on paper or cardboard. Poor preparation, no sanding, no prepwash. I use UNI PAINT PX20 done in 30 mins
Thanks for the feedback. I will get myself a UNI PAINT PX20 paint pen to try. I have tried many of the suggestions offered and the best pen so far is the Koyo. I will try your suggestion next.
Absolutely,these tire pens suck,always looks good for a few miles,then they look crap,don't waste your time with pens. Im now doing them with professional tire paint,will see how it goes.
@@DocsBoost Hi,as i said im starting to do my tires with professional tyre paint,im in the UK,but what i will do is report back in a few months time with an update,i dont mind being the guinea pig,if it works well i will tell you.If you are USA based,try a white wall tire company,there paint supposed to last the life of the tire!!! Good luck.
The best thing to do is take the top off the pen and tip the paint into a container, then use a nice little artist brush to paint the tyre. Also, get an aerosol can of adhesion promoter or plastic primer. Give a couple of light coats over the area you are painting. It dries clear, so don’t worry about masking it. The reason the paint doesn’t stick is because of the mould release agents used in the manufacturing process. The best way to get rid of it is to actually flame treat the tyre with a torch. It burns off all the chemicals.
Flame treating. Now that sounds promising, and adhesion promoters. Nice. I have to try that for sure.
@@DocsBoost I ride dirt bikes and when you replace the decals on the plastic parts, you have to do the same thing. That’s where I got the idea from. I tried it and it works great.
That's simply amazing. It makes sense you already know it works. Thank you so much.
@@DocsBoost my pleasure :)
I watched a vid where a guy used either isopropyl or acetone, I can't remember off hand, both work the same don't they? But, I suppose I suppose it makes sense, it's not just the added chemicals but also oil is in rubber tyres as well, to make them flexible, making it not so great paint to stick to, right? I'm not sure how they faired but it must be possible, kin hell, a lot of brands of racing tyres have them, unless they use some kind of rubber decals....? 🤔 shit, I think I've answered my own question 🤦♂
Thinking of painting my tires.. "watched this video" Changed my mind! Thanks for saving me the cash and headache! lol
You're welcome.
Using a hair dryer is where you went wrong. Doing that dries the paint on top and then when the paint underneath finally dries, it causes shrinkage of the top layer and then cracks. Just let em dry on their own. This is one modification you CAN NOT rush.
Very nice explanation. All subsequent applications and touchups were left to dry on their own,. I have used many of the suggestions provided to do a better job when redoing the lettering. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share.
I just did mine with a brush small and a bunch of paint .
Also a black magic marker.
But this guy is right ..
Aint worth the trouble!!
Firm believer in real raised white lettered tire . Thank you for taking time to show realistic expectations.
Thank you for sharing and watching.
True, yes, but white for the car he had in the demo wouldn't make the statement like the matching color he used. I think they _ALL_ can look good at 20', but upon close inspection & getting judged in a local car show, it comes off like a real amateur/child did the work due to the flaking/cracking/peeling/etc that can't be avoided.
This reminds me of clipping playing cards to the front fork on my bicycle when I was a little kid.
hahahaha
Hi doc. Thank you for your insights. Ive painted mine but after painting, i applied a clear coat of spray to protect the tire paints. I hope this helps
Every little bit helps. I believe that small change adds up to greatness. Imagine if we could improve ourselves by 1% per day. Imagine what that could look like in a year!
What spray?
Phew, it's almost a unicorn quest these days finding a food set of colored raised letter tires.
I've found that the acrylic pant in the Painters paint pens ok the shelves in walmart hobby/art isle, works very well to hold back the cracking until a bit longer down the road after application. Acrylic has an excellent flow-out ability, and these pens are fairly consistent. They're manufactured by Elmer's under the brand name 'Painters'
That sounds like something worth a try for sure. Thanks for taking the time to share.
I didn’t know Martin Scorsese was a mustang guy! Great vid
I was considering using something like hot wax or elmers glue around the outside of the letters, let it harden, and then paint the letters. Anything outside the letters would be on the wax or glue, then just peel off the wax or glue and its all cleaned up. Dont know if that would work, or what other product might work better as a false/temp surface around the letters.
Sounds like a good idea. Let me know how it turns out.
Biggest problem i seen here was not priming the pens on a different surface than the tire. Ive done plenty of tires and ive found the cheap sharpie oil paint pens worked the best for me with little to no touch up after the first 2-3 layers
Good tip
I was about to purchase tire marker until i saw this video. Good one Scorsese!
LOL. Thanks.
hilarious!
Yup same
got plenty of idle time , whether it works or not gives something to do
I like your disposition going into something like this. You can't lose. Thanks for your thoughts.
Thanks for the info….. might just get a detailer to do it to save the headache
That's a great idea. You are the first to mention that option.
Ive noticed that if i soak my paint in hot water(rattle can or paint pen) the paint comes out more consistent and smooth.
That comment comes just in time because I am due for a touch-up. I will use this suggestion tonight. Thanks.
I couldn't agree more. The paint and the tire stickers do not last. I put Nitto Drag Radials (305's) on the back of my 2013 Mustang GT. My question to you and anyone reading this is who sells raised white lettered tires anymore? Can you buy them? Please, someone, anyone give me an answer! Thank you, and thanks for the video.
I hope we get a response.
Really enjoyed this. Will buy tries with factory painted letters. Thank you for sharing your process and thoughts
You're welcome.
Use a degreaser on the letters to get rid of the oils in the rubber
I need to touch up the letters. I will give that a try.
The best pen is the sharpie pen bold yellow, the white begans to deteriorate quickly & the red one looks pink on the tire
I used up all the pens I had and the next touch up is almost due. I will try the Sharpie bold yellow. Anything special I should know about the Sharpie Pen?
@@DocsBoost Make sure you put multiple layers on
@@DocsBoost use something other than the tire to reload the pen to avoid splatter
I will do remember that. I have a touch up slated soon.
I used Sharpie 35560 paint pens from Amazon, and they did the job.
Nice.
How long did it last for?
@@hemp64731 i didn't prep the tires, painted them, waited two hours before I drove it. Got a car wash with tire scrub 3 days after painting them and the paint is still on. Its been 6 days since initial application and they still look the same. Im counting the days until I have to do a touch up.
@@ngerales ok, i bought a bunch of the pens he has and now I'm afraid that it's going to end up cracked, i haven't put the tires on my car yet, i just got another set. I was going to go with the stickers they have but seen the price and now after spending the same amount on the pens i am guessing i should have went with that. But i did buy the sharpie pens that are oil based. That's just in case i have the issue he had. I'm using your idea now.
@@hemp64731 good luck. I found out that if I super saturate the tip then use one way swipes the look tends to be better.
Does spraying clear coat afterwards on the letters help?
Great question. The issue here is flexibility. Tires are constantly changing shape and clear coat usually has a problem with that. If you try it, let me know how it worked out. Thanks for the question/comment.
Thanks for this video! Don’t have a problem doing it once. But numerous touch ups are out the questions.
I'm still touching up but that will be over soon because I am changing tires manufacturer soon.
I have 35s on my truck. Lots of letting. I got two pins from autozone on sale for $20 so $10 each. I used little under 2 pins! Trick is.. If your tires have white letters make sure there out!! Coving black isn't easy!! Also.. Had no cracking at all!!! Use type s paint markers!!! Been on my truck for about 6 months now.. Through winter! Starting to fade a little.. But quick touch up. Still think using white letters from factory is the trick! No white letter tires.. Buy ones next time that are
Great comment. Thanks.
I tried to buy my yoko's v105 with pre applied white lettering but I haven't found any shop where they sell them
It's a tough search these days.
Thank you I’d rather not go through the aggravation. I have enough aggravation in life, then painting my tires and go through the aggravation you went through. You gott a like from me you save me money and time! Thank you
Nice comment. I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know.
Can you clear coat the letters after
I never thought of spraying clear coat on the tire before. Try it and let us know how it turns out.
So, what if we just painted one tyre and realised that there is no time to paint all of them? It’s a disaster it takes so much time. How do we take the paint off? Does it need alcohol, white spirit or something else?
It should come off with any good turpentine or my favorite, acetone. That should do the job.
Great recomendations and stories!! 👏👏👏 you saved me from painful experience!!
You're welcome
as a painter i can tell u oil takes WAY longer twice as long as water/solvent based, usually cans will say 48 hours, and to cure even longer
speeding up the drying is like blowing air on soldering lead, it introduces air more than help evaporation
ventilation is more important than temperature/humidity for drying (these just mean if you can paint or not and how much extra or not drying time)
also i cant see why primer, especially something epoxy based, would be bad. i think adhesion promoter and maybe another type of primer on top would be overkill even
theres not enough shaking and heating to help with constant flow, kinda like aerosol cans are better if theyre hot and overly shook, i would put those pins on a drill to shake
also for prep theres things like lacquer or nitro thinner, theyre rlly strong degreasers/oil removers, ive tested against many degreasers, then a wipe of alcohol or acetone and you should be good. Also sanding works better than deglosser
and then finally 2k clear even tractor supply has it in cans (cheapest ive found) and u wont need to spray
but idk rubber surfaces at all so i could be 100% wrong
what i mean is im still gonna try this with a quart of enamel paint and brush
Let me know how that works out for you.
I'm a painter too, automotive and houses ( New Zealand). When I was a kid , I saw muscle cars in magazines with red line tires, and I thought they looked really good , but when I got older and owned cars , I just abandoned the idea of having tires like that because they weren't available, certainly not in NZ .But when I was in my thirties, I started to wonder if I could paint the redlines on , and I tried a few different concoctions of paint, but for a long time everything I tried didnt work , it just cracked and flaked off . I finally started getting somewhere with a mixture of red automotive base coat paint and tire vulcanizing glue , it worked pretty good . But later on I came up with a mixture that Iv'e found to be a complete success, and simple , it's red automotive basecoat paint thinned out a lot with automotive adhesion promoter ( I'm pretty sure auto lacquer red would work too) . So, my painting process is , wash the tire , scrub where the paint is going with a scotch brite pad , wipe the sidewall with clean cloths and lacquer thinner until there's not much black showing on the cloth , spray a light coat of adhesion promoter on the sidewall , then I mark with a ballpoint pen where the stripe is to be , then mask off with fine line masking tape ( not the plastic type ) , then start brushing the color on , four or five coats ( Even though it's a thin mixture it seems to cover well) , let it air dry for a while and carefully peel the tape off. I suggest not letting it dry fully before removing the tape , I think it could tear the edges. I cant see why this wouldn't work with white paint for lettering , I've experimented with yellow and silver stripes and they didn't go brown. 🙂
That sounds like a damn good process and clearly thought out for success. Thanks for sharing with the community.
@@DocsBoost Thanks.
Tire stickers work best, I've had them on all tires I replace on my truck and they look better
Do they have issues with peeling off?
@@DocsBoost I've never had that issue, I clean my new tires with acetone and purple power cleaner before gluing them on and the current ones on my truck have been in there 3 years with no issues.
That's terrific. I have seen a lot of those peel on the edges. I guess you did it the right way.
7:10 Let us know where you are buying these coloured raised letter tires as they are few and far between.
You got it
I prefer the Treadwear glue on letters to paint.
Thanks 🙏👍👌👍. Not worth for me. Have you ever tried stickers? Do they peel off or fall? Thanks
I haven't tried them but know a few people who did use them. They do peel and the edges curl up. It's a mess.
Thank you sir for saving me time. Pass on this business. I wonder if, though, there is a paint that can be applied with a brush. That would be more controllable and you wouldnt be paying for those discardable pen contraptions.
Someone once suggested nail polish but that gets too hard I think and would crack.
is there an update?
Hi,
How can I paint on the Rubber surface,
The reason why I want to paint on rubber is..
Whenver I touch them, my hand is full of the colour (Like I play with colours :)
I don't want to wash my hands every time I touch this rubber. Is there any solution for this if you are aware of!!
The best answer I have is prepping the surface and this thread has a plethora of suggestions. Take the time and choose some of the really great ones.
oh man just did the tires lettering with oil based paint til i saw this, ist possible to use something like armourall tire foam protectant on the tire to keep tire clean
I haven't tried foam, but I have used other tire shine products successfully. I usually don't spray on liberally. I spray on the non-painted part and use an applicator to spread it around. Thanks for the question.
I've been experimenting with my own methods to do this. I've used the paint pens. The white turned ugly brown in a week!
I'm attacking it again today with my own idea💡. If it works, I will describe the method here, if you like.
Great video 😊
That sounds great. I keep doing touch-ups on regular basis and would look forward to improvements.
Here's what I did.
I cleaned the letters with acetone.
Once dried, I did a base coat with the Liquid Super glue. I figured that might bond to the rubber.
Must be careful!
Before it completely dried, I dabbed Rust-Oleum gloss red paint. It takes a while to dry. Before it dried, I dabbed a second coat of paint.
I'm still monitoring the results.
I did the 2 rears without the super glue to run a comparison.
It's worth a shot 🥃!
You are definitely paying your dues. I can't wait for the results.
I've been experimenting as well even using liquid flex seal which looked good at first but then looked horrible after a while
We will all steer clear of that. Thanks for the tip.
Im courious...Did you use Acetone to clean the rubber, before paint?
The process I used the first time and every time afterwards to touch up the letters was rough the surface with sandpaper, wash with soap and water, rinse with generous amounts of alcohol or acetone (whichever was an easy grab) and then paint.
I wanted to do this my size tire didn't come with raised white letters so I'm kinda stuck. I just bought a set of five new yokahamas at g015
Nice choice.
Thanks for this info. Was going to be a winter project and I felt it would look soooo retro cool on a 2004 GT Mustang Vert. Which it would, temporarily. Not worth the effort/price vs results for me. Very helpful.
You're welcome and thanks for watching.
Good post! I've been trying for a few weeks with different brands. Even masked off the tire, cut the letter shape out with xacto knife and still sucked. Thanks for the info on tire flex and rapid flaking and such. Too bad it didn't work on the Shelby because it looks great.
I've got this....because I ain't gonna try anymore!
Glad this helped.
Thank you!
I love this concept. Take a super easy fool proof project and have an old person do it and struggle to have a good laugh! Next we should see him talk about why you shouldn’t have smart phones!
LMAO
Siren, are you pretending to be a disrespectful jerk, or are you simply the real thing?
I would guess the crap markers you used as base coat caused your cracking issue
No doubt. I have moved on. Toyo has been the best so far. My only complaint with their yellow is that it doesn't match the other yellow on my car. Oh well.
@@DocsBoost id hazard a guess and say using a quality pen on the vulcanised lettering would give you a good smooth coat to achieve the yellow you like.. if it doesnt work the way you like you can just use sandpaper to bring the original yellow lettering back
So, did you use EIGHT of the $14 or $15 pens? I would guess not e/brand holds the same amount of paint, & they don't all cover equally well, right?
I'm _REALLY_ looking for a way to get my white letters that are ON the tire, *WHITE* w/o painting over them. I've tried e/home cleaner...products that are marketed to get 'em white, etc, but all to no avail.
I feel your pain. I did not use eight pens for the initial cover job. One pen is more than enough. I found that out during the long run of maintaining the color. Initially, I started 2, maybe 3 pens because of the challenge to keep the damn paint flowing the way I thought it should. That was crazy of me (I found out later). You are correct about different brands flowing differently. Eventually, I found a method for using the pens that produced a workable puddle of paint that I had to spread with the tip. The experience was an evolving learning process for sure. This thread offers a shit load of options from folks leaving comments. Some of them are very solid approaches. I used a combination of techniques through maintaining the painted letters. I have no single solid approach that works every time to everyone's satisfaction. If you go down this path be ready to go all-in or wipe the slate clean. Thanks for the comment.
Anybody ever try coating it with clear fingernail polish to slow down the paint cracking?
I never did. Sounds like it is worth a try.
Why does it crack? Cause the tire flexing while driving. The solution to cracking is finding the most flexible paint possible. Using fingernail polish is the opposite, its way too hard
Makes perfect sense.
First of all you have to test it on paper before applying it to your tire. 2nd read direction.
Curious if anyone can tell me how to remove the paint once you get tired of touching it up? My letters have numerous verticle lines inside of them (Falken Ziex), they are not flat. So i can't just hit then with sand paper or scotchbrite. Will the lacquer thinner remove the paint? Anyone know?
I really never tried removing the paint. However, paint thinner is worth a try. I do know that some of the products I used to "shine" my tires smeared the shit out of the letters. You might try that if thinner doesn't work that well. Sorry, but I can't provide a specific brand of tire shine, because after the first time, I was careful to avoid the painted letters.
@@DocsBoost good info, appreciate it!
On the cheap ones open take the tip off pour the paint (abit at a time) into a shallow lid and just use the pen as a brush. Found that worked better
That sounds ingenious. I will try it on one of my touchups in the future.
@@DocsBoost yeah give it a go mate..that first pen you tried (forget the name) I had the same but in white. Was pretty miserable to use, no consitant flow and never knew if the pen was out or paint. Finally though fuckit and took the tip off and it a much better way of applying it...still needs atleast 2 coats though but happy with the outcome
Great stuff BK. I just gave it a go and it worked pretty good.
Just make a stencil by shading a blank piece of paper with a lead pencil, childhood style...then use cardboard or a plastic sheet to cut your particular tire fonts letters out, and spray paint it. Done in less than an hour. A breeze to touch up too.
Very interesting approach. It sounds like more than an hour's worth of time but worth a shot. Thanks.
@DocsBoost there's 17inch sheets of graph paper that would work well for the shading part. Cutting the pencil shaded paper can follow the tires curvature, then use that piece to transfer onto those thin plastic cutting boards, then use that thin plastic as your stencil to place right on the tire...then a few blasts for each part of the tire with the stencil should take less than a minute. Depends on how long it takes you to make your stencil. And once your stencil is made, it makes the next set of tires a breeze if you stick with the same brand and make.
Thanks for the details
HOW ABOUT PAINTING IT WITH THE PEN AND THEN SPRAYING THAT CLEAR TIRE PAINT OVER THE PAINT? I WONDER IF THAT WOULD HOLD THE PAINT ON THE LETTERING BETTER
What paint though.? Is it acrylic -based? Thats All you need to know as everything else you can get much cheaper and better quality from Professional art shop.
Wheres the link to buy the factory made versions
Are you asking about factory painted letters on tires?: Manufacturers used to offer that option but recent searches found nothing but stick-on lettering as a choice. Is that what you mean?
Was considering doing this to my Motorcycle. This video made my mind up not to bother
Happy to help
How many pens did you use for the four tires
Robert, the first time around I really had issues with paint flow and I opened and used 3 pens. I reality is that one pen will do four tires several times, which has been my experience ever since the first time. I still touch up my tires regularly. No brand of paint has ever lasted more than 10 days looking fresh. I have tried many of the recommendations found in the comments and feel free to try some yourself. Especially, the ones that sound promising to you. Prepping is key. Make sure you prep the surface for the best results. However, as I said, nothing has lasted all that long. Thanks for the question and opportunity to share.
Have you tried the stickers supposedly they're permanent?
I actually stayed away from them on purpose. I have seen some very poor results on other cars. Who knows, maybe it was poor prep. Maybe, a possibility for the future to test them out.
Right now, TOYO pens are working for me the best.
@@DocsBoost thanks, I'll check them out. I've used spray paint and it works really good, if prepped and primed with oil resistant primer first. But I did the whole side wall, kinda difficult to do just letters with rattle can. Spray paint does hold up to pressure washer and scrub brush.
Man, you went the distance for sure. I will put that on my "to do" or "to try" list. Thanks for sharing.
@@DocsBoost best of luck to you. I did my trailer tires, both were very old. When I had a flat and replaced one that's when I learned to use a primer that is stain blocking. I used rust oleum high performance enamel and it hasn't cracked or chipped in 4yrs. But that's a trailer not used everyday, but does get used. Just liked the look of a full white wall with baby moons.
Sharpie. 2 bux each. Looks good.
I want to try Sharpies but I just cannot find the right color.
i use sharpie, they wont crack on the tires. yeah... silver sharpie does it.
There have been many comments about using sharpies. I may just have to try it and find out first-hand. Thanks.
great session thank you
You are welcome and thanks for taking the time to comment.
Ilove how you explain this, hope you good 😀
Great info Doc! Sounds like a big hassle!
Great job!! Looks awesome!
I watched another video on tire painting and they used acetone to clean the tire before they started painting. Maybe that would have helped.
My wife Peggy actually suggested that, and I used acetone to prep for my touchups. It seemed to work better, but I have done 2 touchups since. I just got back from driving the Shelby to Colorado, and it needs another touchup desperately. I appreciate the time you took to add the acetone message. it does help.
@@DocsBoost No problem just trying to help.
I need all the help I can get. Keep it coming.
@@DocsBoost We all need to help each other. The reason why I came to your video was because I'm trying to sell my 2011 chevy Tahoe at a local car lot. I needed to use my Tahoe for the weekend and I had a flat tire on it. Well the tire shop didn't have the right tire. (Whiter Lettering) So I'm trying to figure out how to make one tire look like the other ones. A lady is coming to look at it on Monday, I hope she doesn't notice the odd tire. But if she does I'm prepared to fix the situation with the help of your video, Thank you.
What a great story, Gary. Your plan has to work.
Thanks for the video!
I love the video, especially the edits. Great Job.
Thank you. I rarely get someone saying they appreciate the editing. I really appreciate that.
Thanks for this. You answered my question. I won’t be fooling with this crap. Thanks for keeping it real
seriously man amen to that
When u showed the pen actually being used, it looked like the same video clip using the same pen
I am not sure what you mean.
This is a big help, thank you!
It is good for people who have all tyres from one producer 🤣
Greetings from UK!
Nice to hear from you.
Yeps,, i went through all of that!.. But only once...😂
This helped a lot
Thanks
Painted the tire on the back of the trunk today. I gave up on that one. No more. Complete pain in the butt. I wont bother with the other four.
I don't blame you one bit.
Type S PAINT PEN at Auto Zone, was GREAT!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the tip
@@DocsBoost but I do agree that that nothing beats the raised white letter tires. Thanks for your vid bro
Thank you for watching and the conversation.
after painting put clear coat over the letters and it will last much much longer
Sounds like a plan
Paint pens n/g...use exterior house paint with small brush.been doing it for years!! You can't buy RWL tires!!
That's true about buying them as you say the old school way "RWL". Just any exterior paint? Any special as far as to feature or benefit one should look for in the house paint?
I just want the paint I will use a brush
Normally the elderly aren’t very good with modern vehicles… but no, this guy is pretty cool. Definitely subscribing
I really appreciate that.
@@DocsBoost also, I was thinking about painting my KO2s where it says BF GOODRICH and have the BF be red, and the Goodrich be yellow; after seeing this video I’m good! I’ll just keep the white letters
Thanks for warning me that it’s not that easy
Nice
Woody allen And tires never thought I’d see the day🤦♂️
That AutoZone pen is now $24.99. Up 10 bucks in 3 1/2 years
Christ, when will it stop.
I would've liked to see a nice video of the car with the tire lettering. Good video though!
The very end of the video should have had shots.
Yep. Just saved me lots of money and lots of pissed off wasted time.
Glad I could help and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Hahaha so fun, he basically said cash es better, save your money 😅
painting the lettering ads about 5-10 more hp !!🤫
I can agree with that.
Random.. But this guys has some great hair 👌
LOL
this is judge caprio in a parallel universe
thank you for the kind reference.
do not add to much paint at one time. do it in a 3 step process. No cracking will happen!
That seems simple enough. Thanks.
Always, always do a lot of research before jumping into a diy project. Lots of problems could have been avoided here.
Thank u for saving me the time 😂🤦🏻♂️ I changed my mind
Glad I could help.
Advice I needed
Nice.
Just install custom letters
This is all user error.. rubber doesn't draw paint into the tip, you need to draw the paint into the tip by using it on paper or cardboard.
Poor preparation, no sanding, no prepwash.
I use UNI PAINT PX20 done in 30 mins
Thanks for the feedback. I will get myself a UNI PAINT PX20 paint pen to try. I have tried many of the suggestions offered and the best pen so far is the Koyo. I will try your suggestion next.
the truth is
buy a 4 liter can of latex paint for $10 and a $2 arts and craft 2cm fine brush
I am going to try that. I am due for another touch-up. Thanks.
Buy a sample pot.
Decided not to paint after watching this. Why did I want to paint again?🤷♂️
NIce.
To much speaking
Get it started on a piece of paper first. Lift off and hit the tire and don’t stop.
When I do the touch-ups, I get it flowing and go for without stopping for air. Good advice
Just bc your bad at something... And didnt prepare for it correctly. Isnt the products fault
A very true statement.
WHY DO YOU HAVE TO READ EVERYTHING YOUR TALKING ABOUT, CANT YOU RELY ON MEMORY LOL
Hahaha. Sometimes it's just easier.
Absolutely,these tire pens suck,always looks good for a few miles,then they look crap,don't waste your time with pens. Im now doing them with professional tire paint,will see how it goes.
Professional tire paint? Can you share the brand and place to get some, please?
@@DocsBoost Hi,as i said im starting to do my tires with professional tyre paint,im in the UK,but what i will do is report back in a few months time with an update,i dont mind being the guinea pig,if it works well i will tell you.If you are USA based,try a white wall tire company,there paint supposed to last the life of the tire!!! Good luck.
I will be waiting to hear all about it.
@@DocsBoost No worries.
Use a stencil and just use spray paint.. dont worry about the tires actual letters..lol
LOL...quick and painless.
Just apply very light coats until fully colored.. That seems to work the best if you keep it thin..