TOPIC:

TommieG wrote:

I have these tires for my AYK 566B that are in very good shape, and have never been run.

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However, the tires have some sort of white "dust" all over, that can't be removed with water. When the tires dries up the "dust" comes back....

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The "dust" you describe is actually pretty valuable to some collectors - as it tends to only form on old, rubber base tyres that have been left alone unfiddled with for decades, it's a very reliable marker that the tyres haven't be used or messed about with, so I wouldn't be in a great rush to remove it. Incidentally, the fact the tips are black makes the "never run" aspect (ahem) _less than true_ - unless they've got that way by you fiddling with them already...

If you really want to get rid of it, scrubbing with a tooth brush & soapy water should remove it, soaking in glycerine is generally reckoned to be very safe, peanut oil seems to be gaining in popularity but I wouldn't vouch for it ... in fact I'm pretty skeptical about how safe it'll turn out to be in the long term. Ditto for any car product & especially WD40 - anyone that tells you that they've never seen any damage from it is just not thinking long term enough IMO. Dousing gears and even the rest of the car was some people's idea of "maintenance" in the early 80s, every so often you'll buy a car where you can still see and smell evidence of its use - and I don't think it's any coincidence that those cars tend to have cracks at stress points & fragile gears.

The whiteness is showing on my Carson DT-02 wheel set as well...
When it comes to WD-40, always wipe after you're done.

Jonny wrote:

Incidentally, the fact the tips are black makes the "never run" aspect (ahem) _less than true_ - unless they've got that way by you fiddling with them already...

Well, the buggy has no signs of radio gear being previously installed, the motor has never been connected to the speed controller, and the speed controller have no signs of wear, whatsoever. So if it has been used, it has been played with and rolled manually, which maybe could explain the black tips?

Tom

Seems to me the ridges on the sidewalls are mostly haze free as well, I don't see how usage would explain that...

The white is the rest of unmolding powder. I have the same on my grasshopper. If it is natural rubber, all oils are prohibed. test with plastic cleaner but perso, I'm like Jonny. You would keep these powder to keep them safe.

Here's a pic of the Schumacher tyres on my Meteor. One has been treated with Autoglym (and given a scrub with it) and the other has just been washed in washing up liquid.
The pic was taken today, but the "treatment" was done several months ago.