mineral spirits bad tires


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I didnt see any horror stories.. you shyould have a look.

As long as it isn't allowed to soak in it "should" be relatively safe to use. Same for turpentine (made from pine sap) and acetone. I used to use all 3 at times on white wall or raised white letter tires, but turpentine tended to turn the white to tan and the black to a dull mud color.

When I was riding my old VN800A daily (44K miles in 18 months worth), year round, lubing the crap out of the chain I didn't use an aerosol chain lube. Lithium grease cut with just enough white gas (Coleman stove fuel) to let it get runny enough to apply via small mustard bottle. The mix soaks in, the gas flashes off, the grease stays in place longer. It does still get funky, but doesn't go everywhere like the spray lube does. Works best on standard style chains, for o-ring chains 3 in 1 oil is fine.

My 63 Honda's drive chain seems to soak up any chain lube I put on it. Right now is coated in NAPA aerosol topped with white lithium spray grease. Chain is older than I am and still flexes/rolls fine.

I have proof that it won't,....my own experience. Mineral spirits is the cheapest most non flamable of all thinners and solvents. I don't think it will hurt anything, certainly not any plastic or rubber. I've used it on everything, including my glasses to get spray paint off them.
But don't even think about comparing it to laquer thiner, much less acetone,......which will melt even some of the best plastics !

On edit, I read about mineral spirits eating thru latex gloves ??
I said,....wait just a minute, either we are talking a different mineral spirits, or a different latex glove ! Not believeing this, I stole a glove from DW and tried to get it on,.....it was way too small but I finally got it stretched on (my hand that is!) went to the shop, dumped some MSs on it, and it didn't even come close to attacking the latex. After 10 minutes, I dumped some Laquer thinner on it, and it too did not melt the laytex. After more time, it did feel like the laquer thinner may have made the latex a little sticky, but never did eat thru or tear the maximum stretched latex.
Others experience may differ ? I doubt it.

But how much latex is in a tire? Id take a chunk of an old tire & drop it in a jar with some Spirits in it & put a lid on it..

I used to sell plastic pipe. One customer made sulfuric acid & they went thru a lot of plumbing. Then, I laid hands on some PVDF pipe. It was about $6.00 a foot for 1/2" pipe back in the 80's, I gave them a hunk to torture test & it passed. I sold them quite a bit..
I heard that was what the shuttle was plumbed with,,IDK, but it didnt hurt sales,,

http://www.ferrarichat.com/velostrada/issues/200507/04DetailingDynamics_Carin...

google is a wonderful thing.  

I just wouldn't get that stuff even close to the condom supply..........  I have always used SOS pads on my tires, leaves em looking new...

Built2Last wrote on 03/24/12 at 15:34:33:




Is their any proof that mineral spirits will eat up or destroy your motorcycle tires?


. might not be any latex in tires, but that wasn't the original question


so why are we talking about what it does to latex as if that were relevant?