Is there a way to remove the white lettering from tires?

[Mister-B]

I prefer black letter out, but the po had other ideas. Obviously, I could take each tire off every rim and remount them inside out, but that's a pain.

Is there a way to change the white letters so they're black? Maybe a wire wheel or some sort of chemical?


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[LEEVON]

Nope, because the letters themselves are white rubber, and there is a white ring under there, about 2.5" or so. If you grind them you will end up with whitewalls.

[skorpioskorpio]

Remounting them letters in is by far the easiest solution.

[SS Tim]

Flip the tire. Remount and rebalance required though. Are you planning on keep those late wheels or going to a stock or period type? Remember to plan your changes, its cheaper that changing your plans on the fly.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Years ago there was a product called Tire Black. Guys would use it to "paint" their tires for a nice clean look back then. I never used it for that, but I would use it to paint the White Letter Tires, even when I put them on the inside. I am a Black Wall fan myself.

One day I asked for Tire Black down at my local parts store and the guy looked at me like I was crazy. Not sure when they quit selling it.

I could actually use some myself now. I've got real nice Mud Flaps on the back of my '72 C-30, although there are big yellow "NAPA" logos on them. They got to go one way or the other.

Bill

[69GWC]

You can spray black paint on a rag then blot the letters with the paint.

I have done this with red paint on some mud tires on my 4 wheeler and it does work all though Inwould just have the tires flipped around.
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[lts70]

I would paint them. I used a black paint pen I found on my construction jobsite. Held up great untill I rubed a curb but then it was easy to recoat. I just touched them up every time I washed my truck. I actualy sold the tires and rims to a guy and he said he wished they were white letters. So I went in and got some laquer on a rag and cleaned them all off for him. Boy was he happy, gave me an extra $10.

So I say paint them. If you dont like it you can always clean it back off or spend the money to flip the tires around.

[HotRod C/10]

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Flip the tire. Remount and rebalance required though. Are you planning on keep those late wheels or going to a stock or period type? Remember to plan your changes, its cheaper that changing your plans on the fly.

Well, when I bought the truck I was fine with them. Now, thanks to this damn site lol I'm sort of irritated by the wheels, and go back and forth as to whether I should get those white wagon wheels with the hubcaps. Is that what it came with originally, oh wise Jedi Master?

Thanks everybody else. I guess I'll just end up flipping them sooner or later. Maybe I can try the black paint idea until then
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[jocko]

Turn the tires around on the rims (if you're keeping those rims, if not, don't bother with this), then, before mounting (on the truck...), paint the white letters (that are now on the inside face) with Dupont Tire Black. It's not easy to find. The only thing I like less that raised white letters on the outside, is raised white letters on the INISIDE face of the tire. Looks kinda goofy if you ask me. Why not just buy a black tire to begin with? (not in your case, I know they came on the truck... ) I'll tell you why, because there don't hardly seem to be any around anymore... at least not many to choose from. Makes tire buying for us "all black tire" lovers a pain.

BUT, for keeping decent tires that the PO has installed, this is an option. Turn the faces in, then tire black the white letters before mounting. lts70 suggestion a good one also - black paint pens allow close control. Can touch up on occasion, but looks better than white letters on the inside to me.

I believe tractor tire paint is also an option (again, on the inside face after swappin em around). A painted face will never look as nice as the original black rubber, but it's ok for the inside face, hides the fact that they were ever white, and well, you get the idea.... Sure hope I haven't offended you raised white letter on the inside of the tire guys, but it's just a personal peeve of mine. I don't know why. I also don't like Pomeranians and milk, but what can I say.

[jocko]

wagon wheels were always aftermarket. Your truck would have had 16 or 16.5 steelies.

[sneaky]

black paint pen from an art store will work.

[truckster]

Originally Posted by jocko

wagon wheels were always aftermarket. Your truck would have had 16 or 16.5 steelies.

A while back there was a posting on the Blazer forum of an original ad that featured white 8-spoke wheels as an option on the Blazers. I always thought the wheels that came on my Blazer were aftermarket, but apparently they were a factory option. I don't know about the pickups, though.

[special-K]

Wagon wheels never came from factory on any of these trucks. There were no style options,only size options of the same style (appearance-wise) wheels. No hubcaps ever came on wagon wheels or fit,either,only center caps.

[skorpioskorpio]

Originally Posted by jocko

Why not just buy a black tire to begin with? (not in your case, I know they came on the truck... ) I'll tell you why, because there don't hardly seem to be any around anymore... at least not many to choose from.

[...]

I also don't like Pomeranians and milk, but what can I say.

When was the last tires you bought tires? Probably less than 5% of tires available now are anything but blackwall. A few 15" and 16" sizes are available with white letters and only from a few manufactures, outside of that they're all black. Anyway turn them in and if you have disk brakes they won't be white letters for long, brake dust will take care of turning them black, or dust them with black spray paint to speed the process up.

White wagon wheels probably reached their peak in popularity about the same time as raised white letter tires, so I'm not sure how you can hate one and not the other. They're practically hand in hand.

Do you only not like white Pomeranians? Sorry, just searching for a pattern.

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by jocko

wagon wheels were always aftermarket. Your truck would have had 16 or 16.5 steelies.

Thanks. Any chance of you posting a pic of what that would have looked like?
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[JWall]

I have used the "tire black" paint to paint white letters that were mounted to the inside.

I dont know how it would look on the outside after a while.

[nobolt]

try the sharpie first....then you can flip the tires on the rims whenever you want

[Sicklajoie]

Originally Posted by jocko

The only thing I like less that raised white letters on the outside, is raised white letters on the INISIDE face of the tire. Looks kinda goofy if you ask me. Why not just buy a black tire to begin with? (not in your case, I know they came on the truck... ) I'll tell you why, because there don't hardly seem to be any around anymore... at least not many to choose from. Makes tire buying for us "all black tire" lovers a pain.

I'm guilty as charged.
The only type of tires I'll buy are Michelins and at the time there was an extreme backorder on the blackwalls I was looking for so I got the white letter ones and flipped them around. After a couple months you could barely tell that there were white letters even there.

[Mister-B]

So, I tried the black pen on one of the letters. Wasn't happy with the results. Sort of had a purple shade to it, and just didn't look quite right.

Ended up calling around, and the best deal to have the tires switched black letter out, balance, and rotate all 4 tires was Walmart. They charged me $13 a tire, and that includes lifetime balance and rotation.

Oh, one more tip. Try a Walmart in a nicer area on a Sunday morning. Got right in, while the other Walmart I tried on two separate occasions in not as nice area had long waits.

Here's a pic. I'm happy with the results.

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[Daddy'O]

Sorry I missed this thread. I have used Kiwi black leather die with great results over the years. Here is a photo of my Jeep - no purple letters.

[BHyatt]

Are those Ford wheels?

[ChevLoRay]

Betcha didn't know that the white rubber in tires has alumina, didja? One of the areas that I worked in at ALCOA made a product called Hydral. Several of our customers were tire manufacturers who used that product in the manufacture of the white rubber in the tire carcass. So, the comment about the 2.5-inches of whitewall is not wrong.

There's a lot of stuff that we use every day that has alumina in it.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by BHyatt

Are those Ford wheels?

The wheels on Mister-B's truck are late model GM wheels.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

If you brought your whole truck to Wal-Mart, I would re-check the Torque on the Lug Nuts. I actually do this no matter where I go, unless I'm right there alongside the vehicle, watch and verify the Torque with the installer.

I believe Wal-Mart does not like anyone in the garage.

jocko, they told me that Tire Black was no longer available. Glad to see that they still make it.

Bill