Review: Eagle One No Drip Tire Shine Gel

Eagle One No-Drip Tire Shine Gel is a relatively new product among tire dressings. It boasts a no-drip gel formula that stays shiny and black longer than the others. It is priced competitively, and seems easy to use, plus I was curious about this product, especially the claim that it doesn't sling off when driving away.

I bought myself a bottle from Auto Zone the other day. This rubber dressing is a gel-like solution in a spray bottle. The instructions are very basic: Spray directly on to a CLEAN tire or a swipe (basically a sponge), and then spread evenly around the side wall of the tire with the tire swipe, just like most other tire dressing products.

Additionally, it promises a long-lasting, UV blocking shine and that it won't drip, or sling off when wheels are moving. Eagle One claims their Tire Shine Gel is the first to come in a spray trigger bottle. Here's what I experienced:

After cleaning the tires with Eagle One A2Z Wheel and Tire Cleaner and drying the wheels thoroughly, they looked very dry and gray. I just sprayed the Gel very liberally on each sidewall until they dripped. For the most part, the gel clung to the tire very well. The spray pattern can also be adjusted to high or low sidewalls.

After letting the gel soak in for about 15 minuets, I took a sponge and gently spread the gel along the first tire I treated, making sure to keep it even. I also sprayed it inside the fenderwells and wheel tubs, and spread it along the rocker panels as well. Actually, the results were, at first, disappointing, looking like a gray film of slime smeared all over the tires and rockers. I left it on a little longer anyway, and just cleaned the excess from the paint and the wheels, and then waxed the whole car.

About half way through, the tires had gotten a lot darker and shinier since I started! By the time I had finished, the tires looked awesome! It seems that patience is essential with this product. Unlike other tire products, the shine was not instantaneous, but developed slowly, for almost an hour. And it gave a deep, dark shine to tires that looked ten years old. The wheel tubs were dark black and shiny (with some minor spotting from where I didn't spread it around), and the rocker panels were dark and looked like velvet.

Although the tires were still wet, the product supported its claim of not slinging off the tire when you drive away. But maybe the best thing about Eagle One No-Drip Tire Shine Gel is how long it lasts. It has been a week since I treated the Eclipse's tires, and even through two rainy days of driving, they still shine like an 8-ball! Despite the inevitable mud splatters, the wheel tubs and rocker panels still look deep, dark, and black. I now use it on every exterior rubber and unfinished black plastic fitting and fixture with amazing results (just be sure to wipe it from the car's finish immediately!)

So the verdict is in: Eagle One No-Drip Tire Shine Gel is one gamble on a bargain that paid off big! You may have to wait awhile to see your tires glow, but it'll be worth it. Seriously, you're lucky to get tree or four days of shine out of any tire dressing, and this stuff has given me seven, and they're just now starting to fade. This retails for between $5-6 dollars, and I will pay full price for it if I have to (you get what you pay for with this stuff). It also proves that taking gambles once in a while on new things can pay off in a big way.