Checking for Wear on the Tire Brush - Professional Carwashing & Detailing

Checking for Wear on the Tire Brush

This month we are going to talk about a piece of equipment that has evolved in recent years.

At CarWash College™ we teach preventive maintenance. This month we are going to talk about a piece of equipment that has evolved in recent years. The Tire Brush is the piece of equipment that is responsible for ensuring that the tires come clean in the wash. In this article we will talk about the brush itself, how it has evolved, how to check it for wear, and how this could save you both time and money.

Let’s start off with the original function of the tire brush. It was originally designed to clean the tires of road grime and clean white walls and raised lettering. The brush that was used for this is often referred to as a “pencil brush”, is typically 8 feet long and 8 inches in diameter, and is often made of a poly-nylon mix. The question we, here, at CarWash College often get is, “When is it time to replace this brush?” It is recommended that when the brush starts to show less than 6 inches of diameter it is time for a replacement to occur. One thing that can also be monitored, is the entrance end of the tire brush, as it can wear faster, due to the pressure being applied by the vehicle entering the brush. If there is early wear on the entrance end, flipping the brush end-to-end will extend the life. When the time comes to replace the brush, and this is were the question comes in — should you stay with what is already there or evolve?

When we talk about the evolution of the tire brush, the main thing we have seen is this equipment becoming dual purpose. The newer style brushes have the ability to clean the tires as well as help with the wheel cleaning process. There are many styles on the market today; most use material varying in length to achieve the dual-purpose cleaning.

The tire brush can be a valuable piece of equipment whether in its original form or one of the newer styles that are available. If an automated tire shiner is used, the tire brush plays a large part in keeping the tire shiner functioning properly by removing the road grime on the tires. Keeping tires clean can lower the cost per application of tire shine. The newer style brushes will help clean the wheels and that, nowadays, is a huge thing to the customer, which always needs to be considered.


Robert Andre is the Director of Classroom training for CarWash College™. Robert can be reached at [email protected]. For more information about CarWash College™ certification programs, visit CarWash College or call the registrar’s office at 1-866-492-7422.

This content is sponsored by CarWash College. Sponsored content is authorized by the client and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Professional Carwashing & Detailing editorial team. 

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