Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

[Tuck91]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

Be careful, Nick. The Ford secret police may come knocking on your door ... late at night ... dressed in grey trench coats.

Maybe.

[Markus Kleis]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

Be careful, Nick. The Ford secret police may come knocking on your door ... late at night ... dressed in grey trench coats.

I hear the GM guys are even scarier... they are impervious to the law! ...and they wear BLACK coats! (I kid, I kid...)

[Paul S]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

I checked my owners manual for such a warning and could find none. It's a 05 Ford F-250 Superduty.Also checked the one on my 02 Firebird. Same results. Put my Ford service CD for the zx-2 into the laptop but also found no mention of claying.


Paul S

[ricks778]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

Well if this was true than why does Sherwin-Williams have three “recommended” clay bars on their web site. One is even a bar by Meguiar’s.


http://www.sherwin-automotive.com/pr...cts.cfm?cat=69

[wwally]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

I recently had someone who restores and shows LaSalles (a low end Cadillac from the 1930s) tell me to be careful using a claybar on my BMW because "they take off a lot of paint. I'd estimate," he said, "that you're taking off five percent of the paint everytime you use it." That would be 20 clayings and I'd be down to the metal. So, there are a lot of myths about clay out there, particularly from people who got into detailing before there was clay. Or just people who don't know anything about it.

[Buffnshine]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

I have been using Clay for years professionally and in all my conversations with paint and auto manufactures have never heard this. There is a bit of truth to comparring to wet sanding but 3500 grit is crazy. Being that I am one of those detailers that have been detailing before clay was being marketed to the consumer market, I have done my research in teh early years, tried different brands have even done pannel tests with clay vs 3000 unigrit paper. For the most part no visable "sanding marks" There are in rare cases, usually with black paint that if the paint is especially soft you will can cause some hazing. But easily buffed out with DA. You have to remember Megs also formulates all their products with the major automotive and paint manufactures, they are not going to produce a product that is going to damage that. Just always keep well lubricated, use carefully, dont let it get to dirty, contaimanted or fall on the floor like has been stated already.



John
Automotive Detailing Specialists

[tcope1]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

I thought the quik clay was non-abrasive? It just picks up the contaminants as you slide it over the paint.

If it's dropped onto the ground where it picks up dirt, or the surface/clay is not lubricated with quik detailer then it might cause some problems.

Clay _is_ abrasive. You may see some marketing stating that it's not but that is incorrect. With that said, it's not abrasive like wet sanding and is safe in most peoples hands. I can crate micromaring if used incorrectly.

[tcope1]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

As mentioned on autopia:

http://www.claymagic.net/ford.htm

Click on the links that give manufactures recommendations on when to use Clay Bar.

As mentioned on f150online, this person has made this claim before and only mentioned that it's indicated in manuals since 1997. He's also been asked several times for confirmation that clay bar harms paint but I've yet to see him reply. He states that paint thickness is about 3-4 mills and a slip with clay can remove a mill of paint.

Of course, _many_ people think the claim of megs clay bar being as agressive as 3000 grit sand paper is bunk and I fail to see _ANY_ proof that clay bars can remove 1 mill of paint! I doubt running it over paint dry (if that is possible) would be able to take off 1 mill of paint.

If you want to read a good response to this see the following:
http://www.f150online.com/forums/car...lay-kit-3.html

[cardriver]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

"Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc."

-Honestly, all I have to say to that is "hahahahaha". You should have done the same and not even given that statement enough credibility to give it a thread's worth of discussion. Some things you just need to take with a grain of salt .

Btw, my 09 Civic owner's manual says I shouldn't use wax. Should I actually make a thread to discuss that? Don't think so!

[the_invisible]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

If clay bar takes away from the paint by 5%, then I guess washing your car would take out 0.5% of your paint away?

Honestly, rubbing your car with clay bar and the proper lubricant is safer than rubbing the paint with your bare fingers. I have no doubt that using clay bar would cause marring to the clear coat to a slight degree, but that is different from removing paint.

[3Fitty]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

Well, the entire claim about the grit of 3500 is the dead give away and I'll tell you why... just look at the finish when you use mild clay with a good lube, does it look like you've wet sanded it?

Not even close. It doesn't LOOK any different from before you clayed.

For those with paint gauges, you can measure the paint before and after clay, any difference? I'll be the answer is no. Seems like he's just a "know it all" that really doesn't know much.

[CieraSL]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

I recently had someone who restores and shows LaSalles (a low end Cadillac from the 1930s) tell me to be careful using a claybar on my BMW because "they take off a lot of paint. I'd estimate," he said, "that you're taking off five percent of the paint everytime you use it." That would be 20 clayings and I'd be down to the metal.

Uh oh, guess that means I'm in trouble. I bet I've probably clayed my car almost 20 times in the 4 and 1/2 years I've owned it. So why does it look better now than when I bought it?

[Calais]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

From my understanding: clay is abrasive, but only to above-surface defects. If used with proper lubrication, technique and an appropriately aggressive clay, marring should not occur (maybe slight hazing on super-soft, black paint).

The claim that clay is anything like any grade of sand paper is absolutely ludicrous.

[the_invisible]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

To be fair to the oldschooler's claims, clays from thirty years ago were more abrasive than the ones we use today. In fact, clay was not used for detailing, but rather for bodyshop oversprays and defects. Also, there was no Quick Detailer or anything similar for lubrication. In the old days, they simply used water.

With the introduction of air-driven dual action sanding devices and superfine sandpapers, sandpaper-like clays are no longer used for corrections. The old bodyshop clays eventually gave rise to the clays we use for detailing today.

Keep that in mind and respect the elders. Some of these people have been working on cars longer than some of you have been alive. Ignorantly bashing other people only makes you look like an idiot.

[tcope1]

Re: Clay bar not recommended for use by Ford, GM etc..

To be fair to the oldschooler's claims, clays from thirty years ago were more abrasive than the ones we use today. In fact, clay was not used for detailing, but rather for bodyshop oversprays and defects. Also, there was no Quick Detailer or anything similar for lubrication. In the old days, they simply used water.

With the introduction of air-driven dual action sanding devices and superfine sandpapers, sandpaper-like clays are no longer used for corrections. The old bodyshop clays eventually gave rise to the clays we use for detailing today.

Keep that in mind and respect the elders. Some of these people have been working on cars longer than some of you have been alive. Ignorantly bashing other people only makes you look like an idiot.

I understand what your saying but this is not what the poster was stating. The poster had made it clear time and time again that this applies to modern claying... as it is right now. So basically it's _terrible_ information to be spreading around. It also does not explain the comparison of clay to 3000 grit sandpaper. I don't see it as bashing the poster, rather bashing the information being posted.