clay bar strength?

Hey guys, I started to work on my camry with a light clay (i dont have any medium or heavy ones yet) and this is the result...






Excuse my horrible camera settings...


So...Should i be using a stronger clay bar?

or am i doing anything wrong?

 

oh, btw that was just from the hood. i did another pass with a new piece and it looked like this,

 

That's very dirty paint. You might want to try some red Clay Magic, which has a nasty bite, but will get the job done.

 

Whats wrong with that? Thats what clay is supposed to do- pick up contaminants. Your paint just needs it pad, so youre doing it good!

 

yeah . . . . . having dirty clay isn't abnormal. As stated the paint on your vehicle is just dirty. Once it's all cleaned up some quarterly claying with a light clay will help keep things in great shape.

You might want to get some clay that is a little more aggressive to aid you in getting the job done a little quicker but if you choose not to just continue with the clay you have.

 

claymagic red was an option, any other recommendations?? Thanks for the reply guys!

 

Meguiars agressive detailing clay.

Though you will have to follow up with a polish.

 

yea i figure if a car has it bad enough that you are going to use a heavy clay, it probably needs polishing... right ? : )

 

If a paint surface i very dirty I usually use a chemical paint cleaner before clay

 

Yikes :yikes:

You do know your suppose to wash the car before clayin, right?

Do you have a polisher? If not, I do not reccomend using red clay

 

The amount of dirt on the clay bar doesn't mean you need a more agressive bar, which will undoubtedly lead to needing a light polish. If the clay you are using is getting all the contaminants off without having to rub really hard, then stick with what you are using. Although that is pretty dirty clay, it is not out of the ordinary. As John said, a chemical cleaner would help, but its not necessary. I would toss that clay out after this use if its that dirty already.

 

I agree with 911 Fanatic

Abrasive Ratings (on a scale of 1 to6)

1. Hi-Tech Body Sponge™ - most surface marring 6/6
2. Clay Magic® - Red- very aggressive; a lot of surface marring - 5/5
3. Sonus Grey Block Detailing Clay- very aggressive; a lot of surface marring - 5/5
4. Top of the line purple - slightly less aggressive - 4/5
5. Clay Magic® Blue less aggressive; less marring - 3/5
6. Mother's - Yellow- 2/5
7. Sonus Ultra Fine (Green) 1/5 (will not remove wax / sealant)
8. Bilt-Hamber. (1/5) it uses water as a lubrication

 

You don't need a stronger clay. If your clay is getting that dirty you should degrease the paint 1st. You'll save your clay, remove more contaminants and marr the finish less. Rubbing dirty clay against your paint isn't a good idea. Your finish and clay bar will thank you.

 

thanks for the reply guys :gidiup:

 

That was my thought. Rewash with Dawn dish soap, heavy mix That is some nasty ground in gunk. If you keep going with the clay, I think you would probably waste a lot of bars of clay just folding after each pass.

 

If possible, try using de-contam system and do claying on the last step.

 

Dawn is good for light oil/dirt, but also consider spraying some Optimum Power Clean down and scrub the surface with a yellow bug brick/sponge. It will loosen deeply embedded dirt and oils that clay just can't penetrate.

 

That clay looks fine ... just make sure you constantly check it for large contaminant particles.

 

I always thought Dawn was the harshest stuff. So if I have stuck on crud, Optimum or P21S degreasers should be used?

 

Yup - it certainly won't do anything but help your clay do it's job more effectively. If a car is heavily contaminated, it's always a good idea to deep clean it 1st (prep). Dawn is good, but it isn't anywhere as strong as a degreaser.