5. RuGlyde
Price/Value: Approx. $12 for 1 gal./3
Effectiveness: 4.5
Ease of use: 4
Cleanup: 3.5
Overall: 3.5
Pros: Works better than soapy water, readily available at the nearest auto parts store.
Cons: Sold only by the gallon, dangerous to pets.
My dirty, skinned-up jug of RuGlyde was purchased before the start of the new millennium, and it’s still almost half-full. We’ve changed dozens of tires using it, and spilled it more than once. This thin liquid (a mixture of vegetable oil soap and ethylene glycol) is quite slick, and it stays wet longer than soapy water. But it can still dry out faster than you want while dealing with a very stubborn tire. RuGlyde will also collect inside the tire and coat your floor and shoes, just like soapy water. The ethylene glycol in RuGlyde makes it toxic, so cleanup must take this into consideration–you don’t want Fido wandering into the garage and lapping up this sweet-tasting ingredient (which is the same as in most anti-freeze and is fatal to pets). Given the price-per-ounce of RuGlyde, you might have expected a higher value rating. But for something to have value, it has to be used, and the vast majority of dirtbike riders will never use a gallon of any dirtbike tire lubricant.
Your Privacy Choices