I have read the detailing sticky and done some searching on claying but I still wanted to ask.....will it really make that big of a difference? I have always been a clean vehicle freak but I have never tried claying. My truck has been kept clean and the paint looks great to me so I am just a little skeptical as to how much of an improvement I could see. But I am going to detail it in the next day or two and if you guys say it is worth it, I am going to give it a try.

 

it makes a huge difference you can really feel it when your done its alot smoother! I would not do a full detail with out it.

 

Yes it makes a big difference.

 

Also, I have read that you don't want to clay when the truck surface is too warm. I am going to be doing it out in the sun so what outdoor temp would be ideal?

 

If you're going to be using Meguiars cleaner wax, is clay bar a duplicate step? would it be better to just skip the clay and use the cleaner wax?

 

The paint needs to be cool, the sun needs to be gone for the most part IMO. Use both the clay and the cleaner wax for a great finish.

 

+1
I have clayed a truck when it had hot paint. It took way longer then normal and an entire bottle of qd to keep the surface lubed. If you cant get it in the shade, do what I do just wake up and get it early morning!

 

We have only been in our new house (new to us anyway) about a month and haven't gotten a carport up yet. I am hoping to change that in the next couple of weeks. Anyway, you read my mind on getting started early before it gets hot. It is only supposed to get to the mid to high 60s here for the next few days anyway. Just wondering if even that was too warm out in the sun?

 

I did clay early on in the day and I did do pb black hole and pb ex-p sealant in the mid day sun went on super easy and came off just as easy. And as long as the truck is not in direct sunlight I dont think 60 would be that bad.

 

wash your vehicle, then clay it when the sun begins to set- I think Thump does his at dusk? Anyway, I tried his routine- do not wash or detail your vehicle in the sun . You are begging for hard water spots to form on the paint while you are drying

 

I won't wax, polish, clay, etc unless I'm in a clean garage. But I understand that's not possible for everyone. I only wash at dusk or when it's a cloudy day. Today was a cloudy day and I washed my car around 10:30 and I still put up my sun shade and half the car in the garage.

Water spots are a pain in the *** to deal with and I'm doing everything possible to avoid them. My Pop's doesn't listen to me about detailing so he's finding out the hard way with his vehicle.

 

I just did my yearly detail this past weekend here in Kansas City.

Going the extra mile and using a clay bar is going to take you a good extra hour but the results are worth it to me.

I wash my vehicle very thoroughly, ensuring a very clean sponge or wash mit the entire time (not leaving it touch the bottom of the bucket where all the sentiment sits). I use a synthetic shamois (sp) and remove any excess water, followed by the clay bar, kneading the clay in my hand often. On a vehicle that looks clean, you will be surprised how many contaminates are removed from your paint / clear coat. If you buy the Meguires clay bar kit, it comes with detailing spray to use as lubricant for the clay...I dilute it with water..personal preference.

I used a 10" random orbital polisher ($30) and some compound to remove any clearcoat scratches I picked up over the winter. Once I've finished that I gave it a good coat of paste wax. Done. Nice, smooth, deep and clear paint.

 

You *can* clay in the sun, but it's a pain. You will go through a whole bottle of QD, and you will have to do very small areas. When it starts to dry, the clay bar starts dragging and snagging which is NOT a good thing.

 

Not at all, it isn't fun to remove clay from the surface of the paint once it gets stuck on.

 

I would not try claying in the sun; either.
When I clay it takes me a good number of hours. I would say that it would take 10-14 hours straight, with claying, polishing & waxing

I typically do a part every evening after work at night; like the hood and the front fenders 1 night, the roof another night, the tonneau another night and so on....

Here are a couple of pics of my truck hood after claying; polishing & waxing.