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Restoring Your Exhaust Tips: The No-Nonsense Checklist (Mar 2026)

Red dust, creek crossings, and corrugated roads don't just test your 4WD—they test your cleaning game. Most people get it wrong.

Don't let baked-on soot and red dust ruin your rig's look. Here is the exact gear and process I use to get chrome or stainless tips back to a mirror finish in the driveway.

MT
Mick Thompson Senior Detailing Editor
| Updated: 19 March 2026
Restoring Your Exhaust Tips: The No-Nonsense Checklist (Mar 2026)

Aussie Conditions

Aussie red dust is iron-rich and bonds to paint. A regular rinse won't cut it—you need proper pre-wash and pH-neutral soap to avoid scratching.
Quick Summary

Look, nothing kills the look of a clean car faster than a pair of crusty, black exhaust tips. Whether you've just come back from a dusty run out west or you're dealing with coastal salt spray, I've seen it all. I once spent three hours on a customer's V8 LandCruiser because they'd let the soot bake on for three years, absolute nightmare. Follow this checklist and you'll be done in twenty minutes tops.

01

The Gear You'll Actually Need

What You'll Need

0/8
Wheel or dedicated exhaust bucket — Don't use your paint bucket; the soot is greasy and will contaminate your good mitts.
All-Purpose Cleaner (APC) or Degreaser — Something like Bowden's Own Wheely Clean or even Orange Agent works a treat.
0000 Grade Steel Wool — Must be 'four-zero' grade. Anything coarser will scratch the living daylights out of it.
Metal Polish — Autoglym Metal Polish is my go-to, but Purple Metal Polish is also top-tier.
Microfiber Applicator Pad — A cheap one you don't mind chucking in the bin afterwards.
Stiff-bristled brush — For getting into the rolled edges where the real grime hides.
Nitrile Gloves — Exhaust soot is nasty stuff and gets under your fingernails for days.
Microfiber Buffing Cloth — Use a black or grey one so you don't ruin your nice light-coloured towels.
02

Pre-Start Checklist

What You'll Need

0/4
Check the temperature — Give the pipe a quick tap. If it's been running, it'll burn your hand or bake the product on instantly.
Identify the material — Is it chrome, stainless, or matte black? (Don't use steel wool on matte black or painted tips!)
Check for pitting — If the salt spray has eaten through the plating, no amount of polishing will fix it. You'll just be cleaning the rust.
Park in the shade — Especially in the Aussie March heat. You don't want your chemicals drying before you've had a chance to work 'em.
03

Step-By-Step Restoration

Tap each step to mark complete
01

Deep Degrease

Spray your APC or degreaser heavily onto the tip. Let it dwell for 2 minutes to break down the carbon, then scrub with your brush.

02

The Initial Rinse

Blast it with water to get the loose grit and red dust off. You don't want to be rubbing sand into the metal in the next step.

03

Steel Wool Scrub

Lather up 0000 steel wool with a bit of soapy water. Lightly scrub the stubborn black spots. I learned the hard way, don't press too hard.

04

Dry Thoroughly

Wipe the tip bone dry with a rag. Metal polish doesn't play well with water, so make sure it's 100% dry before moving on.

05

Apply Polish

Chuck a 50c piece size of polish on your applicator. Work it into the metal until it turns black, that's the chemical reaction happening.

06

The Final Buff

Wait a minute for it to haze, then buff it off with a clean microfiber. It should come up like a mirror if you've done it right.

04

Final Inspection

What You'll Need

0/3
Check the underside — The bottom of the tip is where the most soot builds up. Stick your head down there and have a look.
Inside the lip — Run your cloth around the inner edge. It's the difference between a pro job and a 'she'll be right' job.
Check for residue — Make sure there's no white polish crust left in any crevices or around the bolts.

A Few Words of Wisdom

If you've got a ceramic coating laying around, chuck a bit on the tips once they're clean. It makes the soot wash off with just a hose next time. I do this on my own Raptor and it saves me heaps of time after a weekend in the mud.

Watch Out

Never use steel wool on titanium or matte black tips. You'll strip the finish and your missus will never let you hear the end of it. Also, avoid 'chrome' spray paint for repairs, it looks cheap and peels off within a week under exhaust heat.

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