I was wondering if alloy wheel protectors (alloygator or other brands), would be worth while as to not disface new alloy wheels? http://www.alloygator.co.uk/products.asp

I first saw them here on a VRS (http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201104377935510/sort/pricedesc/usedcars/model/fabia/make/skoda/postcode/al87en/radius/1500/page/2/keywords/vrs?logcode=p)and thought they look pretty cool while being functional.

But do they invalidate the warranty or service plan?

Cheers guys

Max

I'm thinking about getting some myself, I think they look ok and serve a purpose.

Look at the fitting instructions, if the tyre has to seal on the actual plastic fitting, possible because the bead has to be broken to fit this would cause me some concern.

From previous reading I know that the rim protector has nothing to do with the tyre seal. The tyre seals well down the rim. The company have tested for a large number of hours and have never had a failure. The fact that there is a major tyre fitting company in the uk (cant remember which one) makes me think that there are no safety issues at all.

i cant see as something designed to prevent damage to oe equipment would invalidate warranty!

my mate has a set on his mazda 3 sport, they look quite cool as they are red on black alloys on a red car so for styling yes they score a point for me. but for functionality...as i said to my mate you could avoid the expence by not bothering and just take more care when parking.

..as i said to my mate you could avoid the expence by not bothering and just take more care when parking.

Sometimes a lttle harder to do then to say! I teach students to drive and although I try to get them to avoid scraping the curbs, it still happens. I have also noticed that certain wheels (My Fabia's Toyota's and many others) tend to project further out not at the rim, but in the middle of the wheel, so these wouldn't really halp in this situation. I would recon these would be best for very large diameter wheels, where only the rims can come into contact with the average curbstone.

In addition, will these just look complete pants too, after a few scrapes? If you are paying to have them fitted and then new ones fitted, perhaps just getting the wheels re-surfaced occasionally will be just as economic. I have been quoted £40 a wheel, including removal/fitting.

ive looked at the car several times just thought they had red edges to tie in with the red bits never heard of them looks an interesting idea

I think they give a few mm extra warning before you scratch an alloy but wont prevent any nasty damage. Once scratched the protector can be tidied up with a scraping tool provided. Think they are a good idea.

I'm tempted to get a set for VRS and the missus car. Although im thinking if mine get kerb enough il get them refurb from Chrome to Black.

There is another thread on this already if you use search. Alot of view already expressed with pictures I believe.

Hope this helps.

Someone from here or just a coincidence?

Quote from the website:

Steve Milne - AlloyGators fitted by eTyresChris, from your Middlesborough branch, came to fit red AlloyGators to my new 60 reg Fabia VRS....WOW! Not only do they look amazing, but the standard of service was first class, very prompt and professional.

Alloygators were fitted in 45 minutes. Top job and set off the car so well. Definitely use eTyres again!

Edited 24 February, 201115 yr by Stu vRS

Hello,

I fitted mud flaps thinking they might scape the kerb before the alloy wheels, they don't. I have heard that a brand of tyres, I think it was Kumho? have a ridge moulded into the sidewall to protect the wheel. It's going to be a while before I replace the tyres but Its worth thinking about. The alloys look good but having the metal alloy spokes stick out further than the tyre is just daft. With a tall kerb I'm not sure if even these tyres or the rim protectors would help. I'll just have to keep parking carefully but know that one day I'll get it wrong.

Good luck,

John Fisher

I have heard that a brand of tyres, I think it was Kumho? have a ridge moulded into the sidewall to protect the wheel. It's going to be a while before I replace the tyres but Its worth thinking about.

Good luck,

John Fisher

Dont wanna rain on your parade, but I would be very reluctant to use the sidewall of ANY tyre to save the wheels... The sidewall carries the whole weight of the car and if you scrape the sidewalls enough, you will end up with a weakspot. Do you remember the minimum legal tyre safety issues? Minimum tread wear, 1.6mm across the central 75% of the tyre, around the whole circumference... No cuts or bulges to the sidewall.

It is grinding down the curbstones that causes most of the sidewall damage described there and the potential outcome of doing so, is to make the sidewall thin enough to have a weakspot... This weakspot then overheats when driven typically at motorway speeds and then poses a significant riskmof a blowout!

This is the reason why you will fail a driving test if you scrape along the curbs during the test.

Even with a tyre with a thick ridge to the sidewall, i would still be very reluctant to use it for that purpose... I would rather the wheel protrude and get scrapped, as long as it is only cosmetic damage. The tyre you mentioned was probably not actually designed/sold for that purpose, it is most likely just a carcass strengthening design, offering ridgidity to the tyre on bumpy terrain or something like that.

The tyre you mentioned was probably not actually designed/sold for that purpose, it is most likely just a carcass strengthening design, offering ridgidity to the tyre on bumpy terrain or something like that.

Do a google search for "Rim Flange Protection".

Avon appear to offer a range of tyres with this built-in feature - which suggests tyre manufacturers (some at least) are offering a design of tyre specifically designed with wheel protection in mind.

The Continental SportContact 3 tyres I have on my mercedes feature an extended sidewall, although Continental's website doesn't mention this being anything to do with rim protection. That said, their website isn't exactly brilliant...