How long you keep your rims in good condition

[Linas.P]

I hope below pictures going to make some people happier, whilst looking to their kerbed rims.... I guess there is large difference trying to navigate London jungle and somewhere in country side. It happens to everyone all the time, my question is what is your record for keeping them in tip-top shape after refurbishment?

Basically, whilst @Monocle was working on refurbishing his I was busy ruining mine.

Before:

After:

[Monocle]

Well my clock started today! I was staying an extra foot from the kerbs on a short trip today! 

In the past I'd say if I got 12 months I'd be surprised. Once you hit them once your level of care drops! 

[Linas.P]

Exactly same, my record so far is ~9 month from when I got brand new IS250 F-Sport in 2012. Probably because it being new cars and rims being chrome I sold it after 9 month still in perfect condition. The ones above stayed perfect since mid December 2016. But as I kerbed one, now I actually have little scratches on 2 others - as you said as soon as one is kerbed everyone stops caring. 

[rayaans]

1.5 years on the wife's IS300h - someone kerbed it a while back. 

No idea whether it was the wife or myself - tbh I think the dealer did it but I can't be sure either!

[Linas.P]

Looking to kerbed wheels of the demo RC300h I was wondering if diamond cut wheels are better or worse when it comes to kerbing... 

[Britprius]

Coming from a Prius to the GS I wondered if the same remedy would work to protect the wheels.

The Prius came with 195/55/16 tyres with alloy wheels, but still had plastic trims. These trims would damage easily on a kerb often taking great chunks out of them or splitting them in two. Not cheap to replace a circa £55 each. Changing the tyre size to 205/55/16 removed the problem completely as I could feel the kerb with the tyre, and take avoiding action.

I wondered if going from 245/40/18 tyres to 255 or even 265/40/18's on the GS450H would give the same protection. The cost difference in the wider tyre is minimal.

John.

[J Henderson]

 

58 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

Looking to kerbed wheels of the demo RC300h I was wondering if diamond cut wheels are better or worse when it comes to kerbing... 

Probably no different. Even the most gentle brush of something will put a scrape on the finish. I managed to barely touch a kerb with one of mine a couple of months ago at a very low speed and it still put a small gouge in the finish.

Diamond-cut wheels are worse though because a refurbishment company usually charges extra for that type of finish, plus, once they're damaged they pretty-much have to be sorted out by a pro quite quickly otherwise the "white worm" corrosion will end up spreading underneath the lacquer.

At least with a normal painted wheel, you can just use a touch-up pen to seal the damaged area and prevent it getting worse. This is what I did with my wheel. The colour match wasn't perfect, but it's quite hard to see and a million times better than a white scrape on a dark wheel.

I regularly squeeze through this width restriction during my commute to and from work and I just know that one of these days I'll be careless and catch the kerb... 

 

[Linas.P]

Yep same here.... have these on my daily commute:

Whilst the wheels were in perfect shape I have avoided this road all together, but now using it again. Funny enough I haven't kerbed rim here over last few hundred passes - usually it is easy if no cars are parked nearby.

I hate narrow gates so much (all all other dumb features), they are so pointless and stupid - goverment should be banned from installing them. As well there are 2 types - one is OK where you have high bollards and no kerbs, but others have bollard far away and high kerbs... there are the worst.

[rayaans]

On 01/07/2017 at 7:47 PM, Linas.P said:

Looking to kerbed wheels of the demo RC300h I was wondering if diamond cut wheels are better or worse when it comes to kerbing... 

As John said, I really don't think there would be any difference to how easily they are damaged.

However, they will need to be done quicker and the diamond cut sections are essentially cut back further. What that means is the wheel will have wider lips and won't look the same as the others. I think they can only be done a few times before needing replacement or painting/powdercoating