Do Alloy Protectors Really Work?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 มิ.ย. 2024
- This video shares my experience with trying to protect my alloy wheels over the past several years with two different cars. Using the same brand of protector (alloygator) both times, I share my pro's and cons opinion as to whether it's worth it at all.
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Hi Matt. Firstly, thank you for being a long-standing customer! We really hope that our product has saved a few wheels and tyres over the years. We just wanted to drop a comment on here to reconfirm your comments and those of quite a few of your subscribers - the issue is absolutely the diamond cut/machine polished wheels. Whilst we have many customers who go ahead and fit our product to their machine polished wheels, we do state on our website, in our Terms and Conditions and in our product descriptions at every point of sale, that we do not recommend fitting our product to this wheel finish. Whilst fitting AlloyGators will provide top quality protection against kerb and pothole damage to both your wheels and tyres, over time, water ingress and aggitation from road dust can accelerate the inevitable degradation that occurs anyway to the laquer on this type of finish. That said, as you probably know, machine polished wheels can be repaired a maximum of 2 or 3 times before they are typically scrap, whereas they can be re-laquered as many times as required. Re-laquering is a quick and simple process, unlike repairing the damage that can be experienced if you're not wearing protection :-)
you commenting on this video realy shows something , i’m getting one ❤️
I fitted them to my car knowing the risks, in the two years it took for my wheels to get some slight degradation to my diamond cut alloys I reckon they would have been completely ruined without them (alloy gators) it was by far the lesser of two evils, I would say if you live in a street that means your alloys get kerbed regularly fit them as you say a light refurb is better than replacing the whole wheel. By the way it is becoming harder to obtain them, I tried to get them fitted to my new car this week where I had previously had them fitted in 2019 and they didn't stock them anymore, (Ryan's garage Portishead).
Ebay .. job done!
@@pillred5974 if you can drop us an email sales@alloygatorgroup.com or give us a call on +44 1527 909801 then we'll help you out! Thank you so much for the balanced feedback :-)
@@nknpunnukhel8506 Thank you for supporting our product! (even if you may not have bought them direct from us). Drop us an email at sales@alloygatorgroup.com if you need any support :-)
diamond cut wheels in the uk will all ways be white worm within 6 months because of the weather my alloys have had gaiter protection on for years but there powder coted .use clear silicone on inside of gaiter to seal from salt and dust
Diamond cut wheels are everywhere these days because they look great yet the lacquer is totally useless at protecting the bare metal once it leaves the showroom. The best solution is to have them refurbished and _entirely_ finished with primer, base and clear.
I bought these Alloy gators for my honda crv.
Not installed them yet.
BUT I WILL NOW.
My partner is going to be learning in it & i really think these will save the rims on the 19inch 5 spokes.
Great video. Honest & Straight to point. All the information i needed.
Thanks 👍
I used Alloy Gators on painted wheels and they were fine, but they do damage diamond cut alloys even if you do not curb them. This is because the gator moves around and scratches the lacquer over the metal. When I curbed my last diamond cut wheel,.I decided I was going to buy a set of other wheels for my Leon Cupra. I decided on some nice mattish black team dynamic Imolas. These look great and have taken a beating in the last 6 years! When I have curbed them (and I do my best not to) I just add a bit of black paint with a brush and they come up nice. The best thing is that I am now selling the car and the original wheels are mint, this recouping the entire cost of the replacement set, which I can now sell on! So,.if you have diamond cut wheels,.don't use Alloygators; they won't be offended by me saying that, as they are very upfront about saying that they don't recommend you use them,.for that type of wheel.
I realize your video is about 2 years old but it is still relevant. I do believe the wheel protectors are causing the lacquer finish to be compromised. This is somewhat of a “Catch 22”. You either get damage from curb rash, or from the wheel protector. The best solution is to analyse what sort of damage you could live with….. Curb rash, or lacquer delamination. As for me, I just bought a replacement wheel because of curb rash on my OS front. It is my first time ever that I needed to do this. I’ve been driving since age 16. I am now 73. No alloy Gators in my future…. But there has been permanent damage to my vehicle maintenance fund with the purchase of the replacement wheel. I enjoyed the video and I hope my comments are the sort you were looking be posted. Drive safe!!
Try using tyres with built in rim protectors, for example Continental Premium Contact 6! I was advised not to use these protectors in diamond cut alloys because of the corrosion that happens.
Glad I read this. One of my tires keeps going down due to alloys having gaps. Tire shop did a quick seal but he told me I need a 'referbish or new ones due to corrosion. Should I just take them off and have normal ones.
I made that mistake once and never again.
Buying a driving school car with low profile tyres is a bad idea.
I was very surprised while watching your Alloygator video above, especially seeing the wheel damage on your car !
Like you, I'm also a driving instructor and have many learner drivers who use my car daily.
I decided to put these Alloygators on my New Seat Ibiza car back in 2020 after a colleagues recommendation.
I'm absolutely delighted with the results and daily wheel protection the Alloygators have provided to my car during the past 3 years of having them fitted.
There are many cuts and grazes on all Alloygators, which have been caused by pupils occasionally driving too close to kerbs.However, there is no damage whatsoever on any of my wheel rims which is amazing really after 3 years of giving driving lessons to novice drivers.
I'm not sure if the material used on your Alloygators is different from my Alloygators ?
Hope that helps to clarify that not all Alloygators produce the same results.
Kind regards to all.
Someone else mentioned ACF50 or even a product called XCP Rust blocker which I use but the main thing is keeping the wheels as clean as possible otherwise corrosion will take place either way, regardless of whether you’ve previously damaged it or not. Diamond cut wheels are a lot more prone to corrosion though it seems. I’ve got a VW Up GTI with diamond cut alloys and even though it’s the daily, it’s pretty much kept in showroom condition so the wheels look brand new but that’s down to how much it’s cleaned. Also best to use acid free wheel cleaners. But obviously you being a driving instructor, it’s not really possible cleaning the car all the time. But during the winter months it should definitely be cleaned an awful lot more. It’s a shame the elements take their toll on them so quickly.
Also using a wheel sealant or ceramic coating definitely helps prolong the life of the wheels and helps keep them cleaner for longer and it’ll also be easier to clean.
I've used Alloygators on my 21" Tesla wheels for a while now and they have saved me on a few occasions. My wheels are custom painted matte black.
Get Your Rim Protector Here th-cam.com/video/7o-5e9iBuVI/w-d-xo.html
Was there damage underneath the protector?
Such a typical snobby tesla owner comment. They always have to mention they drive a tesla and feel so much better about themselves driving a plastic electric car not giving a sh.t about kids in Africa digging.for kobalt.
@@joaquinmarquinos4667 I don't get that from the comment at all, your being very rude IMO pre judging based on your own opinions.
@@dangauci Well said, what a rude, pre-judged and ill informed comment.
The real solution is to get smaller diameter rims and get a tire with taller sidewall. Then you just replace tires instead of having to get new rims.
Funny you uploaded this I just got a new Renault Kadjar and after having it a month I hit the kerb and slightly scrapped my diamond cut alloys. Was looking for a solution as it’s really bugging me. Only real solution is to try our best not to hit the kerb but we all do it.
Brilliant video!
Thanks Harry
I just bought a cheap alloy (same type)off ebay and stuck it on the F/N/S , it was already scuffed, will put the original back on before I sell it.
Thanks for the informative video. I live in the Midwest U.S.A., so these would be a no-go for me. Too much salt on the roads. The gators would definitely trap too many corrosives and turn into an abrasive on the wheels.
Anything that act's as a barrier is good, it's to help stop small slight scuffs when parking, not anything to do with rusty/corrsion
Chiming in with another "Yeah, all diamond cut alloys do that". I had a BMW 4 series which went the same way on every wheel, even without a hint of damage. I didn't even get them fixed before trading it in, and was prepared to get hammered on it, but the dealer just laughed it off and said they expect to have to to refurb or re-lacquer pretty much every diamond cut wheel on trade-ins.
[EDIT] After having seen the installation process for AlloyGators, hahaha, no. No. No way. Hammering those stainless clips on is _guaranteed_ to damage the rims.
It breaks my heart every time when I see lovely wheels like this get damaged 💔
I've been using Rim Blades, I've never had the issue with the corrosion with them
Exactly the same experience as you even down to the 208 gti, yes they do suffer from water ingress, the thing is what is the lesser of two evils? as an update I have just fitted rim blades now they stick to the edge so water can't get between them and the alloy it's only been a little while but I reckon for low speed impacts they would be better, maybe for you with how shall we say inexperienced drivers I'm not sure what you can do but accept the inevitable, sorry I can't be more hopeful lol.
only thing you can do is use acf or another anti corrision, it'll definitely be over the winter months that the issue exacerbates itself.
Could it be those stainless steel claws inserted every 2 inches?? They would start the corrosion deep under the tire, especially with fact that corrosion accelerates with stainless steel against alloy. Also judging by the amount of damage shown on your AlloyGator, you’ve saved a lot of real heavy damage, whereas that corrosion can probably be addressed much more easily. In terms of resale and heart break.
Could be Abouse from not using the rubber protectors on the tyre changing machines chipping the rim low profile tyres are a pain to change 😭
It's a fair point Lewy c
use a product called ACF 50 , its like an inhibitor that helps protect against corrosion. Its a little bit on the expensive side but works.
Hey Gordon, that's interesting. Thanks for sharing? Anyone else used this?
@@Go2DrivingSchool use it on my motorcycles. You can even spray it on electrics. Plenty of information about usage & application
For your application, I would suggest some wheels that aren't so great to use for this work purpose and keep the nice set for when you sell the car or decide you are no longer going to let random learners take the wheel. It is a combination of the AlloyGators flexing and moving slightly under road force and curb impacts which compromises the finish over time, then the water and salt get to work corroding things. The AlloyGators probably don't allow things to dry out as quickly or allow the salts to be flushed from the surface as well which likely accelerates the corrosion process. Seems like it might be worth it to find a set of takeoff wheels from a base model and set those nice ones aside.
Or u can sand down the cerb rash and spray it good as new
Well of course it will still cause damage if you thump a kerb too hard protectors are only for fending away minor clips to the kerb..
AlloyGators will withstand some relatively heavy impacts but you're right - it is not armour plating. It will, however, give you some very decent protection for the most common instances of clipping the kerb, hitting a pothole and parking distasters etc! Having said that, we've had some pretty ugly pictures sent to us of whopping impacts where our customers wheel has ben fine - the AlloyGator has looked a bit the worse for wear but it did its job!
hi Matt love the videos. unfortunately this is totally normal with nearly every diamond cut wheel, they last no where near as long/preserve their finish as much as normal painted wheels due to the way they are designed to achieve the finish on them. Your right the weather, dirt, water gets in when the lacquer deteriorates and it ruins them. theres not much you can do about it than washing your car regularly and keeping them topped up with wax/ detailing sealant products to repel dirt and keeping them cleaner for longer. my local alloy refurb only provides a 3 month warranty on diamond cut wheels because of how vulnerable they are to the weather! i couldn't believe it ! keep up the great videos thank you
Great video but these wheel protectors aren’t looking that good but ay oh atleast they protect it abit maybe they need a remake and the problem will be the water getting in but they need to stand up to that so some company should come up with something
I agree.Would they have done this with out the protectors on though. Really not sure but my gut say "no".
its the water definitely, diamond cut finishes never last long, this wouldn't happen on a powder coated finish.
Interesting... thanks Slow Aeo. It could be nothing to do with the protectors all the same, so I'm interested to hear of other peoples experiences with this issue
@@Go2DrivingSchool Your explanation was bang on, water and dirt ingress, and god awful salt. A major design flaw! You may have seen various wheels from different manufacturers while out and about etc, and more often than not, the diamond cut finish is starting to tarnish, usually around the centre caps (where water gets trapped) Some cars are worse than others for it, but rarely do I see a perfect set of diamond cut wheels, even then, the car is usually only a couple years old!
@@chazteb it sounds about right to fair.
Driving instructors in my area fit steel wheels to their vehicles for this very reason
All modern diamond cut alloys are shyte.
I work at a main dealership (I won't say which brand), and we have warranty alloy replacements every week in the workshop.
Hi Nick, thanks for this. Peugeot didn't want to know when I tried telling them. Not sure whether to bother with VW as I'm still under warranty possibly, its a 2018 plate.
@@Go2DrivingSchool We literally replace a set a week, sometimes more matey, it's very common.
They are all diamond cut too.
I think it's just cheap manufacturing process and materials, as all modern cars seem to be the same.
@@DjNikGnashers This is very interesting Nik. Considering having mine just sprayed when it comes to repair (one color).
@@DjNikGnashers I will definitely steer clear of them in future, twice bitten forever shy as far as Diamond cut alloys are concerned, your right their shite! (looks aren't everything lol).
@@pillred5974 Painted alloys are probably best, as you can have them touched up if you scrape them.
Although, powder coated are my favourite as they seem tougher and less prone to damage.
2:00 you did that ?!?!? 😂
I got lovely new wheel trims for mine and guess who was the first to clip the kerb ?
Wasn't a student.....🙈😂
Hey, hope business is going well! yep it was me (head in hands).
Interesting, I have a VW with similar wheels, we know, brake dust eats them away, i use a light compound on a drill pad, but also for rim rash. Yours looks no worse than mine, can’t see a reason why rimblades would delaminate the Laqour, on the rims?
More testing required I think!
They are Alloy gators not rim blades, that's why the water is getting between them and the alloys. Rim blades stick to the wheels with very little if no gap to allow the moisture to collect.
@@pillred5974 Are rim blades a better option then?
@@Larryloafer488 It depends what you are looking for. Rimblades will tell you themselves that their product is a self-adhesive strip that is applied to the outer face of the wheel. It is a far less robust material than AlloyGator but is a relatively easy product to fit if you are just looking for a product for styling rather than robust rim protection. AlloyGators are harder to fit (still ok for DIY if you are ok with basic car maintenance) but are the market leader in terms of protection. Both products serve a purpose - it really depends on why you are fitting them in the first place.
@@alloygatorofficial Hi thanks for replying, I’m definitely after protection over style, I don’t consider AlloyGator as unsightly, would I need a bead breaker?
@@Larryloafer488 No, the AlloyGator doesn't impact the bead and as such, there's no need for a bead breaker. Fitting the product is relatively easy, we generally say, if you are competent enough in basic vehicle maintence to change a wheel for example, then you are competent enought to fit our product. Here's a link to our fitting video th-cam.com/video/9RYCiPe41Pk/w-d-xo.html If you don't fancy fitting yourself then we have a network of around 700 trained fitters around the UK - if you head over to our website you can search for one in your area using our Find a Fitter map
I have steel wheels on my driving school car
Thanks matt these are a no for me lol!
I guess just remove the rim, put cheap ones in for lessons. Then no need to worry about damaging the nice ones
Hey Hamzah, but isn't this what a normal person would do LOL. Have a great day!
@@Go2DrivingSchool true point matt! Have a good day mate!
@@Go2DrivingSchool a normal person wouldn't have their low profile tires and rims on throughout the winter lol.
This is why winter tires get put on steel rims. This is alloy degradation from the salt that is put on the roads in the winter. Why would you keep rims and low profile tires on during the winter, I don't understand it.
Diamond cut wheels are just a bad idea. They nearly always bubble and corrode, all makes and models. Suspect in your job the bashes and scrapes open up pores for water, dirt and salt but honestly they corrode even when you don’t hit kerbs. Yes to rim protectors and no to diamond cut wheels.
So dont use them then ?
Learn how to drive and stop banging up your wheels