Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Red "Rimblade" rim protectors on Multicoat Red 19" wheels (w/ photo)

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
After several wheel rim scraps on my 19" right rear wheel, I decided I better do something before I mess up any more rims. (I wish I could blame it on my wife, but I'm sure I did it.)
I did some research and came up with two options: Alloy Gators and Rimblades.

I decided on Rimblades because 1) I could do it myself easily and 2) I found 1 Red set on Amazon marked "Used - Very Good Condition" for an amazing price from Amazon's Warehouse Deals. The regular price of the Rimblades on Amazon is $60. I didn't want to deal with the hassle of installing the Alloy Gators and I'd read that they can scratch your wheel with their grippers. Of course you wouldn't see any damage until you took them off.

I got the set in 2 days and when I opened it up, it was a brand new set. I at least expected the box to have been opened but it wasn't.

I took a day reviewing all the youtube videos on installation to be sure I did it right. I used the method where I installed the Rimblade from the 9 > 3 position on the wheel and then I drove forward 1/2 a wheel rotation so I didn't have to work on the bottom. It worked well. I liked that I could install them without removing the wheels.

The Rimblades can be installed two ways because they are not symmetrical. For me, I choose to install the fatter part around the outer edge of the rim, so that the thinner face lies against the flat face of the rim. This gives a little less protection to the face of the rim , but it fits much tighter this way. They certainly did a good job of covering up my existing rim dings.

They are a sacrificial product, so I don't expect them to last forever. But it's nice to know that as I continue to learn how to parallel park my baby, I won't be doing further damage to my rims.

The only part of the job I'm not 100% happy with is the fit between where the beginning and the end of the product come together, on two of the wheels. No one would notice unless they looked very closely.

Here are two pictures: the red color of the Rimblades do not match the Muticoat Red. The Rimblade red definitely has an orangy tint, but I think it looks okay.

P1020760.jpg
P1020761.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: IamGaryGnu
how well do you think they will protect the wheels? I did read that you can use superglue to get a better fit at the beginning-end but not sure if thst was rimblades or for some of the other versions they sell...
 
They will definitely protect the rims against scuffs, although they may scuff.
i didn't have to use anything other than what was in the kit. I feel that with the primer and the tape, and the shape of the product, I have a very tight bond to the wheel. The minor problem with the ends was my fault for not leaving a little extra product when cutting. Nothing that superglue could fix.
 
Question. Can Rimblades be reused after I have a new tire?

Answer. We recommend they are changed and can supply single units if you only need to replace the one, however if your dealer is careful a tire can be removed and replaced without the Rimblade being touched. Tires that mount onto a rim from the rear do not effect Rimblades.
 
I'm in the process of reviewing the various threads on rim protection. On my p85+ I had two wheels repaired after a few months and about a week later did one of them again. I was furious and each wheel repair costs at least $150. I found I was parking further and further from curbs and taking very wide turns. I'm waiting for my P85D and although I will immediately be swapping my 19" winter wheels onto the car, I want to protect the 21" wheels while they are off the car.
I guess I'm wondering how the rim blades have been holding out over the last 8 months or so any feed back greatly appreciated.
 
I guess I'm wondering how the rim blades have been holding out over the last 8 months or so any feed back greatly appreciated.

The Rimblades have held up beautifully. I followed the installation instructions carefully and no sign of them loosening. They have saved my rims many times. And I didn't have to remove the tires from the wheels nor the wheels from the car when I installed them.
All in all, a great product and the red RimBlades on my multicoat red S draw favorable comments.
 
The Rimblades have held up beautifully. I followed the installation instructions carefully and no sign of them loosening. They have saved my rims many times. And I didn't have to remove the tires from the wheels nor the wheels from the car when I installed them.
All in all, a great product and the red RimBlades on my multicoat red S draw favorable comments.
thanks! That is great to hear. I notice they have rimbands too which seem a bit more hardcore; however, if these work I would prefer something that doesn't need professional installation. My car will have the red calipers. I wasn't sure about the color match but Looking at the pictures on teslarati with another dark car, they look pretty good.
 
DSCN0783.JPG


I have red Rim Blades on my blue Model S. I first tried the Wheel Bands from Evannex (with the red insert), but didn't like the fit. The Wheel Bands are designed to stick on the flat surface of the rim, and I found it rather difficult to make them follow the wheel curve exactly. I found it easier to get the Rim Blades aligned over the edge of the rim, and down onto the flat shoulder. Unlike the Wheel Bands, the Rim Blades essentially use the wheel itself for alignment.

The red Rim Blade is pretty close to the color of the red brake caliper, and I think looks great on the dark car.
 
View attachment 64304

I have red Rim Blades on my blue Model S. I first tried the Wheel Bands from Evannex (with the red insert), but didn't like the fit. The Wheel Bands are designed to stick on the flat surface of the rim, and I found it rather difficult to make them follow the wheel curve exactly. I found it easier to get the Rim Blades aligned over the edge of the rim, and down onto the flat shoulder. Unlike the Wheel Bands, the Rim Blades essentially use the wheel itself for alignment.

The red Rim Blade is pretty close to the color of the red brake caliper, and I think looks great on the dark car.
Thanks, that looks great. I can't tell for sure if your wheels are silver or grey as the flash is quite bright but I'm assuming with one will look good. The teslarati pic had dark wheels and the red seemed to help break up the darkness.
 
Thanks, that looks great. I can't tell for sure if your wheels are silver or grey as the flash is quite bright but I'm assuming with one will look good. The teslarati pic had dark wheels and the red seemed to help break up the darkness.

These are 21" silver wheels on a blue metallic vehicle, with the red Rim Blades to match the red brake calipers. I went with silver to sort of match the other silver trim around the side mirrors and windows. I had the paint corrected and coated with CQuartz-Finest right after I took delivery. It's looks very sharp (when it's clean), lots of comments and "Tesla moments".