The car is 8 and we have had it for four coming up five years old. So time to get the alloys refurbished and fit some Alloygators to protect them. I went with Alloygators as I like the way they can cope with damage and are a mechanic rather than stick on fit.

Alloy Wheel repairs, Protection, Refurbishment, Rim repair Birmingham

The refurbished wheels, going for a sparkle effect (Powerdec, Glasgow £302 for the lot) with new centre caps in black (eBay for only £7 delivered and they as good a quality as the originals, plus some natty Jaguar valve caps thrown in for free)





The package





The contents are the gators, metal fixings, super glue and a bit to cover the join.

 

The first job is to fit the metal bits. They are glued in and it is not clear which way round they go from the instructions or the video. The serrated edge goes through the hole next to the knobbles. It is a real fiddle to fit them and I ended up with glue on my fingers and using a hammer to tap them in!

The metal bit and a fitted one





The result is the serrated edge pops out the other side





Depending on the size of the wheel the number of metal bits needing fitting varies, but the instructions are clear.



The 18 inch Jag alloy means fitting about 13 of them.



Tomorrow, weather permitting I will fit them to the wheels.

 

Jack up the car and I would very much recommend you use a trolley and not scissor as you will be battering the wheel hard!

Take out the valve, let the tyre deflate and from the valve start to batter!






It is hard work but it will go in. I had problems with some of the metal bits coming detached and having to re-glue them. I could not get them quite as flush as the pictures on the instructions suggest. I think that is down to the tyre and alloy fit as the tyre is inside the alloy. Tyres which sit more evenly or proud of the alloy will mean no gap at all.





I ended up going round and round battering away. It shows just how much force the gators can take as I was hitting them as hard as I could. I eventually got them all on.

Once that is done, cut the end to fit and a dab of super glue and slide the last bit in so the grooves go together. That means more battering!! I also trimmed some of the gator where it goes into the wheel to make for a better fit.





The fitting video has the final cut being done with huge snips. That would make for a better finish than I could do with the smaller snips. But no matter, there is a cover to glue over the top of the join.





The marks are just dirt, they wiped off. The finished job with the black gator means they are not in your face unlike some of the lurid colours they do.




According to alloygator black disappears into the tyre and sliver makes the alloy look bigger. I like the black.

I am sure these will take a lot of damage from curbing and they are not going to come off when driving! There are five in the kit, so with a space saver I have a spare one.

It will be interesting come tyre change time, but they should just come off and then batter back on again.

 

Thanks for the write up Delta, nice work.

Personally, I'm not a fan as I think they detract from the overall look and prefer just to try and stay away from kerbs as best I can...lol

Hope they serve you well.

 

Hmm, never heard of these before. I could have used them a few months ago. All these years of driving cars with custom wheels and stupid me in a rush in a parking lot caught the passenger rear

 

I rarely drive the car now-a-days. I just come home and find scrapes on the wheels! Hopefully no more.

 

Great post.

I'd seen these (or a very similar product) on a vehicle in a car park and had no idea what they were.

Graham

 

They have served me well as my wife has managed to score all four already. One was so bad that I have already fitted the fifth one supplied!