[sammysam5000]

So I purchased some red rim blades from Amazon for my ride and installed them. As the package stated, they went on in about 15 minutes and really did/do look stunning. I think if you don't have a 460 horsepower car, they are actually a good product and both look good and protect the rim.

But...

I found out the hard way yesterday, that putting my foot down and running through just 1st and 2nd in touring mode is too much for the poor rim blades to handle and they fly off. Well, partially fly off and then proceed to whip the crap out of the side of your car until you pull over and pull them off by hand! Fortunately, they didn't cause any permanent damage. But they were a ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS to remove as a whole. The adhesive they use is strong, which means it does not come off easy. Not with Goo Gone, not with WD40, not with heat as their site indicates. The only thing that did the trick was 10% Goo Gone and 90% elbow grease. It literally took myself and two friends about 2 hours to get the gunk completely off and rims looking back to new again.

Anyways, the things look great. Just not built for speed Here's a pic of what she looked like with them on!

 

[rdslon01]

Oh, I am sorry to hear that. I thought they were partially held in place by pressure from the tire on the rim. Is that a different product? Are those rimbands?

An, yes, I just googled it. Rimbands are a different product which require no adhesive. If you still want that look, maybe the other product would work for you without having to worry about the adhesive coming loose.

 

[sammysam5000]

Yeah. Honestly, after having them both on and off at this point. I think I like the look without them better. Only real bummer is that they do provide a small amount of protection from rubbing on curbs, etc...

 

[Chip]

Do you have any feel for why they / it came loose, yet they were difficult for you to remove? Did this happen to more than one wheel?

 

[sammysam5000]

Good question Chip. As a point of clarity, the Rim Blades themselves come off easily. Literally just grab them and give a good tug and they come off. I found this out after I spun the first one off and decided to remove the remaining 3. The adhesive left on the rim after pulling them off however, is incredibly difficult to remove. Why doesn't the adhesive do a better job of holding them on?? Your guess is as good as mine my friend. But I followed the directions to a T. Paid extreme attention to detail, and in the end my heavy accelerator foot was the end of these critters. Again, on a "normal" car...they'd probably be fine. But I can't see them sticking on a C7 permanently even if the driver drives it at half it's limit.

 

[Milliwatt Rob]

Sounds like an adhesives engineering problem. Sticks too well to the rims, and not enough to the blades.

 

[phinman]

So glad you posted this. I had taken a hard look at adding them when I read your first install post but had delayed my decision. With this info, my mind is easily made up.

 

[glen e]

See jsvette's wheels, paint is the way to go....classier and secure....not expensive either

 

[Derbo2]

If they were installed even a tiny bit off center, they would both look really funky when rolling down the road ( like a crooked hubcap) and easily get spun off from being off center. I don't think I could get them on my car straight enough to keep them from getting slung at speed.
I'm glad it didn't do serious damage to your car!!

 

[jonathandeane]

I recommend alloy gators instead. They will not fly off and do a great job protecting rims from curb rash

 

[AFVETTE]

RIM RINGZ are one piece and clip behind the wheel lip and are further held in place by the tire.

Check out this video

This is what I'll be buying for my LRG coupe.

 

[jonathandeane]

This is what the alloy gators look like installed (I got the white ones to match my AW):

 

[digitalstingray]

I went this route on my chrome wheels, mainly for protection because, unlike a painted or polished aluminum wheel, it is impossible to repair a chromed wheel without completely stripping the chrome.

 

[Chip]

Good question Chip. As a point of clarity, the Rim Blades themselves come off easily. Literally just grab them and give a good tug and they come off. I found this out after I spun the first one off and decided to remove the remaining 3. The adhesive left on the rim after pulling them off however, is incredibly difficult to remove. Why doesn't the adhesive do a better job of holding them on?? Your guess is as good as mine my friend. But I followed the directions to a T. Paid extreme attention to detail, and in the end my heavy accelerator foot was the end of these critters. Again, on a "normal" car...they'd probably be fine. But I can't see them sticking on a C7 permanently even if the driver drives it at half it's limit.

Thanks for the "Heads Up" Sammy!

 

[ericbo]

So I purchased some red rim blades from Amazon for my ride and installed them. As the package stated, they went on in about 15 minutes and really did/do look stunning. I think if you don't have a 460 horsepower car, they are actually a good product and both look good and protect the rim.

But...

I found out the hard way yesterday, that putting my foot down and running through just 1st and 2nd in touring mode is too much for the poor rim blades to handle and they fly off. Well, partially fly off and then proceed to whip the crap out of the side of your car until you pull over and pull them off by hand! Fortunately, they didn't cause any permanent damage. But they were a ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS to remove as a whole. The adhesive they use is strong, which means it does not come off easy. Not with Goo Gone, not with WD40, not with heat as their site indicates. The only thing that did the trick was 10% Goo Gone and 90% elbow grease. It literally took myself and two friends about 2 hours to get the gunk completely off and rims looking back to new again.

Anyways, the things look great. Just not built for speed Here's a pic of what she looked like with them on!

View attachment 12855

i just bought rimblades and after your experience i am not sure if i will install them. Did you follow instructions and the 40 mph limit for the first 24 hours?

 

[ericbo]

I just read rimblades FAQ and they tested them at 125 mph.

 

[sammysam5000]

Yes. I followed the instructions 100%. In fact, I didn't even drive the car at all for the first 48 hours other than once to the store and being weary of the instructions I drove like a granny! I was going far slower than 125 mph. But did have my foot down ripping through the gears. I noticed the whipping sound of it hitting my fender when I hit 3rd!

I'm clearly not the only person who's had this problem. Although I may be the only one with a C7.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=673687

http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=120872

http://www.ds3gboc.com/forum/forum/ds3-area/ds3-photo-s/12432-i-feel-such-a-fool

 

[ericbo]

thank you very much, sammysam5000

 

[sammysam5000]

It's my pleasure ericbo. I really hate to be the guy who makes a broadcast about a failed product. I love the way they looked and really wish they would have worked out. But after scrubbing my rims for hours, I felt like it was worth it to hopefully ensure nobody else has to go through what I did. I might try the alloy gators next. But for now will just leave them stock!

 

[greggshere]

I went this route on my chrome wheels, mainly for protection because, unlike a painted or polished aluminum wheel, it is impossible to repair a chromed wheel without completely stripping the chrome.

What are those and where did you get them?