Does anybody else need to learn where the wheels are on this car?

[MerlintheMad]

Yes, I know, two in front, two in back. That's not what I mean. I've been vexed by my brushing up against curbs. Ironically, I am trying to take the end spot in a row of parking stalls, so that I will only have one other car to worry about, instead of being a Stinger sandwich waiting for maroons to open their car doors into me. Naturally, I try and get close to the curb to further the distance between myself and the next stall over. But, this has produced a problem: I have yet to "FEEL" the dimensions of the Stinger to a nicety. I either park too far away from the curb, or I back up, approach closer, and get too close and scrape my wheels against the cement. Argh! I've done this several times to both front wheels by now. And I've employed heavy, medium and wet-dry grit sandpaper to knock back the damage. I can hardly stand to live with myself while I am learning how to stop hurting my car! Here's a pic of the FL wheel that has six areas of curb inflicted damage to it. So the sandpaper method does work. But "Wheel Werks" (a local mag and repair shop) said, "We don't do it that way." Implying that I am doing it wrong, which I believe I am. But at $125 minimum to fix a wheel's beauty, and being without my car for one to three days in the bargain, I am reluctant to go that route.

Now, the question I'd like to field is this (confession time, boys and girls): How many of you have turned into a curb and dinged/scraped your gorgeous rims already? The followup question is: What do you do about it, to make it all better?

Thanks. I came here specifically to get answers, and to solicit sympathy.

 

[NYLAWBIZ]

My solution to the issue:
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[Bobr]

My solution to the issue

Does it really help?

______________________________

 

[Kazz]

Pride myself on this crap, but this car is SO different than what I've driven in many a year. I did scrape a front wheel in a town I didn't know, trying to parallel park. Not huge, not bad, etc. But I know it's there. That's all it takes. Glad they're the 18s and will soon be winter-only wheels!

 

[Bobr]

Btw, if anybody knows: are there some tires which wider than rims? Or for 19s they all on the same level as rim edge? Owning Mazda 6 with 17s and Toyo tires which are wider than rims -- really helps.

 

[westcoastGT]

View attachment 8217 View attachment 8218 View attachment 8217 My solution to the issue:
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They come in several color including black , but they are pricey arent they ?( I know much cheaper than wheel repair ) I NEVER park beside a car unless its an open end spot and I park it wide , door dings are the worst thing to see on a car ( saw a black GT last week witha doozy of a ding and the car was filthy too ! ) as for curbs The 360 cam is excellent for ensuring you have lots of space between the curb and wheel maybe we need to get those old curb finders !

 

[CaliSting]

Hmmm no harder than any other car with low profile tires? And My Stinger has reverse camera and parking proximity to boot. Lots of parking to date and not a single scrape .

 

[NYLAWBIZ]

Does it really help?

Yes - covers the tire areas that normally would be damaged. Its a two piece system, nice design. There's the part that adhere's to the rim (I believe available in black or silver) and then there is a colored bead strip that snaps into the other part. The colored bead is sacrificial, can be replace easily.

 

[NYLAWBIZ]

They come in several color including black , but they are pricey arent they ?( I know much cheaper than wheel repair ) I NEVER park beside a car unless its an open end spot and I park it wide , door dings are the worst thing to see on a car ( saw a black GT last week witha doozy of a ding and the car was filthy too ! ) as for curbs The 360 cam is excellent for ensuring you have lots of space between the curb and wheel maybe we need to get those old curb finders !

$100.00 - yes. But they stand behind their product and its a unique design. This is the instruction video:

Installation

 

[westcoastGT]

Would really look sharp on a Stinger !

______________________________

 

[Bobr]

$100.00 - yes. But they stand behind their product and its a unique design.

Is it any different to this 8M Car Hub Trim Decoration Strip Wheel Rim Protector Ring Wheel Anti Collision Strip Tire Edge Changer Guard Styling stickers-in Car Stickers from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group ?

 

[MerlintheMad]

They come in several color including black , but they are pricey arent they ?( I know much cheaper than wheel repair ) I NEVER park beside a car unless its an open end spot and I park it wide , door dings are the worst thing to see on a car ( saw a black GT last week witha doozy of a ding and the car was filthy too ! ) as for curbs The 360 cam is excellent for ensuring you have lots of space between the curb and wheel maybe we need to get those old curb finders !

My solution to the issue:
View attachment 8217 View attachment 8218

Hi.

Those look more decorative than preventive to my untutored eye.

If I had had those on, I would have been on my third set by now!? At a hundred bucks a pop, I am probably over what Wheel Werks would charge, or at a parity of expense at any rate.

And thanks for getting back with me. That goes for all of you so far. "My" poll is already interesting. Why did I know that "I've done this more than once" would be in the extreme minority? Sheesh! I answered my own poll, so the score today is 4, 2, 4, which raised the percentage of mortal drivers to twenty percent. That still means I am one in five, either a bad parker or just freaking unlucky. I know, there is no luck about parking: whatever happens is because of what you did or did not do.

Both times that I seriously scraped my front wheel I had women in my car. My mother, who blamed herself for the fubar (in her mind, it wouldn't have happened if I had not been taking her out to dinner). Then one week later I had my wife and our daughter with me, taking the daughter out to dinner for her birthday. Mirror opposite situations: with my mother I was swinging into a left turn to park in the right hand endmost stall; "scruuunch" went the rim along the curb for c 14". The birthday outing I was turning right into the left hand endmost stall and parked too wide: I had over a foot and a half between my left wheels and the curb. So, I backed out, angled to the left, straightened and pulled in very slowly (I always do these very slowly; it increases the suspenseful agony!). I felt the car stop and since I had not pulled as far forward as I planned, I thought that the tires had fetched up against an asphalt berm bordering the gutter in front of me. I squeezed the gas pedal just a tetch, moved a few more inches, and turned the engine off and got out. Unfreakingbelievable: I was angled to the left and my front tire was solidly buried against the curb, and there was a nasty mark on the rim. I got back in, backed out, angled to the right and pulled forward, only to connect with the curb again, further down. I was practically livid at this point. And our daughter was standing outside to "direct" me: but all she could do the third time was flap her hands and shake her head and bounce up and down and practically cry. I think watching this has probably scarred her for life. The third time was a repeat. Total damage was to five areas. There was a transient with a "please give money" sign c. twenty feet from my parking "efforts". I had some of my attention drawn to him. So that was two distractions.

But really, I think what is going on here is lack of familiarity with this kind of car. I've never driven a sporty, low center of gravity machine before. Here's a pic of my typical ride for most of my life, until two months ago:



As you can well appreciate, sitting that high, with the resulting wide field of view looking down, makes curb parking much easier. This I did not appreciate before.

There is a big world of brand new rims out there. I just have to lay down the cash when I am ready: i.e. when I stop doing this!

 

[westcoastGT]

There are wheel protecters that actual fot between the edge of the wheel under the lip of the tire , the tire needs to be deflated a bit for install and they are made of a very rigid material ..............the look like these other but are much more expensive and appear to be very durable and probably wont come off when hitting a curb ................

 

[MerlintheMad]

I might as well add this "adventure", which is what pushed me over the edge of desperation and made me look for a "Stringer forum" to ask for helpful suggestions. This happened just yesterday afternoon:

I had just returned home after racing slot cars. After getting out and shutting the door I took a step back and scanned my car nose to tail. Something sprawly and white "decorating" my FL wheel -- two of the spokes, mostly on one, but also on the rim between -- I was at first more curious what could have caused it than upset. My first thought was, "Damn! Bird poop!?" If only that had been true. *sigh* Crouching down for a closer look, it appeared to be paint. It might even be water soluble, I hoped, but spit didn't phase it. I went and got the wet-dry sandpaper and some water and started to work on it with a wet rag.

The frustration started in at once. On a close up inspection there was a hit midway down the spoke, which had dinged barely into the edge of the gun metal gray area. WTH!? I don't even have to damage anything; all I have to do is park on the curb in South Salt Lake and some moron comes by on his bike, probably towing a rickety over-filled trailer: and as he goes on by his swaying rig smacks my wheel, "trading paint" with it as it were. Thanks a lot bub! Whoever you are.

It is the weirdest splash and ding I could possibly imagine. I will never know what caused it. But nothing would take it all the way off. I found paint thinner the most helpful. But really, I had to scrub it to a fainter shade, then go to work with the wet -dry sandpaper. This did fade the "paint" still more. But nothing is going to get rid of the almost as distracting fogging that the wet-dry sandpaper does to the finely lined surface of these wheels.

I suspect another kind of damage besides paint: something "came along" and crazed the surface, that I now am quite certain is not bare alloy, but rather a clear coating of the unpainted parts of these gorgeous wheels (steadily becoming less gorgeous, it seems almost every time I drive my car at all anymore!? GRRR!!!???).

A disturbing thought is vandalism. The hit looks too much like a directly aimed blow at the very wheel I have vented about to several people. But I don't want to think badly of anyone. So I am trying not to go there.

Anway, it looks ninety percent better after my work. I don't think that scrubbing on it with wet-dry sandpaper is going to improve anything. I wonder what the "Wheel Werks" guy would say about all of this? Besides, "You shouldn't try that at home", sort of thing. Heh!

 

[MerlintheMad]

There are wheel protecters that actual fot between the edge of the wheel under the lip of the tire , the tire needs to be deflated a bit for install and they are made of a very rigid material ..............the look like these other but are much more expensive and appear to be very durable and probably wont come off when hitting a curb ................

But wouldn't the protectors end up looking like crap too? Then you'd want to put on spiff new looking protectors. In my case, as I said, replace aaagain. I confess: I had not even known such things existed till a few minutes ago reading your replies.

 

[Helo58]

Btw, if anybody knows: are there some tires which wider than rims? Or for 19s they all on the same level as rim edge? Owning Mazda 6 with 17s and Toyo tires which are wider than rims -- really helps.

I agree. The fronts look "stretched" over the rim width. The rim protection in the tire isn't even functional in this application. I guess it was some effort to aid turn-in steering feel???

______________________________

 

[MerlintheMad]

I agree. The fronts look "stretched" over the rim width. The rim protection in the tire isn't even functional in this application. I guess it was some effort to aid turn-in steering feel???

It's all good. Handling and traction benefit from the extreme high aspect ratio tire. I am not complaining or asking for a tire that sticks out beyond the rim so that I have a protective "cushion". I don't need a cushion or margin for error: I just need to get my "feelers" in sync with where the wheels and the rest of the car's extremities are. I'll get there. Hopefully my learning curve is behind me? Time/driving will tell.

 

[NYLAWBIZ]

Hi.

Those look more decorative than preventive to my untutored eye.

If I had had those on, I would have been on my third set by now!? At a hundred bucks a pop, I am probably over what Wheel Werks would charge, or at a parity of expense at any rate.

And thanks for getting back with me. That goes for all of you so far. "My" poll is already interesting. Why did I know that "I've done this more than once" would be in the extreme minority? Sheesh! I answered my own poll, so the score today is 4, 2, 4, which raised the percentage of mortal drivers to twenty percent. That still means I am one in five, either a bad parker or just freaking unlucky. I know, there is no luck about parking: whatever happens is because of what you did or did not do.

Both times that I seriously scraped my front wheel I had women in my car. My mother, who blamed herself for the fubar (in her mind, it wouldn't have happened if I had not been taking her out to dinner). Then one week later I had my wife and our daughter with me, taking the daughter out to dinner for her birthday. Mirror opposite situations: with my mother I was swinging into a left turn to park in the right hand endmost stall; "scruuunch" went the rim along the curb for c 14". The birthday outing I was turning right into the left hand endmost stall and parked too wide: I had over a foot and a half between my left wheels and the curb. So, I backed out, angled to the left, straightened and pulled in very slowly (I always do these very slowly; it increases the suspenseful agony!). I felt the car stop and since I had not pulled as far forward as I planned, I thought that the tires had fetched up against an asphalt berm bordering the gutter in front of me. I squeezed the gas pedal just a tetch, moved a few more inches, and turned the engine off and got out. Unfreakingbelievable: I was angled to the left and my front tire was solidly buried against the curb, and there was a nasty mark on the rim. I got back in, backed out, angled to the right and pulled forward, only to connect with the curb again, further down. I was practically livid at this point. And our daughter was standing outside to "direct" me: but all she could do the third time was flap her hands and shake her head and bounce up and down and practically cry. I think watching this has probably scarred her for life. The third time was a repeat. Total damage was to five areas. There was a transient with a "please give money" sign c. twenty feet from my parking "efforts". I had some of my attention drawn to him. So that was two distractions.

But really, I think what is going on here is lack of familiarity with this kind of car. I've never driven a sporty, low center of gravity machine before. Here's a pic of my typical ride for most of my life, until two months ago:

View attachment 8241

As you can well appreciate, sitting that high, with the resulting wide field of view looking down, makes curb parking much easier. This I did not appreciate before.

There is a big world of brand new rims out there. I just have to lay down the cash when I am ready: i.e. when I stop doing this!

The are protective in that the bead (in my case) red is a hard plastic that may get scuffed but should be able to take a licking. The bead pops in and out of the track easily, and I think the replacement beads about $20 for the set.

 

[MerlintheMad]

The are protective in that the bead (in my case) red is a hard plastic that may get scuffed but should be able to take a licking. The bead pops in and out of the track easily, and I think the replacement beads about $20 for the set.

Hmm, that does sound better cost-wise. But, here's the additional problem: these rims and the tires are (as noted above) virtually even, the tires do not project beyond the rims. And when you scrape up against a curb, the damage goes beyond the width of these protective beads, even reaching the base of the spokes. If the plastic is so stiff that it interposes a width of material before the curb can reach the rim, then it doesn't matter how narrow the bead is, it would still stop a slow scrunch against a curb from reaching above the beading. Am I understanding this correctly?

 

[NYLAWBIZ]

Hmm, that does sound better cost-wise. But, here's the additional problem: these rims and the tires are (as noted above) virtually even, the tires do not project beyond the rims. And when you scrape up against a curb, the damage goes beyond the width of these protective beads, even reaching the base of the spokes. If the plastic is so stiff that it interposes a width of material before the curb can reach the rim, then it doesn't matter how narrow the bead is, it would still stop a slow scrunch against a curb from reaching above the beading. Am I understanding this correctly?

Yes, I think you have it correct. The plastic bead is hard plastic.