UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

bit of extra care and wider tyres to over the rim lip would protect more

I personally don't like them.

Looking at some of the installation videos on YouTube, it requires quite a lot of force with a soft hammer to fit them. With the GTI's wheels (standard Parabolica and optional Serron) being diamond cut, what's the risk of damaging the lacquer on the edge of the wheel when fitting the Alloygators? If this does happen, then whiteworm corrosion is likely to set in, where water gets under the lacquer surface through the damaged area and spreads under the lacquer, turning the diamond cut surface of the wheel milky white, requiring a professional refurb to remove it.

If you're not sure what whiteworm corrosion looks like, a quick 'Google' search will bring up some images.

As Willni suggests, just take a bit of extra care.

You can take as much extra care as you like but when a 38 tonne artic forces you into the kerb no amount of care will prevent damage.

The tyres of many of my previous cars had a protective band moulded into the sidewall, it helped protect both the sidewall and the wheel, that sadly seems to have gone out of fashion.

I bought a set of Alloygators for my last car, I could not work up sufficient energy to fit them and my local garage didn't fancy the task either. They are currently sitting in my garage but will probably not survive the next clear out.

Ricmondo wrote:You can take as much extra care as you like but when a 38 tonne artic forces you into the kerb no amount of care will prevent damage.

That's when you hold your ground and if they hit you, you get a new car courtesy of her majesty

Hold your ground against a heavy artic, I think not, scuffed wheels are infinitely preferable to death or maiming. I don't understand your reference to her in Buck House either.

Remember the old maxim about motorcyclists. There are old motorcyclists and bold motorcyclists but not old bold motorcyclists. It is equally applicable to automobilists, even those in Polos.

Keep your wits about you, keep your brain in gear and invest in a Dremel and some touch up paint, works for me, and trust ye not in insurance companies or Crown Prosecutors they tend to be fair weather friends who look the other way when you really need them.

PS A dash cam, whilst not infallible can also be useful but not if you have been crushed into a tyre marked pulp.

Maybe you should give Rimblades a check. I used to have them on my old ST when i had black wheels so they were almost invisible but i don't want to ruin the look of my diamond cut wheels so i'm without anything.

Rimblades simply use a 3m sticky tape to stick to your rims, if you install them right they will last a year easily. If you want to remove them simply pull them off and use a glue remover from halfords to get the remaining glue left on your rim, no damage or hammering needed and they do a set for all types of rims.

Now I parallel park my car every day, allways making sure drivers side is next to the curb, dip my mirror so it focuses on the rear wheel and if i get stuck i just pop my head out the window to see whats going on.

Can't say that I care for naughty people that must park with their side next to the kerb, and expect all traffic to be kind and helpful to them as it was now become not their fault that they can not see to get back out on to the road properly, so must leave it to chance and inconvenience other road users.

I still have tyres with protective bands on them P Zero Rosso, as fitted at factory to my car, not the best tyres by far, but suit my usage of my S4.

I think that wife's Polo SEL also has rim protectors on the Conti fitted at factory.

When it comes to tyres replacement time, maybe take a look at some online tyre suppliers sites as they do list a few details about each tyre, including if it has a protective band on it.

Alloygators, I've only really noticed them when my eyes have been drawn to them by them being a bit ripped off looking!

I once had a very nasty encounter with a high kerb with wife's previous Polo, it had Melbournes on and due to the angle of the road plus a small cobbled gutter, the wheel got hit at about half height - not nice. To cap that, the person I was dropping off at the railway station, opened the door fully and it too caught the high kerb - though that was easier fixed and became invisible to most!

Edit:- it is sometimes difficult to protect against damage without making the car look a bit naff, maybe a balancing act. I fitted genuine Ford door "rubbing strips" to my wife's Fiesta SI when it was new, that looked okay as lesser models had these strips on them, I would not think that that would work on modern Polos though, I once saw an old bloke who had "very neatly" screwed metal letters on to the side of his Fiesta maybe they were his initials - I'd think that was not a good look!

I agree, "wrong way around" parking can cause a whole load of problems. Although prosecutions are as rare as polite BMW drivers few people realise that in very many parts of the country it is still illegal to park against traffic flow on a main road or bus route. Although prevailing traffic conditions mitigate against total compliance I would never be surprised if an over zealous PA or Policeman decided to issue a ticket at the end of a bad day.

Academic question, can you fit gators to an old croc or even a Porsche Cayman?

In theory yes, but you would need to be very brave or foolish, wearing "fast" shoes and "good" gauntlets would also help.

Hit the Jimmy Naill right on the head!

I am looking to get them for my polo GT after kerbing the front drivers side, thought it might be cheaper then paying out to get the wheels repaired when this happens. Having said that, I've had the car just over two years and this was the first time it's happened.


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Ricmondo wrote:I agree, "wrong way around" parking can cause a whole load of problems. Although prosecutions are as rare as polite BMW drivers few people realise that in very many parts of the country it is still illegal to park against traffic flow on a main road or bus route. Although prevailing traffic conditions mitigate against total compliance I would never be surprised if an over zealous PA or Policeman decided to issue a ticket at the end of a bad day.

Academic question, can you fit gators to an old croc or even a Porsche Cayman?

I live on a residential street that has parked cars on either side and only wide enough for 1 car to drive through at a time, that's the only place I parallel park so it does not matter if my car is facing the "wrong way". If I need to take a trip to town just get there and find a spot in the corner of a car park away from other cars, especially after my friend now has a door ding on his new car.

http://www.rimblades.com/ Look on that site they have a sollution for almost all wheel types

I fully and empathically understand why people park the wrong way around, frequently do it myself and when I encounter it it doesn't turn me into Victor Meldrew, merely pointing out that there could be unwelcome consequences. It's probably time that other than in a few very special circumstances that law should be abolished.

There are lots of laws that need looking at, cars are now wider than on street parking bays, it's the norm for Chelsea tractors to herd together and overlap either side of the road effectively making it no go for fire engines, ambulances and Ocado drivers who keep lazy people like me alive. I saw two Range Rovers ticketed for just that at school collection time last week, exit stage left a pair of yummy mummies who just couldn't understand what the problem is. Life can be so cruel can't it