Rimetrix Laminars are here

[e645824]

Here is what my Rimetrix's look like after 2 months. I recently went through the car wash so the tires are clean. I've found that the Rimetrix's stay cleaner than the tires.

Scott

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MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021

 

[Nesto]

Has anyone tried to use touch up paint on your Rimetrix? What type? I asked Rimetrix and they didn't have a recommendation - just "low gloss black"

 

[e645824]

??? I assumed that the Rimetrix's are black ABS plastic; at least that is what mine looked like when I put them on. So if they scratch, they'd scratch black. Do you have non-black scratches? Might be a rub-off from some something else instead of an actual scratch in the Rimetrix.

Scott

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MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021

 

[meldog]

I like how they look. But I like how the bare Gemini rims look too, so I'm in the minority. I run them bare in the warmer months and I'll use these this time of year.

Here's a picture comparing the covers with the bare rims.

Looks great. Is this a performance or long range Y?

 

[RocDeef]

Looks great. Is this a performance or long range Y?

Long range

 

[ODogg]

Is there an aftermarket center cap with the Tesla logo that fits the Laminars? I saw someone on YouTube who had them but there wasn’t a link.

 

[Andrew Smith]

Kind of strange that Chinese market hasn’t tapped into wheel covers yet….

 

[patoirish]

@ODogg did you ever find any?

 

[e645824]

Well, I'm at 10,000 miles and it was time for my tire rotation. See my Post #81 for what the Rimetrix Laminars looked like on the car several thousand miles ago.

This is the first time I took my Rimetrix Laminars off. At 10,000 miles, they still look good and they do stay clean on the outside (but the inside does get dirty). Here is a photo of them off:

However, they are much harder to take off than the original Gemini covers. And I tried the 2-inch suction cup on the center caps but it didn't work on any of the 4 wheels. I even cleaned them with windex and made absolutely sure to center the suction cups so that air wouldn't leak around at the edge of the R logo.

So I used some plastic trim tools to remove the center caps:

Can anyone recommend an easier way to get the center caps off? At home in my garage with my tool box it isn't a problem. But if I'm stuck on the side of the road I'd probably whack away at the things with a crowbar to get them off.

I'm tempted to drill a hole in the center caps and use an L-tool to pull them off. I was never able to get the suction cup technique to work and a metal screwdriver would scratch the plastic.

Thanks,

Scott

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MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021

 

[e645824]

A follow-up to my previous post: I had removed my Rimetrix hubcaps before arriving (see photos above). I got my tires rotated and balanced at Americas Tire in Turlock California. I offered them my jack pads but they said that they already had them. I watched them jack up my MYLR using 4 floor jacks. They appeared to be in the correct locations. There was another Tesla in the appointment right after mine; so they seemed experienced with Teslas and knew what they were doing. (Turlock is a couple hours east of Fremont).

At this point, the hubcaps are back on but the center caps are still off. Haven't decided what to do yet... I had contacted Rimetrix a couple of months ago and they said that the center caps are required to keep the hubcaps on. I'm doubtful of that -- the Rimetrix's are harder to pull off than the Gemini's and they don't have a locking center cap.

So I'm either going to drill a small hole for an L-tool, or I'm going to break-off the little tabs and just glue the center caps in-place in the hubcaps (just like the Gemini's)

Scott

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MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021

 

[DealMasterMike]

Curious could you not pull off the Rimmetrix hubs with the center cap still in place?

 

[Subculture]

A follow-up to my previous post: I had removed my Rimetrix hubcaps before arriving (see photos above). I got my tires rotated and balanced at Americas Tire in Turlock California. I offered them my jack pads but they said that they already had them. I watched them jack up my MYLR using 4 floor jacks. They appeared to be in the correct locations. There was another Tesla in the appointment right after mine; so they seemed experienced with Teslas and knew what they were doing. (Turlock is a couple hours east of Fremont).

At this point, the hubcaps are back on but the center caps are still off. Haven't decided what to do yet... I had contacted Rimetrix a couple of months ago and they said that the center caps are required to keep the hubcaps on. I'm doubtful of that -- the Rimetrix's are harder to pull off than the Gemini's and they don't have a locking center cap.

So I'm either going to drill a small hole for an L-tool, or I'm going to break-off the little tabs and just glue the center caps in-place in the hubcaps (just like the Gemini's)

Scott

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MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021

I practiced putting in and removing my center cap when the Rimetrix was still off the car. Man, it took a lot of pressure to remove. I'm thinking it's one of those things that maybe loosens after a few times being removed and put back. I also failed using a suction cup, so I'm gonna try the trim removal tool and cloth route.

 

[e645824]

Curious could you not pull off the Rimmetrix hubs with the center cap still in place?

The center cap seems to secure the hubcap in-place -- inserting the center cap presses out the central flanges in the hubcap (see photos in Post #89). And the Rimetrix hubcaps are hard enough to get off without the center cap; I haven't tried to pull them off with the center cap engaged for fear of cracking the hubcaps..

Scott

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MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021

 

[e645824]

I modified my center caps so that I could pull them off with a L-hook tool. The process is trivial and works well. Here is my step-by-step:

I used a center-punch in the curved part of the R to mark the hole. Then I drilled a hole with a brad-point bit at a slow speed. I used 9/64" just because it was the smallest brad-point that I had. 1/8" should work fine also.

The L-hook tool is from Amazon, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z5SLYKR and is part of a set of four for $7. I just wanted something with a handle and an L-hook.

Here are the other three with their holes:

Here it is on the car getting ready to remove (it just rained so my Rimetrix's are dirty. They are normally cleaner than the tires):

And here I am removing it. Use a quick-thrust, not a slow pull:

It comes right out and doesn't appear to crack the plastic.

The little hole will probably allow some water or dirt to get inside to the spindle nut and wheel bearing. So a little rubber plug seems like a good idea to plug that hole.

Scott

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MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021

 

[SDM44]

Surprisingly, I'm now starting to see the Laminar caps popping up everywhere around the LA/OC areas, especially in the past couple of months now. I've probably seen at least 15-20 different Model Y's with them on, most of them parked but some out on the street.

IMO, from a distance or when you're walking up to the car, they look pretty good in person. Personally, I would add some wheel spacers to give them a more flush look with the body for a more aggressive look, but still better looking than he factory Gemini caps.

 

[e645824]

Here are some better photos now that it has stopped raining and the sun has come out. The hole for my L-hook tool is barely visible in the second photo so I haven't gone hunting for a little rubber plug yet. This is 11,000 miles on the Rimetrix's. I really like the chrome-delete look that I have everywhere.

These are still the OEM Gemini's and the Remitrex's do a nice job of covering them; including the edges (the silver part that peeks around the edges of the OEM hubcaps)

Scott

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MYLR | Red ext | White int | 19" | 5 seats | tow | no FSD | made/delivered Oct 2021

 

[ODogg]

@ODogg did you ever find any?

Yes. The one I saw on Youtube was a decal. Like this one on eBay - Tesla Model 3 S X Y Wheel Center Cap Sticker Wheel Car Emblem Lettering Black | eBay

 

[CHALK_Y]

Hard pass! Those are worse than the OEM hubcaps..

 

[JimMay]

I must be one of the few people on here that actually loves the look of Gemini wheels with caps.

 

[turnbowm]

I must be one of the few people on here that actually loves the look of Gemini wheels with caps.

They're growing on me. Plus, curb rash can be taken care of with a $35 replacement hubcap.