Wouldn't it be nice if Tesla Mobile Service could repair rim rash?

[insaneoctane]

Since Tesla insists on making the rims so vulnerable to run rash, wouldn't it be nice if there Mobile service could fix them while doing other services?

 

[Derek Kessler]

Repairing curb rash requires removing the wheel from the car, the tire from the rim, removing the clear coating from the rim, sanding the scraped and applying a fill putty, sanding more, repainting at least that portion of the rim if not the entire rim, re-clear coating the rim, remounting the tire, and then remounting the wheel. This process takes a few hours at specialized shops that have large specialized equipment to accelerate the work (in particular the curing of the paint and clear coat); it'd take several hours to do in the field with minimal equipment.

In short: Yeah, it'd be nice, but it's not going to happen.

 

[SMAlset]

Probably easier to just avoid curbs.

 

[merickbz]

Repairing curb rash requires removing the wheel from the car, the tire from the rim, removing the clear coating from the rim, sanding the scraped and applying a fill putty, sanding more, repainting at least that portion of the rim if not the entire rim, re-clear coating the rim, remounting the tire, and then remounting the wheel. This process takes a few hours at specialized shops that have large specialized equipment to accelerate the work (in particular the curing of the paint and clear coat); it'd take several hours to do in the field with minimal equipment.

In short: Yeah, it'd be nice, but it's not going to happen.

I agree! There are few things that can't be done mobile. Wheel repair requires special tools and time.

 

[Big Dog]

Repairing curb rash requires removing the wheel from the car, the tire from the rim, removing the clear coating from the rim, sanding the scraped and applying a fill putty, sanding more, repainting at least that portion of the rim if not the entire rim, re-clear coating the rim, remounting the tire, and then remounting the wheel. This process takes a few hours at specialized shops that have large specialized equipment to accelerate the work (in particular the curing of the paint and clear coat); it'd take several hours to do in the field with minimal equipment.

In short: Yeah, it'd be nice, but it's not going to happen.

Hmmm, there are several threads on TMC about mobile wheel repair guys that fix curb rash in a jiffy. $100-$150. Do they really have specialized equipment in their van?

 

[Bill Foster]

Repairing curb rash requires removing the wheel from the car, the tire from the rim, removing the clear coating from the rim, sanding the scraped and applying a fill putty, sanding more, repainting at least that portion of the rim if not the entire rim, re-clear coating the rim, remounting the tire, and then remounting the wheel. This process takes a few hours at specialized shops that have large specialized equipment to accelerate the work (in particular the curing of the paint and clear coat); it'd take several hours to do in the field with minimal equipment.

In short: Yeah, it'd be nice, but it's not going to happen.

Tire doesn't have to be removed from the rim. And fixing them takes 30 min to an hour.

 

[Bill Foster]

Hmmm, there are several threads on TMC about mobile wheel repair guys that fix curb rash in a jiffy. $100-$150. Do they really have specialized equipment in their van?

They have a small paint booth and curing station. they can also straighten rims.

 

[TT97]

How are the Tesla rims more vulnerable to rash than any other rim? I have never seen any rim win the battle against the curb.

There are plenty of mobile rim repair services (especially in SoCal), I would rather have Tesla focus their resources on repairing Teslas.

 

[WilliamG]

How are the Tesla rims more vulnerable to rash than any other rim? I have never seen any rim win the battle against the curb.

There are plenty of mobile rim repair services (especially in SoCal), I would rather have Tesla focus their resources on repairing Teslas.

Agreed. I have never curbed a wheel in 17 years of driving (just in the USA). In London prior I did sadly curb a few, but the road situation there is a little different, and far less friendly.

 

[SSedan]

curb rash does not equal curb rash.
cheap mobile repair is likely not as thorough and not done on as severe a damaged rim.

An OEM like Tesla is going to want remove the tire and inspect the rim more thoroughly for cracks or the like. Jiffylube is not equal to dealer service.

 

[Big-T]

How are the Tesla rims more vulnerable to rash than any other rim? I have never seen any rim win the battle against the curb.

There are plenty of mobile rim repair services (especially in SoCal), I would rather have Tesla focus their resources on repairing Teslas.

At least with the 19" the rim sticks out a little more than the tire - and the tires are low profile so yes, compared to say my wife's Honda SUV which has big tires w/ plenty of sidewall, so if anything scrapes it would be the tire itself not the rim, on my old Mitsubishi which has more regular sized tires, still more sidewall and the edges of the rims didn't stick out past the rubber so again harder to scratch.

 

[Joshan]

At least with the 19" the rim sticks out a little more than the tire - and the tires are low profile so yes, compared to say my wife's Honda SUV which has big tires w/ plenty of sidewall, so if anything scrapes it would be the tire itself not the rim, on my old Mitsubishi which has more regular sized tires, still more sidewall and the edges of the rims didn't stick out past the rubber so again harder to scratch.

So your comparing applies to oranges and saying its Tesla's fault? How about comparing it to another sports car with low profile tires?

 

[dennisvab]

I have the 18” wheels, and agree the wheel sticks out quite a bit. Not saying it’s teslas fault. A lot of it is in the tire. On a different vehicle I replaced runflat Bridgestone’s with Continental DWS’s. The Conti’s were the same size as the tire they were replacing, but stuck out a little farther thus protecting the rim a little more. It actually gave the complete wheel a better look.

 

[MorrisonHiker]

Hmmm, there are several threads on TMC about mobile wheel repair guys that fix curb rash in a jiffy. $100-$150. Do they really have specialized equipment in their van?

We didn't notice until we got home but one of our sets of referral Arachnids got scratched when Tesla balanced them. Instead of swapping them out, Tesla sent a mobile wheel repair company out to fix things and covered the bill. The mobile repair company did a great job and the wheels looked like new again.

 

[insaneoctane]

• I'm only looking to add cosmetic fixes to Mobile Services offerings. If it's bent or it's structural, bring it in
• I think ALL Tesla's rims extend BEYOND the tire, such that if you light skim a curb while parking, you will scrape metal (vs every other car I've owned that rubs the tire sidewall before the rim). This is confirmed for Model 3 18" and 19"....20"? or MS/MX?
• This thread wasn't to discuss how great drivers never do this. Nor was it intended for someone who rams into a curb at speed...it's more for the light and accidental skim that results in ugly rim rash that Tesla's are prone to. I now observe every Model 3 I walk past and MOST have rim rash

 

[Bill Foster]

curb rash does not equal curb rash.
cheap mobile repair is likely not as thorough and not done on as severe a damaged rim.

An OEM like Tesla is going to want remove the tire and inspect the rim more thoroughly for cracks or the like. Jiffylube is not equal to dealer service.

Honestly, if you don't know what you are talking about, you shouldn't post.

Every dealer I have worked at (4 different high line manufacturers) had a mobile wheel company that came once or twice a week to do wheel repairs/straighten bent wheels. Both for Customer pay work and for front line used cars. Charge the dealer 75-100 a wheel, dealer sells it for 150-175, and the SA makes a spiff (usually) on each wheel repair sold.

They don't remove the tire and they don't "inspect the wheel more thoroughly".

You can have curb rash all the way around the wheel and on the face and the mobile guys will remove it and repaint it without issue.

 

[Jimbydude]

Wife got Curb Rash while back. After she stopped sobbing I said I'd have a go at fixing it and reckon it turned out pretty good. Can't really tell unless you get up close. I'm sure it's not as good a as pro obviously but better than nothing. Don't have pic as I just read this at at work, but looked at my Amazon orders to get the products I used.

This is the paint, It's perfect match to the rim color.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HE66OK8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This I used to fill the gouges
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010AGXBUO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Plus some rough and fine sandpaper. In hindsight I think using a small file would have been better as the sandpaper is very broad.

 

[SSedan]

Honestly, if you don't know what you are talking about, you shouldn't post.

Every dealer I have worked at (4 different high line manufacturers) had a mobile wheel company that came once or twice a week to do wheel repairs/straighten bent wheels. Both for Customer pay work and for front line used cars. Charge the dealer 75-100 a wheel, dealer sells it for 150-175, and the SA makes a spiff (usually) on each wheel repair sold.

They don't remove the tire and they don't "inspect the wheel more thoroughly".

You can have curb rash all the way around the wheel and on the face and the mobile guys will remove it and repaint it without issue.

Really none of what you said disagreed with me.
With at dealer service someone has looked at it and made a preliminary judgement on damage level.
With mobile service you will have ignorant people scheduling mobile rim repair for smashed rims and bitching when the tech who's time they wasted says it needs work beyond what he can do.

 

[Bill Foster]

Really none of what you said disagreed with me.
With at dealer service someone has looked at it and made a preliminary judgement on damage level.
With mobile service you will have ignorant people scheduling mobile rim repair for smashed rims and bitching when the tech who's time they wasted says it needs work beyond what he can do.

No tech "inspects" the wheel.

It has curb rash, it goes to the mobile wheel repair guys.

 

[Darscot]

This has nothing to do with Tesla you drove the car into piece of concrete and you think Tesla actually insisted that the steel and paint of the rim was weak so that it would rash. Man this place can be depressing.