Wheel Bands™ Kit for Tesla Model 3, Model S and Model X and EV Owners

Tesla] since May. When I got it, I searched for rim protection, because my personal history is that clearly I like kissing curbs. Found Wheel Bands™ and bought a black+black set. Since then I have hit 3 tires on curbs, zero damage to the rims… I've never used rim protection before. These things have worked awesomely for me.' - Jim Graves, Boston, MA TABEND TABSTART Gallery Wheel Bands™ are easy-to-install and also provide a color styling accessory for the outer rim of vehicle wheels. Track and insert combinations are packaged as sets: Silver Track-Reflective Silver Insert; Silver Track-Red Reflective Insert; Black Track-Red Insert; Silver Track-Silver Insert; Black Track-Black Insert. Photos showing some of the color combinations used on Tesla wheels can be seen in the images below.  Red Silver   Black   TABEND TABSTART Specifications There are three simple components to the patented Wheel Bands™ design: a snap-in plastic color insert, a plastic mounting track and an acrylic foam attachment tape which is applied to the mounting track during the manufacturing process. The color insert and mounting track are produced in extruded plastic coils with a formed in radius that allows for one coil diameter to be used across a range of EV wheel sizes. Features   Kit Material Coverage Track and insert materials are each delivered in one continuous 27.3 ft (8.3m) long coil—enough material to outfit up to four 22” wheels (or five 19” wheels). Fitment Wheel Bands™ are a universal fit product for wheel sizes from 18” to 22”. They can be installed on any rim design that has a 1/4" wide flat edge for the Wheel Bands™ mounting track tape to stick to. They easily fit most EV wheel designs. Wheel bands are NOT recommended for any wheel that has a ceramic coating. In the EV category, ceramic-coated wheels include Tesla Model Y 20" and 21" wheels and the Porsche Taycan. Color Options Track and insert combinations are packaged as sets: Silver Track-Reflective Silver Insert Silver Track-Red Reflective Insert Black Track-Red Insert Silver Track-Silver Insert Black Track-Black Insert Winner of three Global Media Awards at SEMA, Wheel Bands™ are recognized as the optimal solution for EV owners to protect and personalize their wheels. TABEND TABSTART Instructions INSTALLATION TIME / REQUIRED MATERIALS Installation time for Wheel Bands™ varies based on wheel design, wheel size and experience level of the person doing the work. A first time do-it-yourself installation takes 40 minutes to an hour for a set of four wheels. A person who has installed Wheel Bands™ on several cars can do an installation on a set of four wheels in 20 minutes or less. Professional installations may take 20 to 30 minutes per vehicle. Color inserts can be swapped out in seconds to change color or repair light scuffing. Required materials (as noted in the video above) are: Mounting Track, Color Insert, IPA and Paper Towel, Cutting Tool (not supplied) and Application Tool. Note: a complete set of written instructions is provided with your Wheel Bands™ purchase. INSTALLATION VIDEO ALWAYS TEST FOR PROPER ADHESION IMPORTANT NOTE: the attachment tape used in Wheel Bands™ sticks well to all OEM wheels and clear coat finishes. However, Wheel Bands™ cannot be properly attached to wheels that have had aftermarket non-stick, wax or high gloss paint protection treatments applied to them. Rule of thumb is that if the wheel or paint treatment advertises a non-stick, easy to clean, or hydrophobic (water resistant) "no wax" finish, Wheel Bands™ will not stick properly to that surface. The surface treatment used would have to be removed from the edge of the wheel area where Wheel Bands™ need to stick to prior to installing Wheel Bands™. The following products are examples of surface treatments that can be used AFTER installing Wheel Bands™, but not BEFORE: Armor All, Teflon, Opti-Coat and Detailers Wheel Coating. If you are unsure of the coating on your wheels, clean the surface with soap and water and then do a final wipe with IPA/rubbing alcohol and a clean paper towel. You can cut a few inches of the Wheel Band off from the kit you've ordered. Remove the liner backing of the double stick tape and press the test piece of Wheel Bands™ mounting track onto the wheel. If you try to slide the test piece off the wheel by pushing with your thumb or forefinger you should be able to stretch and break the foam tape before the adhesive layer releases from the wheel surface (as shown in the video below). If the test piece slides off the wheel without damaging the foam tape, the surface is either not properly cleaned or it has a non-stick coating that first must be buffed off. The video below shows how well Wheel Bands™ should stick if you're working with a good surface to bond to:   INSTALLATION OVER LIGHT CURB RASH You can hide light curb rash on your wheel with Wheel Bands™. At the same time, you can take the opportunity to personalize your wheels with a snap-in color pinstripe. If the curb rash or scuffing on your alloy wheel is not too severe and does not cover extend around a major part of your wheel rim, you can use Wheel Bands™ to hide the damage. Smooth out the damage with a file or sandpaper to allow for a reasonably flat surface for the high bond tape on the Wheel Bands™ to stick too. Clean the rim to be free of oils, tire shine polish and debris. Wipe the surface down with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol or the surface prep pad that comes in a Wheel Bands™ kit. Tape down the mounting track around the outer edge of the rim. Snap-in a color insert and you're good to go. Use an accent color to put a pinstripe styling look on your wheels. Or, match up to your wheel color with a silver or black insert for a discreet look. Don't forget your added insurance bonus: the next time you brush a curb while parking or maneuvering around the drive thru, it will be much easier to do a quick repair to keep your wheels looking brand new. You can repair your curb rash and scuffs the hard or expensive way, or you can choose the Wheel Bands™ way. REMOVING INSTALLED PRODUCT Wheel Bands™ can be removed after installation by prying up at the joint ends of the mounting tracks. Slowly pull the mounting track away from the rim surface. Residual attachment tape left on the rim surface can be removed by dabbing or spraying on a citrus cleaner product and allowing it to stand for approximately 5 minutes. The residual tape can then be rubbed off with durable clean cloth. If a good citrus cleaner is not available, mineral spirits or other strong solvent can be used. Be sure to use isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to fully remove any oily residues if immediately re-installing Wheel Bands. FOR PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION Professional installers can install a set of Wheel Bands™ on clean, oil-free wheels in as little as 20 minutes (while you wait). Installation time varies based on wheel size and how much time is required to clean the surface of your wheels to remove grime, polishes and especially tire shine (silicone) products that tape cannot stick to. Typical labor cost for installs is $75 to $125/vehicle. Shops which do window tinting, paint protection films and vehicle graphics are the most skilled in making sure wheel surfaces are properly cleaned for optimum bonding of the automotive attachment tape used in Wheel Bands. TABEND TABSTART FAQ Will Wheel Bands™ fit on my EV wheels? Yes. Wheel Bands™ fit most 18" to 22" EV wheels. The unique coiled design used in manufacturing Wheel Bands™ means that a Wheel Bands™ Kit is a one-size fits all solution for wheels ranging from 13" to 22". Can I install Wheel Bands™ if I already have some damage on my rims? If the curb rash or scuffing on your alloy wheel is not too severe and does not extend around a major part of your wheel rim, you can install and use Wheel Bands™ to hide the damage (please see images below). Note: anything that reduces the amount of clean surface area for the adhesive tape to stick to reduces the performance of Wheel Bands. We cannot guarantee the performance of Wheel Bands™ that have been attached to wheels with existing rim damage. Wheel Bands™ may be applied over lightly scratched and scuffed rims, but their long-term performance may be reduced.   What if I have "clip on" wheel weights on my rims? In many cases Wheel Bands™ can be installed to wheels with clip-on wheel balancing weights. The Wheel Band track design allows for cutting the track flush with either end of the wheel weight clip. The color insert can then be snapped into the track and bridged across the metal clip. Note: On your next tire change ask your tire installer to use tape-on wheel balancing weights. How well do I have to wash my wheels before installing Wheel Bands? A regular car wash or warm water and detergent are the best start to preparing your wheels for installing Wheel Bands. DO NOT use any wax or shine products on your wheels or tires before installing Wheel Bands. Shine and polish products leave residues on the wheel surface which will reduce the adhesion of the 3M tape backed Wheel Band to your wheel. Any product containing silicone oil should NOT be used prior to installation of Wheel Bands. Shine and polish products may be applied AFTER installing Wheel Bands. The alcohol preparation wipes included in your Wheel Bands™ Kit should be used to make a final cleaning of the wheel rim surface that the Wheel Bands™ will be attached to. The preparation wipe should be used immediately prior to installing your Wheel Bands. It is only necessary to use the preparation wipe on the part of the wheel surface that the Wheel Band will be attached to. If the alcohol preparation wipe is misplaced or otherwise not available, common rubbing alcohol (IPA) on a clean paper towel or cloth may be used instead. How well do Wheel Bands™ protect my rims? Wheel Bands™ are a defensive product intended to reduce the potential for scratches and light scuffs to your rims. They DO NOT protect wheel rims from damage in all cases. Like a car bumper, they are intended to absorb some of the impact with road hazards in an effort to avoid more serious damage to what is behind them. The same as for your bumper, in many cases the Wheel Bands™ will be damaged, but damage to the rims behind your Wheel Bands™ will be reduced. Wheel Bands™ perform best in slow speed maneuvering conditions such as parallel parking and driving into car wash tracks. Wheel Bands™ which detach following an impact should be replaced. The best way to think of the value in using Wheel Bands™ is like this: Without Wheel Bands™ your bare rims are like riding a motorcycle with only a bathing suit on. With Wheel Bands™ your rims are dressed in the equivalent of a leather jacket and leather pants — in the colors of your choice! Are there any limitations on the kind of car wash I should use? We recommend that you DO NOT use a car wash that uses wheel/tire guide rails (sometimes called a "conveyor wash"). The rails are often used in older car washes that “pull” your vehicle through a number of washing stations. The rails can rub against the Wheel Bands™, loosening or damaging them. We do recommend car washes in which the car remains stationary and the cleaning “robot” moves around the vehicle. How long will Wheel Bands™ last? Wheel Bands™ have been under development for over 5 years. Wheel Bands™ installed as long as three years ago continue to perform without problem in real-life installations. Accelerated performance testing indicates that undamaged Wheel Bands™ should last for up to 30,000 miles. In general, they should be treated as a wear item that should be replaced whenever you replace your worn tires or if they detach following an impact. The color inserts are weather and sunlight resistant but can eventually begin to fade slightly after a year or two of outdoor exposure depending on how your car is stored. Inserts can be taken out, turned over and re-inserted to increase their full color life. Image above, Source: Yahoo Autos Is it difficult to remove Wheel Bands™ from my wheels? Wheel Bands™ can be removed after installation by prying up at the joint ends of the mounting tracks. Take care to slowly pull the mounting track on a slight sideways angle from the rim surface. (Don't pull quickly straight up off the wheel.) When done with patience, much of the adhesive tape often remains attached to the mounting track so that the amount of adhesive residue remaining on the rim will be limited. The best DIY approach for removing adhesive tape and glue left on the rim is to spray or dab some mineral spirits, orange citrus cleaner product or Goof Off™ onto the leftover tape and let it sit for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes the residual tape can be wiped up with strong clean cloth or hard rubber eraser (note: paper towels tend to fall apart). Any remaining adhesive glue or oily cleaner residue on the surface of the wheel can be cleaned up with rubbing alcohol (IPA). Important: Be sure to test the clean up product chosen in a small area first to make sure it does not damage the surface finish on the wheels. NOTE: Professional body shops and car graphics shops can easily remove residual foam tape with a 3M Stripe Off disk. This is a hard rubber disk that mounts into a drill or air wrench. A hard rubber eraser can be used by hand to get the same effect as a DIY technique -- it just takes more time. Where can I get Wheel Bands™ installed if I don't want to do it myself? Automotive accessory shops which do window tinting, paint protection films and vehicle graphics are the most skilled in making sure wheel surfaces are properly cleaned for optimum bonding of the automotive attachment tape used in Wheel Bands. Service staff in these shops can easily follow the installation instructions included in the Wheel Bands™ Kit. What is the best tool for cutting Wheel Bands™ to size? Any sharp knife or pair of cutters can be used. The best tool is a sharp pair of anvil style pruning shears. Scoring the track and insert with a pocketknife also works well. When bent away from the score mark the plastic will snap-off with a clean square edge. If you’re a pet owner, dog or cat claw trimmers are the safest way to work around your rims and tires. The plastic coils of the Wheel Bands™ have at least 4 to 6 inches of extra length even for 22" wheel sizes. It is best to make a few sample cuts to practice your cutting technique and to make sure you are starting with a clean edge of plastic and adhesive tape. Can I put my Wheel Bands™ through a car wash? Yes. Wheel Bands™ can stand up to repeated car washing. They are a good defense against the various bumps and jolts your rims may encounter in the car wash system. Note: Check to make sure your Wheel Bands™ are firmly in place before entering the car wash. It is also recommended that you check your Wheel Bands™ coming out of the car wash. Make sure the snap-in color inserts have not been knocked loose from their mounting tracks by any of the equipment or wheel guides in the car wash. Can I put Wheel Bands™ on custom painted wheels? If the painted surface was done at a professional shop where the paint was properly applied to the wheel the adhesive in Wheel Bands™ will not cause damage to the painted surface when removing. If the painted surface is a DIY it depends on surface preparation before pain