After 5 months...

[Fast Eddie B]

...no longer a rim virgin:



Right front while parallel parking. I can blame a curve in the road where the curb was quite high, but it still seemed awfully easy to do.

I wondered how we managed about 14 years and 205,000+ miles in our Element without similar damage. I just checked, and the Element has about 3/4” of tire protruding beyond the rim:



The Clarity? Rim and tire virtually flush:



I suppose it’s a compromise for better aerodynamics. But I wonder if when tires are due to be changed an ever-so-slightly wider tire of might help avoid damage, with hopefully a negligible effect on mileage.

Thoughts?

 

[petteyg359]

I think the Clarity is just in an unusually forward (to me at least) position over the wheels. In previous vehicles, I only ever worried about "curb checks" to the front, but in the Clarity I can go around a curve with room to spare in front and yet somehow scrape the back wheels.

 

[Remarksman]

You're lucky, only took me about 2 months.
I've never had a car that took a curb scratching so easily. I mean, other cars I've owned could all "brush" the curb tire-only unless you were really "doing something wrong" or the curb was unusually tall or sharp or something. The Clarity has no "brushing", only "scraping as soon as you touch the curb".

I will also consider wider-than-stock tires at tire replacement time for this reason, but by that time I fear it will be far too late to make a difference in terms of how bad the rims look.

 

[craze1cars]

...no longer a rim virgin:

Right front while parallel parking. I can blame a curve in the road where the curb was quite high, but it still seemed awfully easy to do.

I wondered how we managed about 14 years and 205,000+ miles in our Element without similar damage. I just checked, and the Element has about 3/4” of tire protruding beyond the rim:

View attachment 4352

The Clarity? Rim and tire virtually flush:

I suppose it’s a compromise for better aerodynamics. But I wonder if when tires are due to be changed an ever-so-slightly wider tire of might help avoid damage, with hopefully a negligible effect on mileage.

Thoughts?

Agreed fully. Next size or two up in width would fit and handle fine, would help protect the rim, and yes would come with a slight loss of efficiency.

 

[Robert_Alabama]

I bought a black wheel from a fuel cell Clarity with curb rash (not as bad as your photo, but significant). I sanded it out starting with rough sandpaper and working up to about 400. Once it was smooth, I painted the whole wheel with Rust-oleum Aluminum paint (white can labeled Metallic Finish and with Bright Coat in yellow circle). The printed number on the bottom of the can says 7715 Aluminum and under that HD 2 22 2. Anyway, I couldn't believe how well this turned out. I put the painted wheel alongside the original stock wheels and I can't tell the difference. Certainly with it separated a few feet, no one could tell. Of course I had no tire on the wheel, so that made it a lot easier to paint.

 

[craze1cars]

FWIW Curbed wheels like that are routinely repaired and refinished in the body shop world. They don’t necessarily do it themselves but they farm it out to Keystone/LKQ or other vendors who do it for them. $125 is typical shop cost to make something like that new again, plus labor to dismount/remount/balance the tire. And some wait time if you drive a unicorn like Clarity and they don’t have a wheel exchange program like they do for more common wheels.

Also used car dealers have mobile wheel repairs done routinely on their lot. Chat with a large used car dealer and see who they use for wheel repairs on their lot and get a phone #. One of those guys might come to your home and do the repair while you wait, much like the windshield guys. It takes them 1 to 2 hours and again $125 is a typical cost. They just break the outside tire bead loose, fix it, then reseat the bead. Doesn’t even change tire position so no need to balance and you save dismount remount fees. I’ve had such services do wheels at my home more than once, but I was in the business and had local contacts....

 

[Fast Eddie B]

Thanks Robert.

My 10,000 mile tire rotation is about due. I’ll use that opportunity to get the wheel and tire to waist level and work on it a bit. And that paint recommendation will be a great help!

 

[John Gardner]

It took me about 6 months but I don't curb park that much. Right front seems to be the gluten for punishment. Amazon to the rescue and comes with it's own little brush. After sanding and applying, can't see the damage (old eyes at least) and was done in about 10 minutes.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I1QGBS/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

John

 

[Fast Eddie B]

Update;

Just rotated my tires, and spent about 20 minutes working on the road rash with sandpaper:

Looks a lot better. For now, I just waxed the bare aluminum - I’ll get the suggested paint next time out.

As an aside, ha see anyone determined what the square plastic tabs sticking down are?

One on each side in front of the rear wheel wells. For the life of me, I can’t imagine their function.

 

[insightman]

As an aside, ha see anyone determined what the square plastic tabs sticking down are?

Knowing how hard the Clarity engineers worked on the aerodynamics (see rear wheel wells), I'd guess they deflect the wind from the rear tires and are probably good for 0.25 mpg at 60 mph.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

Knowing how hard the Clarity engineers worked on the aerodynamics (see rear wheel wells), I'd guess they deflect the wind from the rear tires and are probably good for 0.25 mpg at 60 mph.

So, they all have them. I vaguely suspected it was something that was supposed to be removed pre-delivery. I spent the last 6 months thinking they were metal, and guessing jacking point. Glad I checked the manual for those!

 

[Tailwind]

Any thought given to protecting the tires and wheels by not hitting the curb? Going back 5 cars I've owned over the past 30 years, I've never hit a curb with a tire and can get to within 6-12 inches of a curb no problem. And my Clarity is no different. Why all the "curb rash"?

 

[Fast Eddie B]

Any thought given to protecting the tires and wheels by not hitting the curb? Going back 5 cars I've owned over the past 30 years, I've never hit a curb with a tire and can get to within 6-12 inches of a curb no problem. And my Clarity is no different. Why all the "curb rash"?

To err is human...

I think part of the problem is my main driver has been a Honda Element. I guess I’ll get used to it, but I have a bit of trouble judging where the front corners of the Clarity are.

This particular incident had me parking on a curve. I had parked satisfactorily, I thought, when it was suggested I pull forward again to get closer to the curb. CRUNCH. So it goes.

But word to the wise - by declaring yourself immune, you may have set yourself up for a fall. I wish you well, and I respect your superior parking skills, but I would not be surprised by a future post beginning with “Over the past 30 years, I've never hit a curb with a tire, but then...”

And then we’ll welcome you to the club!

 

[Mark W]

Any thought given to protecting the tires and wheels by not hitting the curb? Going back 5 cars I've owned over the past 30 years, I've never hit a curb with a tire and can get to within 6-12 inches of a curb no problem. And my Clarity is no different. Why all the "curb rash"?

I guess we are not as good of a driver as you are.

 

[Mowcowbell]

Although I haven't had any curb damage yet, I read this thread and have paid closer attention to where the curb is when I have to street park my Clarity. I have the same issue as Fast Eddie... my other car is a '15 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. It has beefy AT tires on it. The tires have seen plenty of curb rubbing, but never the rims themselves.

 

[KClark]

I guess I’ll get used to it, but I have a bit of trouble judging where the front corners of the Clarity are.

I've been thinking about making a separate post on this. I'm having a terrible time getting used to the front dimensions of this car. When it looks like I've pulled up as much as I can and I'm about to hit the car or wall in front of me I stop, get out and see that I have 12-18 inches of space. I'm very aware of this every time I park but I still haven't been able to get a feel for how close I can get, it always looks like I'm so close I'll hit something but I'm not.

 

[Robert_Alabama]

I wonder how big a hit the mpg would take to put wider tires on the 8" rims to help this?

 

[Fast Eddie B]

I guess we are not as good of a driver as you are.

Whenever I hear someone say they can’t imagine doing something or other, my first thought is maybe it’s just a lack of imagination!

 

[ukon]

I parallel park 50% of the time. In my 9 years with cars, it never did. With clarity 4 times in 4 months. I gave up having emotions on this. Now I chose a few inches whenever possible.

 

[Mesa]

Wife put wheel rash on all four rims within a couple months. After 35 years I don't get upset because I expect it. She can also testify that the old VW bugs don't float.