Installing RT Rim Protectors

Installation

The kit comes in two sizes, quarter inch and 3/8 inch. Check the media images on the product page to confirm which size your wheels take.

Before you start

• The adhesion promoter has a high petroleum content. Wear latex gloves to apply it if you have sensitive skin.
• Each rim trim is good for wheel sizes up to 24 inches, so you trim it to length during installation.
• The melamine sponge is cut into four pieces, one per wheel. Return it to its resealable pouch between wheels.

Install one wheel at a time

1. If you run Aero covers and plan to keep using them, pop the center cap off and fit the Aero cover before you start. It acts as a guide for positioning the trim.
2. Take a piece of the melamine sponge, give it a light squeeze, and work all the way around the wheel band. The band needs to be completely clean. Picking up some dirt from the tire is unavoidable.
3. Let the wheel dry for a moment.
4. Wipe all the way around the band with one of the alcohol wipes, keeping it off the tire. The wipe should come away close to clean. Let the alcohol flash off.
5. If you fitted the Aero cover as a guide, pop it off for now to make access easier and to let you use the inside of the bead as a reference. Refit it before you apply the trim.
6. Using one adhesion promoter sponge, go around the edge of the wheel so the whole bead is covered.
7. Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the promoter to cure. When it is ready it feels dry with a slight grippiness, not tacky.
8. Start anywhere on the wheel. Peel back about 6 inches of the backing.
9. Look at the profile of the trim: it is an inverted L with a wider edge on the top side. Hook that top edge over the top of the wheel bead. This keeps the trim in position and stops it slipping if you hit a curb.
10. Work your way around the wheel, peeling the backing as you go. Keep the trim aligned with the gap between the tire and the rim, and keep it clear of the Aero cover so the cover is not blocked in.
11. Tap the trim into place as you go rather than pressing it down hard. That leaves you a little room to reposition, but the adhesion promoter grabs quickly, so do not take long over any adjustment.
12. Go slowly, especially around the lower part of the wheel where it is harder to see what you are doing.
13. When you get back to the start, pull back enough backing to find your cut point and trim the end with scissors. The cut does not have to be perfect because the join piece covers it.
14. Look around the whole wheel and check the trim sits symmetrically against the tire and the Aero cover.
15. Apply even pressure all the way around. A shop rag or microfiber cloth helps spread the pressure evenly.
16. Peel the backing off a join piece and stick it over the join.
17. Repeat on the remaining wheels.

Drying and driving

• The adhesive is drivable within 24 hours and fully cures after 72 hours.
• If you install outdoors, do not drive any distance if rain is expected soon.

Wheels with existing curb rash

1. Check the rash by brushing a cloth over it. If the cloth snags, the surface is too rough and needs sanding. If it does not snag, you can sand it anyway.
2. Sand gently over the rash with 400 or 600 grit sandpaper, wet or dry. You are only taking the peaks and troughs out of it, not restoring a factory finish.
3. Spray the area with a soap solution and wipe it down so all the dust is removed.
4. Run the same prep as above: melamine sponge, alcohol wipe, then adhesion promoter around the bead. Wait 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Choose your starting point so the join will not land on the damaged section. Start on an area of undamaged wheel where the adhesive has maximum grip.
6. Fit the trim as above, hooking the wider top edge over the bead and using your fingers and thumbs to line it up. An Aero cover is not needed for this.
7. Trim to length and cover the join with a join piece.

The trims do not interfere with Aero covers or center caps. If you have tires replaced, some shops can preserve the rim trim; single replacement pieces are also sold separately.