Does anyone know of a thin chrome wheel ring that would fit on the 2012 OEM black alloy wheels? Popped off the cheap looking plastic covers and added a center cap. Definetly prefer the wheels without the plastic cover but still looks like it needs a little something to differentiate the edge between the wheel and tire. Obviously I could just buy new wheels but would rather just keep the OEM. Alternatively are there any other good ideas/examples of how to spiff up the OEM black alloy wheels apart from the obvious addition of a center cap? Thanks for any info/ideas.
A member painted a pinstripe around the outer edge of the rim, IIRC it was red. Looked pretty good. IMO, much better than a chrome ring would.
The fact that the stock wheelcovers snap on tells me there is probably a chrome trim ring that would also....the trick will be finding one with the same clip style and the correct depth.....I like the idea.
Yeah, good point. I like the red strip idea mentioned above. May experiment with some pinstriping to see how that works. Have seen a few videos of people applying pinstriping to rims. The pinstriping is only a few bucks so as long as I'm careful to not damage the paint figure it can't hurt to try.
Thanks... I decided to explore this idea a bit more. Found that Autozone stocks a thick vinyl pinstripe material in addition to traditional pinstripes. Picked up a pack, went with the red, which was enough for all four wheels. Being a bit thicker the material was very easy to work with--much easier than traditional pinstripes. It's also quite flexible so was easy to bend around the rim. Up close the thickness also adds a nice visual touch. Overall I'm very pleased with the results. Total investment (including the center Home Depot center caps) was about $15 yet it looks like I just dropped $600+ on some fancy designer wheels Photos are attached. Thanks for letting me bounce some ideas around on this board.
ITA, that fat material does a really good job of filling in the deep groove around the edge of the rim. Also,the OP did a good job where the ends meet. Can't even tell where the joint is. Is the adhesive the strong exterior molding tape, the black one?
The adhesive is by 3M. Not sure exactly what it is, but it's on a layer of black foam backing. Application was simple as the thickness of the material made it very easy to work with and bend around the rim.
Yeah, the black 3M mounting tape is the strong stuff. Hopefully, it will hold up to the elements and the rotational forces. Looks great, good DIY mod, it really sets the wheel off IMO.
I wonder - does that pinstriping come in a chrome finish? I have a 2010 with the silver wheels that would like to dress up when I don't have the covers on.
Not a fan of chrome, but that may just be me. Depending on the color of your car, something in a bright, but darker color like neon green or red might set it off better. The chrome will get lost next to the silver wheel.
Me either but I think it would complement the chrome center cap, and the lower door trim I plan on adding too. It would be a subtle touch and add just enough finish so the wheel doesn't look so "naked".
What I can't figure out is that Toyota goes the length of putting on light weight alloys but couldn't make them look nicer? Just a bit of different finish could have smoothed out the outer 1" of the rim to give it a flange-less european look, and then have a smaller plastic cover in the middle to give it that extra 1/10 mpg aero efficiency.
I want to do the same exact thing. Silver trim to match silver center cap. It will look great. Only question I have is if this pin stripe material is waterproof? Does it stand up to washing?
Yes, it's made out of PVC material and the adhesive is the quality 3M exterior mounting tape. It will stay on and stand up to repeated washings. The mounting tape is the same stuff used to mount body side moldings and the stick on window visors.
Thanks! I am going to Autozone tomorrow and check this stuff out. I did extensive research for what is called "beauty rings" for our type of rim and there are none. The only ones available would not seat all the way down flush on the rim and would eventually fly off.
I have not found the thick pinstripe trim that is referred to in here. I do find "door trim" and "deco trim" in all different types of widths and colors. I have opted out of trying this. I don't see a trim that will fit correctly nor do I feel comfortable in trying to get the trim even all around.
