AlloyGator Alloy Wheel Protectors

Has anyone here fitted AlloyGator Alloy Wheel Protectors to their VW California T6.1? If so how do you find them to be working?

FWIW, I personally think they look terrible and unless you are running bigger than 18” wheels the risk of kerbing is pretty low.

Personally I like the look and idea of Alloy Gators, in theory they make sense & provide a level of protection for Alloys from Kerbing.

although after researching some time ago I came to the conclusion that in reality they can introduce more potential problems than they solve or otherwise did not exist:

1) They can come loose and cause damage to body work when flapping around, particularly at high speed. This can happen as a result of kerbing the alloy gator or simply poor fitting of the product !

2) They require correct fitting by deflating the tyre. (Third party garage)
the Gator can cause the tyre not to seat fully & loose air (slow puncture)

removal is the reverse of fitting (tyre needs to be deflated) in the instance of no1 how do you remove it from the wheel whilst on the road side.

DYOR.

edit : example of potential damage if the Gator comes off during use.

Not really required for a Cali, as the tyre wall tends to sit higher than most kerbs. Hence you will damage the tyre before the rim.

Perfectos said:

Personally I like the look and idea of Alloy Gators, in theory they make sense & provide a level of protection for Alloys from Kerbing.

although after researching some time ago I came to the conclusion that in reality they can introduce more potential problems than they solve or otherwise did not exist:

1) They can come loose and cause damage to body work when flapping around, particularly at high speed. This can happen as a result of kerbing the alloy gator or simply poor fitting of the product !

2) They require correct fitting by deflating the tyre. (Third party garage)
the Gator can cause the tyre not to seat fully & loose air (slow puncture)

removal is the reverse of fitting (tyre needs to be deflated) in the instance of no1 how do you remove it from the wheel whilst on the road side.

DYOR.

edit : example of potential damage if the Gator comes off during use.

View attachment 105745

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply and the information. I think i will refrain from using them rather after seeing your post. Anyway seems to have an issue with placing them on vehicles over 2.5 tons.

If you fit 235/55 R17 rather than 215/60 R17 tyres you get some extra width rubber to protect your rims, they bulge out a bit, plus a more comfortable ride. However you get less mpg because of the greater rolling resistance, and they don't tend in my experience to last as long.

Ch1pbutty said:

Not really required for a Cali, as the tyre wall tends to sit higher than most kerbs. Hence you will damage the tyre before the rim.

Click to expand...

If you keep to the VW recommended wheel sizes.

Hi -

I have had alloy gators on my 6.1 for about 9 months now.

I actually think they look good when matched to the wheel - I’ve got the black alloys that came with the sports pack.

But - and the reason for this post - I wanted to share some important lessons:
1 - do not use the auto glym tyre dressing with them, or any tyre dressing that contains silicone.
2 - check them every now and then and if you see they are beginning to work loose, get them knocked back in (or do it yourself; jack, deflate, knock with mallet).

It turns out with the Cali that the front gators are liable to work loose over time, possibly (but not definitely) accelerated by the use of tyre dressing. If you don’t get this fixed as soon as you see it then you will struggle to claim it in the Alloy Gator warranty and they will rapidly become a hazard.

After 5k miles both my front ones worked loose (see picture).

Despite this I still like them and they give me peace of mind, especially with the black alloys, not that I’ve ever curbed them.

Perfectos said:

Personally I like the look and idea of Alloy Gators, in theory they make sense & provide a level of protection for Alloys from Kerbing.

although after researching some time ago I came to the conclusion that in reality they can introduce more potential problems than they solve or otherwise did not exist:

1) They can come loose and cause damage to body work when flapping around, particularly at high speed. This can happen as a result of kerbing the alloy gator or simply poor fitting of the product !

2) They require correct fitting by deflating the tyre. (Third party garage)
the Gator can cause the tyre not to seat fully & loose air (slow puncture)

removal is the reverse of fitting (tyre needs to be deflated) in the instance of no1 how do you remove it from the wheel whilst on the road side.

DYOR.

edit : example of potential damage if the Gator comes off during use.

View attachment 105745

Click to expand...

Oh just seen this response. In relation to your point 1 - roadside I cut mine off, or least the bit that was loose, to remove the hazard.

Hopefully my additional info on caution with tyre dressing and checking semi often is helpful to anyone that decides to go for them.