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Question about the original BLACK 15" alloy wheels ('12-'15)?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by teleport, Sep 11, 2015.

  1. teleport

    teleport New Member

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    Well, seeing as how I would be returning to my Prius soon from my extended trip away from home, I might as well ask another question that had been lingering on my mind for some time while I wait for my departure.

    Speaking of which, it's already turned Sept. 11 where I am...America, we'll never forget. [​IMG]


    Here is my question though regarding the original BLACK 15" alloy wheels for years 2012-2015:

    I would like to take my wheel covers off, but I HATE how the black wheels look.

    "So...? Just switch your black wheels for the silver ones. What's so hard about that?"

    Well, according to IIHS, "starting with 2014 cars built after November 2013, the 15-inch alloy wheels standard on most models were sourced from a single supplier to provide a more controlled crush during the small overlap test." :confused:

    Can anyone tell me what this means?
    Does this mean that I shouldn't switch my 2015 black wheels for 2010-11 silver ones because the latter won't provide as equal of a "controlled crush" in an accident? :eek: If so, then (n)

    Who is the supplier that has been singled out to source the 15" wheels from 2014 onwards?
    Can they also make silver ones for years 2010-11 models that have been in, say, accidents?
    If so, then I would like to order new wheels designated for 2010-11, but then how would I be able to verify that they were made recently? Is there a time stamp somewhere on them physically?

    Or, should I paint them myself, but it seems like hand-painted wheels don't ever achieve the same uniform, even-looking finish as stock wheels and always end up looking blotchy.

    Especially since I want to replicate the exact (or at least close to it, maybe slightly darker like gunmetal grey) look of the stock original SILVER 15" alloys from 2010-11, I would want it to look as professional as possible.

    I guess I could hand it over to the "professionals" themselves to do such a job for me, but then...who's to say that all they would do is find some cheap used 2010-11 rims and just stick them on my car and say, job done, now pay up for all the labor/materials? :unsure:

    Would I be able to verify that they are in fact MY original wheels somehow (again, is there a time stamp or unique ID somewhere)?

    :mad: Absolutely exasperating, if Toyota had just left the color alone at SILVER like the ones from 2010-2011, then I wouldn't have this dilemma.

    Hey, at least I'm not complaining about why in the FIRST PLACE they used wheel covers AT ALL since I know that is an unresolved debate on its own.

    Thank you guys and have a good Friday :coffee:
     
  2. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    The wheel covers improve the aerodynamics slightly.

    Wheel painting is quite difficult, if you want to end up with as durable a coating as they come with from the factory. They have a very tough clear plastic coating over the paint. Something very few paint shops can duplicate.

    The "small overlap impact test" involves running the car into an object that impacts from just inside the wheel outwards to the edge of the car. It's a very difficult test to pass. I presume they made the later wheels stronger to help resist crushing, thereby reducing the penetration of the parts into the cabin.

    You could either put "trim" on your existing wheels or pay someone to do it. By "trim" I mean pinstripes of whatever accent colour you may decide would look nice. The paint added would not stand up like the original, but it would be a lot less expensive and you could have it redone, perhaps every three years. Or you could have the wheel covers painted.
     
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    It seems to me Toyota made a near universally disliked design choice with the plastic wheel covers over alloys. And then to entrench it: they switched from silver rims to black.

    The cheapest route might be to dismount all the rims, and get a body shop to professionally paint them sliver. Very frustrating though.

    Pristine new silver rims from a dealership are going to be expensive, and you still have an exposed hub opening to deal with. You can buy centre caps through the dealership, to prolong the masochism, or maybe look to ebay.

    Cut your losses and get a third party silver rim? And then of course you'll need spacer rings at the hub opening.

    When we bought our 2010, all of the above cr@p drove us to the Canadian Touring model, with (non covered) 17" rims.

    Seems like a similar blunder is brewing, with the lack of temporary spare on some 2016 levels, and filling that zone with Styrofoam pieces that will also need replacement, if you want to add the spare.
     
  4. lester williams

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    I thought about getting mine powder coated silver. Checking prices, I just bought some new wheels, and moved to a 16'' tire anyway.
     
  5. teleport

    teleport New Member

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    Hey y'all, sorry about the late reply...I didn't have access to any internet connection until now.

    Thanks David for your input. The part you mention about painting wheels being difficult...that's exactly what I'm afraid of! I can't imagine the factory process involved to produce those aluminum alloy wheels, as I've heard that even the SILVER ones are technically a painted-on color (a more brilliant Silver paint finish OVER the naked aluminum).

    Now if I wanted to replicate that, do I have to bake on the paint somehow to end up with a hard, waterproof, durable coating that would be able to withstand all the elements, brushing up against curbs, road salt, etc. without chipping, peeling, rusting, or whatever else to interfere with its normal operation.

    The pinstripes you mention, I've seen them before and while I admit they do look nice, that's the kind of thing I'm trying to avoid for my personal vehicle because I'm aiming to make it look as conservative as possible. I don't like attracting attention as most "boy racers" try to, and quite frankly on a Prius, it seems out of place to do so.

    The black wheels attract attention...in all the worst ways possible. It's an eyesore to me, can't imagine what others think.

    Lastly, painting the wheel covers is out of the question because I'm trying to get rid of them anyway. I don't want to put them back on, especially if they're painted a different color (tacky, :sick:). If I paint the wheel covers black, what's the point of doing that anyway if I could just take them off to achieve that look, since the alloys themselves are already black?

    The color of the wheel covers themselves, however, is more or less the color I'd like to achieve for the alloy wheels. Hence, the alloys from 2010-11 would be just that.
     
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Consider the 15" plug-in Prius rims? They have a very nice look, to my eye anyway. Member Chapman had a pristine set for $400, in LA. Not sure if he still does.
     
  7. teleport

    teleport New Member

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    In my last response to David's post, I forgot to address the alleged argument that the wheel covers were implemented for aerodynamics. Well, I've heard those covers can be pretty weighty (roughly a lb each, or half a kilo) which might debunk that whole theory altogether.

    Also, I've heard they can also hold in road salt, dirt and grime, etc. in between the cover and alloy wheels to speed up corrosion, rusting, etc.

    Regardless, my main concern was for those wheel covers flying off for any reason and causing a dangerous hazard to other vehicles or pedestrians. :eek: Yikes!


    But anyway, thanks Mendel for your input as well! You seem to understand my frustration with Toyota's oddball decision to finish off an otherwise excellent vehicle with cheapo hubcaps like an afterthought last-minute decision. It's like putting a green maraschino cherry on top of your hot fudge sundae. :sick:

    My initial idea was to in fact paint over the alloys, or have someone else to do it. Very frustrating indeed because I don't have access to a personal garage to do such a project, and the wheels will be off the vehicle, so I won't be able to drive it until the paint dries?

    Having someone else do it means I will have to hand over my keys, and paying them for the work.


    See, if only Toyota left them alone...all I could've done was take the covers off and be done with it! ERRGH!!!! :mad::mad:

    If I wanted to paint my wheels black as some weirdos are doing these days, I'll do it at my own expense Toyota, like normal folks do.
    Don't force it on me to follow this tasteless trend because I don't care to join that crowd. On top of that, on a Prius no less?!


    Anyway, if I were to obtain the silver rims, I could always sell the black ones to offset the cost (kind of like a trade-in), and any difference will be worth it to me. However, I'm hesitant to jump on that idea simply because of that stupid IIHS factoid. So am I to assume that people riding in 2010-11, as well as 2012-late 2013 Prius are to experience more injuries or deaths in a 40 mph small offset crash?

    (I just realized that IIHS being a US organization might not be familiar to my fellow Canadian neighbors...unless they do, which makes me look ignorant? I think Canadians are knowledgeable folks in that regard seeing as how they acknowledge Sept. 11, but we don't know who your Prime Minister is ;))

    The center caps is no big deal, and third party rims are out of the question because again, I prefer a conservative look.

    In the US, the Touring model of Prius was discontinued starting with Gen III, and the 5-spoke 17" alloy wheels (uncovered) came with the top-of-the-line Prius IV trim as well as a limited edition "Persona" series (same design, but with gunmetal grey finish). There was also a unique 10-spoke 17" optional alloy wheels obtainable through a Sports Appearance package.

    My objection to the 17" rims is the low profile tires for concern of affected tire wear, ride and handling, etc.


    Lastly, where did you hear about the no-spare for the Gen 4? :eek: What an abomination! I guess we now know where that extra 5 mpg got squeezed out from...a lightweight Styrofoam-lined storage area where the spare would normally be because I need more junk in the trunk, right? :rolleyes: Or I could PAY (again) for a spare to put in there instead (which should've been standard equipment anyway), but then, either way I'd be losing that 5 mpg to end up back where we were at with the Gen III? o_O
     
  8. teleport

    teleport New Member

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    Hi Lester, thanks for your input.

    I think powder coated silver was what I was going for. I don't care for those brushed-aluminum, gunmetal, titanium grey finishes on wheels because they approach the black wheels look that I'm trying to get rid of.

    I also would like to address the "Plasti-dip" wheels I've heard about, but they are a temporary fix meaning they can peel off easily and I don't want to reapply every few years. I just want to set it and forget it.

    I wonder if it's true that repainting wheels would involve an intricate process of sandpapering for primer coat, baking, etc.?


    If you don't mind me asking, how much $$$ were you expected to pay to get the job done that resulted in you getting new set of rims anyway, which I assume were the 16" alloys from the Prius V (Prius alpha, α)?

    I thought about those, too, but again, it is one-inch too big for my purpose, so no go unfortunately. :(
     
  9. teleport

    teleport New Member

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    Hey there Mendel, thanks again for this suggestion.

    I admit I've thought about this as well. The PIP's 15" alloy wheels are the exact same size as our non-PIPs (tire size P195/65R15), so that is a definite viable alternative for a different look. The PIP wheels are a unique 10-spoke design which come with NO wheel covers (perfect!) and best of all, it's SILVER (not BLACK)! :eek:

    My only concern was that they look too unique (rare find) and I wouldn't know how they test in the small-offset crash either, unless perhaps the wheels were built after Nov. 2013 as IIHS stated?

    But, again, how would I know this by looking at it? Is there a manufacturing date somewhere on the wheels themselves that I can verify when they were made?

    I hope I don't sound complain-y, because at this point, I'm just contemplating whether I should learn to embrace the horrible, black wheels look...sigh. :unsure:

    You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. :mad::mad:
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  10. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Prius v wheels have a different bolt pattern, 5 x 114.3 mm vs 5 x 100 mm for the hatchback.
     
  11. Vman455

    Vman455 Senior Member

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    Don't confuse mass with aerodynamics. You can use this handy calculator to see the effects of each; generally speaking, the higher the vehicle speed, the more energy is spent overcoming aerodynamic drag than rolling resistance, and this difference is exacerbated as speed rises because drag increases exponentially with velocity.

    Aluminum doesn't rust.
     
  12. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    Yes, those black wheels look even dumber than the covers, at least in my opinion.

    "More controlled crush" likely means they absorb more energy by yielding before fracturing. That statement seems to hint that some wheels made before November 2013 were from the now-favored supplier. Considering that, and the low probability of being in accident where the difference will matter, I'd just switch to the earlier "silver" 15" wheels. Or learn to like the silly aerodynamic covers.

    Yes, the wheels are dated, at least mine are, on the interior side of the spokes. That date is not long before the date of manufacture of the car.
     
  13. teleport

    teleport New Member

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    Hey everyone, seeing as how people are still answering, I just wanted to come back, and thanks again to those who helped so far. I admit it's a very strange question to begin with and I thank y'all for bearing with me.

    xliderider, you bring up a good point about the bolt sizes, I forgot about that being a possibility. I suppose if someone really wanted to put Prius V wheels on a Prius Regular, they would proceed along with the modifications, but at that point, is it worth it?

    anyway, looking at lester's profile picture, it looks to be Scion tC wheels.
     
  14. teleport

    teleport New Member

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    greetings Vman, oh my, it's like being in my Physics course again, which I never got great grades in anyway. Chemistry was more up my alley, however.

    ^ Which is an ironic point considering how I thought aluminum rusts ;)

    I don't know if I even meant it to sound like that, but I guess all what I was trying to hint at was some form of debris/contamination occurring within the space between the cover and alloy wheel itself.

    Looking at your profile picture, I would make the sweeping generalization that you are a devoted hypermiler with your flat hubcaps who may or may not be also a Physics professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign...

    small world... (I'm from the midwest, I'm very familiar with the area to say the least...;))

    anyway, I could argue all I want with a team of physics gurus about what to make of this theory, but if the wheel covers do in fact provide a beneficial purpose numbers-wise, I could argue that whatever the cost, it's 100% worth it in the end for me to take those HIDEOUS things off once and for all because my health and sanity is worth a gallon of gas more every time (figuratively speaking, of course) than to have to put up with them on a daily basis. :sick: Whatever it takes!
     
  15. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Aluminum doesn't rust? While it doesn't form "rust", or ferrous oxide. However, it does oxidize, forming aluminum oxide, which is why aluminum wheels come painted or clear coated.
     
  16. teleport

    teleport New Member

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    hi CR, Your opinion is my opinion, I'm glad someone agrees. (y)

    (I'll admit, the wheel covers themselves don't look bad and I realized I may have been calling them hideous (they look OKAY).

    I don't want to take them off because they are hideous, I want to take them off because they are wheel covers. :confused: The hideous part only arrives after I take them off, the black wheels behind them. :sick:

    Don't get me wrong, I'm not against black wheels because they are ugly themselves. On some cars, they do look nice...just not on my Prius!!! :mad:)

    Your thoughts on IIHS's statements is exactly in line with what I was thinking, too. If in fact, then, Toyota used the current supplier for some wheels made prior to Nov. '13, then those are the lucky ones, but the other unfortunate half received the sloppy seconds...is that even ethical?! :eek:

    Anyway, like you said, I'd like to agree that yes, in the grand scheme of things, the probability of IIHS's small offset crash occurring in real life might be miniscule making this whole issue negligible, but...I guess you never know. It's wishful thinking to just assume we live in a perfect world where everyone drives like robots perfectly to the 0th degree (that day will inevitably come, maybe sooner than we think, but until then...), but apparently IIHS is taking these newly developed tests pretty seriously and they're pushing car manufacturers hard it seems to make their cars safer overall with passing this test serving as the gauntlet.

    I lost my train of thought to continue writing, but the paragraph was getting long anyway. The difference between the silver and black wheels might be unfounded, but there's no way of knowing since the 10-13 models didn't get tested. Maybe ignorance truly is bliss? :cautious:

    By the by, yes, I am learning to just live with the current setup (believe me, I'm really trying to, but it's next to impossible). :(

    Lastly, thank you so much for informing about the dates stamped on there, especially if you had to go the extra step for me to inspect them directly. :notworthy: I just knew they had to have a date on their somewhere. Thanks for confirming that, now I know! (y)

    This last fact alone clarifies a lot of things for me, let's just leave it at that! ;)

    It's help like this from everyone on these forums that impresses me about PriusChat, it's a very good medium overall because of the people. Not like some sites that shall remain unnamed...
     
  17. teleport

    teleport New Member

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    ^ Right! Maybe it's not the "rust" we're all familiar with per se, but there should be something going on in there, which as you mentioned the byproduct effect of oxidizing. Just something to put a name on it.

    But, again as you mention, most if not all wheels come painted even the silver ones (because that's technically a painted on color, too...OVER the naturally silver-ish naked wheel itself) for a reason.

    I think I've decided to powder coat my black wheels to silver at some point down the line, but first, I plan to ask a family friend body shop for a referral.
     
  18. SwamppThingg

    SwamppThingg Active Member

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    Meanwhile I'm wishing for the exact opposite.
    Just meet me somewhere and I'll swap my 2011 silver for your 2015 black, haha.
     
  19. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    You're welcome, but I admit I didn't "go to the extra step" of removing a wheel to inspect its dark side just for you. I rotated the wheels a few months ago. While they were off, I recorded all the markings on the inside of the spokes, which did include a date of manufacture (as do many other parts of the car). I was hoping to find a unique identifier on each wheel, like my last car had on its steel wheels. No luck on that.
     
  20. E46Prius

    E46Prius Active Member

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    It's quite the opposite. You want things like wheels to crush so they don't push back the hinge pillar and lower rocker. There was probably some inconsistencies across suppliers with respect to the manufacturing process of the wheels which meant that since cars are selected randomly to crash test, one prius might not get a good result while another does. To ensure the desired result, it seems the supplier that made the wheels they wanted was selected. This has the added benefit to the consumer of getting wheels that crush as designed.