PSA - Don’t destroy / curb a wheel like I did (tips to avoid)

[VHRivian]

This sucks but it has happened to everyone at some point. There are shops that specialize in wheel repair that can make it look pretty good without major work.

Sponsored

 

[Tim-in-CA]

That’s a bummer. Time to install some curb feelers I suppose

 

[opnwide]

Have used this enamel paint from Home Depot on my wife’s black wheels she curbed many times to hide the silver as an interim fix and to hide the curb rash shame—passed lease-end return inspection without noticing.

 

[R1Sky Business]

It's an adventure vehicle. Those scratches gives it personality.

 

[Donald Stanfield]

First truck or longer type vehicle? This stuff happens to the inexperienced in longer vehicles. You’ll get used to driving and taking turns wider. You don’t hug the turn up front you try to shoot for your front end hugging the outside of your lane to make the turn. Ever see a semi take a right turn? Like that but less exaggerated.

 

[Tucker74]

Don’t know what vehicle you came from, but the R1T is 18’ long. That and the longer wheelbase than I’m used to has made me have to re-learn parking. I find the 360 view helps, but a healthy degree of mistrust also keeps you honest. The Land Cruiser (prev vehicle) has both tilt down and large view selection on mirror camera … honestly not as good as the 360 IMO.

 

[kizamybute']

I've never curb rashed a wheel. I always struggle with knowing exactly how close I am when driving forward. Even tougher being higher up in a truck.

I always pull in with plenty of space, then solely use the right mirror to see both, the curb and the tire and back my way closer to the curb. This works on a curved curb that turns towards you as well. For curves that turn away from you, then I back up the rear to a safe distance away, usually leaving a foot to the rear tire, then do a full wheel lock to the right and pull forward slowly until the front tire touches the curb with the tread. Pulling forward, also brings the curb closer to the rear. Once I touch the tire, I'll back up a couple of inches and straighten out the steering wheel.

I never use the cameras for curbs. I use them almost exclusively for backing out of parking lot spaces, but curbs, I need to see the real distance via the right side mirror.

I do the same thing when driving a 45 foot motorhome too. The right mirror has always been my best friend when parking against a curb

My two cents.

 

[dp351]

First truck or longer type vehicle? This stuff happens to the inexperienced in longer vehicles. You’ll get used to driving and taking turns wider. You don’t hug the turn up front you try to shoot for your front end hugging the outside of your lane to make the turn. Ever see a semi take a right turn? Like that but less exaggerated.

This is good advice to avoid clipping a rear wheel on an inside curb of a turn. But this was a mistake judging the distance of the right front against a curb at zero mph while watching the cameras.

My prior daily driver was a Honda Ridgeline, which is a similar sized truck with a rear camera only. I managed to navigate it through the same places without rubbing curbs.

 

[Rivan]

That’s a bummer. Time to install some curb feelers I suppose

I will be honest, I myself have difficulties estimating front End/back End etc, with Rivian, never had this issue with other Cars .. ... I feel the Camera's do not give good view of the distance ...

It would be a cool idea to have the Cameras and the sensers work together to give some sort of a distance between the car and objects, I Think Tesla dose that can't remember..

 

[Zoidz]

I have yet to damage a wheel on my Avalanche... oh wait, they are 18" wheels. Yes 20" wheels - This is the way.

 

[Rivianation]

After driving my R1T for a month and 1,600 miles, I’m still having trouble scraping curbs while parking, which I’ve never had driving other cars over the past 40 years. Last night it happened for the third time, this time causing major damage to my (22”) right front wheel.

The damage occurred when I was parking along a tricky curved curb of a residential cul-de-sac. This was frustrating because I was being very careful and thought I was about 6” away from the curb. I was looking at the cameras, inching along, when I felt & heard the tragic SCRAPE.

Of course, all of the blame goes to the driver (me), but the truck could’ve provided better assistance to help avoid this. How? By allowing the option to have the side or bird’s eye camera on the bigger part of the screen, rather than the small side part of the screen. Especially at night, the cameras aren’t very helpful in determining the proximity of the wheels to a curb. To avoid this happening to you, leave more space than the cameras make you think is needed.

This is the first vehicle I’ve had with these types of cameras, and they’re mostly wonderful. But I think I put too much trust in them & thought I understood what I was seeing.

I also don’t like that the 22” wheels stick out beyond the tire sidewall, resulting in a minor curb touch like this causing major cosmetic damage. When it’s time to replace these tires, I’ll probably get some 295/50/22’s. These slightly wider & taller tires will protect my wheels from my sloppy parking skills.

Sorry, but if that's 'major' damage, what would 'minor' damage look like?
Its a $100 repair at a rim shop. Or, cover it up with a sharpie or mask around and use rustoleum gloss black from AutoZone. You will forget about it in a week or so.

 

[Dark-Fx]

My 22 inch wheels don’t stick out past the sidewall. I think you possibly rubbed hard enough to push in the tire sidewall a bit which caused that wheel to contact.

I've rubbed curbs and it seems like as long as you stop as soon as you feel resistance, it won't happen. But it probably also depends on the shape of the curb too.

 

[R1Sky Business]

Sorry, but if that's 'major' damage, what would 'minor' damage look like?
Its a $100 repair at a rim shop. Or, cover it up with a sharpie or mask around and use rustoleum gloss black from AutoZone. You will forget about it in a week or so.

McGrubber!!!

 

[Ngkgb]

I will be honest, I myself have difficulties estimating front End/back End etc, with Rivian, never had this issue with other Cars .. ... I feel the Camera's do not give good view of the distance ...

It would be a cool idea to have the Cameras and the sensers work together to give some sort of a distance between the car and objects, I Think Tesla dose that can't remember..

They should put the radar markers/colors on the main center screen and not just the small
Screen in front of you.

 

[JACE]

I did the same thing with my 22 brights and don't even know where I did it. I have the 20" ATs on there now for winter and agree, rub away , they don't rub curbs.

Sponsored