Changed A/T Bright Wheels to Glossy Black using Vinyl Decals

[Blueassassin]

Just put on my brain exploder decals 20" staple covers. I've had them for months waiting on the truck. They took some time to install as I'm ocd and I finished them by using a heat gun and pressing all the edges to make sure they stay.

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[rkalbiar]

Yeah, interested to see how long these last..

 

[Blueassassin]

 

[shrink]

Looks like a great way to save $3420. How long did the application take?

Thanks. I have a spare, so the kit actually cost me $100, but it's still significant savings.

It took a while, maybe 3-1/2 hours for the 4 mounted wheels? It's a lot of pieces. It took a while to get comfortable with the technique. I'd recommend a razor blade to help remove the decals from the paper. Phoenix is so damn dry, too, so I needed a lot of water. It's not perfect to be honest, but it's good enough. I used a heat gun at the end to fold over the edges as well.

It was a lot easier and faster to do the spare because it sat flat on the bed. I was pretty happy doing that, too, because I pulled out the camp speaker while doing it and then used the power outlets on the truck for my heat gun. Had a nice Rivian moment there

Good option. Wonder how they hold up..............I was planning on getting them powder coated, that normally runs $150/wheel.

Yeah, durability is the big question, but it's pretty inexpensive to replace a piece if it come to that. I've done powder coating, too, in the past. The place I use locally is a bit more expensive at $250/wheel. They completely strip the wheel and apply the new color. Then they do a road force balance when re-mounting the tire. The local Tesla service centers here would send all their repairs to this shop, but they've been in business long before Tesla got to Phoenix. I'm not sure if that yellow Rivian strip on the wheel would survive powder coating.

On the Brain Exploder site, if you watch the installation video, he says the wrap holds up to washing as long as you "wipe with the shape of the wheel." 5:38 mark on the video.

We'll see how durable it is. I may end up powder coating in the future but this is a good inexpensive option for now.

I remember looking at the A/T dark pictures online - and I usually like black rims - and wondering why there was something I didn't like about them. Only until I saw close up photos did I realize it was the two-tone with tinted clear coat and that's why I personally was reluctant to pull the trigger on those. I personally really prefer the single color all glossy look, although I have also done satin black powder coat in the past and that works quite well, too.

 

[Khaos]

Wow. I love the 22 Brights, but damn I might get the 20 ATs or Brights just to have all the color options available to me.

I never liked the stock 20s because once someone mention the silver part looked like a staple and I just couldn't unsee that, but being able to black out the wheel or going to gunmetal while being able to revert in a cheap and simple if needed is super cool!

 

[ohseedee]

I've had the 20" Darks as my config since the beginning, however, after this thread I've switched to the 20" all terrain. While I want the blacked out look of the darks, after doing some closer analysis I actually think the standard 20" design looks better to me than the dark/bright design. And seeing that if I really want the blacked out look I can just buy these makes me think this is the better config. Plus $1700 savings.

 

[Wiffle]

I know it's only been a couple weeks, but I'm hoping I'll have to lock my config soon...how are these holding up?

 

[mini2nut]

I agree. The OEM 20” dark wheels have a very unique black chrome finish that can’t be duplicated by temporary vinyl stickers.

 

[shrink]

I know it's only been a couple weeks, but I'm hoping I'll have to lock my config soon...how are these holding up?

So far so good - and through 2 hand washes.

 

[R1Sky Business]

For quick visual reference:

A/T Dark:

A/T vinyl glossy black:

A/T Bright:

Great hack

 

[R1Sky Business]

I agree. The OEM 20” dark wheels have a very unique black chrome finish that can’t be duplicated by temporary vinyl stickers.

90% look....10% the price

 

[ironpig]

look good and If you ever change your mind it's easy to go back .

 

[kizamybute']

I went ahead and powder coated my wheels. Will be interesting to see how long the vinyl holds up on wheels. Looks great. For $600, was cheap enough to powder coat the wheels and they'll last forever. Certainly cheaper than paying Rivian $3,500 for black wheels!

 

[Mcfly Rivian]

Just did mine in gun metal. Looks way better than it should for 80 bucks. Let's see how it holds up. Great product, I would highly recommend.

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