Removing aero covers

[Susanna]

After having my car for over 6 months, I decided I couldn’t put it off any longer, so armed with gloves, a long pry bar and some surfboard wax (as recommended by a forum member in Australia), I tentatively removed the first cover. I can’t pretend I found it easy, as you have to get your fingers inside the edge of the cover to make space to insert the pry bar. However, once you have released one clip, the rest are a bit easier, and there is a certain amount of flexibility of the plastic, especially in warmer weather perhaps.

The wax I used was about the same ‘consistency’ as a bar of soap, so it was just a question of rubbing the bar on the tops and outsides of the clips, and round the middle ring. I was doing this in my garage, and it was tempting to do just the offside for now, as it was easier to get to, but since everything was out to do the job, I did complete all four.

The alloys were quite dirty, but not as bad as I thought, and as I had only cleaned the car on Monday, I will wait till next time to remove the aero covers and wash the wheels. Hopefully, they will release more easily.

 

[Lovemyev]

I decided I couldn’t put it off any longer, so armed with gloves, a long pry bar

Well done @Susanna.
I think the long pry bar maybe is the secret !.
Just to get the trim started on it's way.
Getting your fingers inside the edge of one section of the trim and yanking hard, is likely to flex the trim a lot in a single area and cause it to split, because it is held in a number of places and there is a snap ring in the centre of the trim, that grips the centre hub of the rim.
You MAY get away BY pulling with two hands, more in towards the centre section, but the pry bar is the favoured option I do feel.
Did you cover the cover the pry bar with anything to protect from scratching the alloy, or was it okay ??.

 

[Susanna]

@Lovemyev I did cover the pry bar with the heat shrink stuff (also recommended by the same forum member), but I didn’t really check the alloys, as they were dirty. I will have a look when I take off the covers to wash the wheels in a week or two.