How to fix wheel covers? Methods: without clamps, discreetly

Wheel covers are a very popular accessory. They perform not only a decorative function, but also protect the brake system from dirt and slush, especially in winter, when the wheels of the car are not very easy.

They are produced mainly from elastic plastic with a high degree of viscosity. Such material easily tolerates low temperatures and does not crack from any impact. Although on sale you can also find non-original low-quality products made of durable but fragile plastic, which is unlikely to last a long time. Caps made of aluminum and even rubber are also sold, but they are practically not used because of the high price.

Hubcaps are designed to mimic alloy wheels. If you have picked up beautiful and fashionable caps, then it is almost impossible to distinguish them from alloy wheels from a distance.

Their configuration may be different - the number and shape of the spokes, but if you try to classify the types of caps, they can be divided into several groups:

• open and closed - open, obviously, are used only for decorative purposes, they can be used to hide disc defects;
• flat and convex - convex ones go beyond the plane of the wheel and can be very easily lost on narrow city streets, while flat caps are easy to install and functional.

How to install caps on wheels?

The cap can be installed in several ways, depending on the type of fastening:

• with latches;
• bolted connection;
• on plastic clamps.

Craftsmen, of course, can offer a huge number of other ways, for example, put caps on instant glue, or use home-made rubber “mushrooms” that are put on wheel bolts, and then plastic clamps are threaded through them to secure the cap.

It is worth saying that if you choose this accessory correctly, and moreover, it is original, and not some cheap fake, then it will fly off only with a very strong impact from the outside.

If you bought a set of caps in a company store, then most likely the mount will be snap-on - these are 6, 7 or 8 legs on the inside, on which a spacer ring is put on, the diameter of which matches the diameter of the disc. The spacer ring has an expanding place, which must coincide with the nipple.

The whole installation process boils down to the fact that you install this ring between the presser feet on the inside of the cap. Align the recess on the ring with the nipple and press the whole structure against the wheel with a little effort. The expanding ring will take its position in the groove of the rim and firmly fix the cap with the help of latches. For reliability, you can additionally use plastic clamps: pull them through the holes in the rim and fasten them to the cap spoke, cut the ends of the clamp so that they are not noticeable.

Then it will be possible to remove such a cap without problems with a screwdriver or the ignition key - just pick up the expanding ring. But in the process of driving, they can only get lost on a very bad road, or if you hook a curb.

If you bought bolted caps, you will have to completely remove the wheel, and then screw it together with the cap. There are also models that have grooves on the inside that fit the wheel bolts, you align these grooves with the bolt heads and press on the cap, it firmly snaps into place.

If none of these types of fastening suits you, then you can use plastic clamps. Such clamps are used almost everywhere - they are very convenient to fix the wiring in the boxes or tighten the oil line hoses. The caps also cling in the same way, though later, when you need to remove the wheel, you will have to cut them completely, but this is a matter of five minutes.

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