Hubcap Questions?
I decided to do an article on some questions and answers that maybe a lot of you have about OEM Hubcaps.
1. How do I know what size Hubcap I need to order?
- I think this is a question that pretty much everyone has; heres the answer : you measure your tire size, not the actual size of the hubcap. If you use the tape measure to determine the size of the hubcap, then itll measure a little over an inch bigger than the actual size of the wheel.
Rim size is the Diameter of the Bead of the Tire ! This means that it cant be measured without removing the tire from the rim.
2. What are these Wheelskins?
- If you havent heard it, then its okay; its somewhat of a new term. They were invented some time in the 1990s to give drivers an inexpensive way to put chrome on their styled steel wheels that they had in their car or truck. There were precision molds designed to make inexpensive corrosion resistant covers that were going to perfectly match the geometry of the styled wheels.
Once youve applied them onto your wheels, you can really only tell the difference between them & the real chrome wheels if you know what youre looking for.
3. What are Replica Hubcaps? Are they any good?
- Since theyre replicas, this means that theyre the same as the originals, just with no logo in the middle .. so theyre a lot cheaper than the originals. Just because theyre cheaper in price does not mean that theyre cheaper in quality - at all.
If it were up to me, & I needed Toyota Corolla Hubcaps for my car, Id probably go with the replicas. For one, theyre cheaper if I get a whole set. Secondly, they stay on better than the originals! Say I get all four of them and one comes off, the price for one replica hubcap is going to be cheaper in price than one factory original one .. you know?
4. Under - Lug Hubcaps? What are those?
- When Factory Original Hubcaps are installed with about two or three lug nuts, this is sometimes called an under - lug mounting style. The most common problem with this mounting type is that the bolt circle diameter can almost always vary from make to make and from model to model. In some cases, it may even vary from year to year.
The other thing that you may find annoying is that since its bolt on from the lug nuts that are in the middle, it might be somewhat noisy around the edges. Just don't confuse this noise with your engine breaking down or something.
5. Why do Hubcaps typically come off when Im driving?
- Here are the main reasons :
- You make too much contact with the curb when youre driving and then you hit the curb too hard and then your Toyota Corolla Hubcaps come off.
- You didnt install them quite the right way.
- Theres some, if not all, retainer clips and struts that are broken.
- You can even lose your Hubcaps when you hit a big pothole !
- If you have a heavy car like an RV or a trailer thats heavy-duty, the steel wheels flex more which causes the Hubcaps to come off.
- Another reason why they come off would be because of the people that deal with your tires! Sometimes, those guys dont pay as much attention as they should and because of that, youre left with a broken hubcap.
Hope this helps !
1. How do I know what size Hubcap I need to order?
- I think this is a question that pretty much everyone has; heres the answer : you measure your tire size, not the actual size of the hubcap. If you use the tape measure to determine the size of the hubcap, then itll measure a little over an inch bigger than the actual size of the wheel.
Rim size is the Diameter of the Bead of the Tire ! This means that it cant be measured without removing the tire from the rim.
2. What are these Wheelskins?
- If you havent heard it, then its okay; its somewhat of a new term. They were invented some time in the 1990s to give drivers an inexpensive way to put chrome on their styled steel wheels that they had in their car or truck. There were precision molds designed to make inexpensive corrosion resistant covers that were going to perfectly match the geometry of the styled wheels.
Once youve applied them onto your wheels, you can really only tell the difference between them & the real chrome wheels if you know what youre looking for.
3. What are Replica Hubcaps? Are they any good?
- Since theyre replicas, this means that theyre the same as the originals, just with no logo in the middle .. so theyre a lot cheaper than the originals. Just because theyre cheaper in price does not mean that theyre cheaper in quality - at all.
If it were up to me, & I needed Toyota Corolla Hubcaps for my car, Id probably go with the replicas. For one, theyre cheaper if I get a whole set. Secondly, they stay on better than the originals! Say I get all four of them and one comes off, the price for one replica hubcap is going to be cheaper in price than one factory original one .. you know?
4. Under - Lug Hubcaps? What are those?
- When Factory Original Hubcaps are installed with about two or three lug nuts, this is sometimes called an under - lug mounting style. The most common problem with this mounting type is that the bolt circle diameter can almost always vary from make to make and from model to model. In some cases, it may even vary from year to year.
The other thing that you may find annoying is that since its bolt on from the lug nuts that are in the middle, it might be somewhat noisy around the edges. Just don't confuse this noise with your engine breaking down or something.
5. Why do Hubcaps typically come off when Im driving?
- Here are the main reasons :
- You make too much contact with the curb when youre driving and then you hit the curb too hard and then your Toyota Corolla Hubcaps come off.
- You didnt install them quite the right way.
- Theres some, if not all, retainer clips and struts that are broken.
- You can even lose your Hubcaps when you hit a big pothole !
- If you have a heavy car like an RV or a trailer thats heavy-duty, the steel wheels flex more which causes the Hubcaps to come off.
- Another reason why they come off would be because of the people that deal with your tires! Sometimes, those guys dont pay as much attention as they should and because of that, youre left with a broken hubcap.
Hope this helps !
