Do wheel trims serve a useful purpose?

Ultrasonic

I have some new steel wheels with winter tyres on, and am trying to decide whether to buy some wheel trims (hub caps). I don't actually mind the look of the 'naked' steel wheels, but was wondering if some plastic wheel trims would be a good idea to protect the currently exposed wheel nuts and the end of the wheel hub?

Richard53

As far as I can see, they are purely cosmetic. If you are bothered about the wheel nuts corroding, just pop a smear of grease on the nut and exposed threads.

Back in the day, when the police always had bread-and-butter cars to patrol in, they took them off straight away. You could always tell a police car because it had black steel wheels, not plastic fake alloys. I can't see them doing that if it had a bad effect on the metal bits.

Judging by the number you see by the roadside (and the number of owners who zip-tie them on), I imagine they won't be on there long anyway.

esuhl

I'm not entirely sure, but I always assumed they were cosmetic -- to make plain old wheels look a little bit more like expensive alloys...

atrixblue.-MFR-.

I dislike exposed metal rims and they tidy them up nicely. poorly fitted ones will work loose and fall off or cause whistle when driving or a horrible sound when going over humps bumps and things. always nicer to buy a set of silver zip ties to tie them so not noticeable at a glance their tied on.

AdrianC

Another vote for cosmetic only.

A little dob of copaslip on wheelnut threads and the centre bore of the wheel's always a good idea anyway - less so on steel wheels, but it helps to prevent electrolytic corrosion between the steel hub and alloy wheels, which can make it difficult to remove the wheel.

Back in the days before alloys were ubiquitous, !!!!!-spec models would have no wheeltrim, or maybe just a small plastic centre cap. A bit higher would have a fairly plain plastic trim. Top spec would have a glitzy trim, or maybe "styled" steels with a chrome ring around the rim...

Richard53

AdrianC wrote: »

"styled" steels with a chrome ring around the rim...

I remember those. Yuk.

bigjl

The reason Police cars removed the wheel trims was purely financial

If a car was en route somewhere and a wheel trim came off and hit somebody causing an injury the force would be liable financially, it would also technically be a Polacc.

Apart from looking slightly better and providing some protection to the wheelnuts they have a slight aerodynamic benefit

The reason Prius have plastic wheel trims aswell as alloy wheels is to protect the wheels from kerb damage as the alloy they are made of is different to most wheels, can't remember what alloy it is off hand

As far as the OP goes I would leave as is

Westmead_Fan

if you don't like wheel trims & just have the steel wheel showing what you can do is clean the rim up & spray silver paint just to smarten them up.

albionrovers

+1 for liability. A loose trim will eventually come off and cause damage.

neilmcl

albionrovers wrote: »

+1 for liability. A loose trim will eventually come off and cause damage.

That's what cable ties are for.

AdrianC

neilmcl wrote: »

That's what cable ties are for.

With a side order of "Not if you don't bounce it off the kerbs"