Description: Wheel covers, commonly called hubcaps, attach to a steel wheel with a series of retention clips at the outer edge. Steel wheels usually take a full wheel cover or hubcap. Some upscale wheel covers also use a separate anti-theft retaining screw with a separate cap or cover. Aluminum wheels generally use a smaller center cap that covers the hub and lug nuts and are either a machined finish or painted finish with a hard clear coating.
Purpose: Wheel covers dress up the appearance of cars with standard steel wheels.
Maintenance Tips/Suggestions: Wheel covers should be cleaned periodically when washing your car using a suitable cleaner. When changing a tire, use care when removing the wheel cover to make sure you don't damage or dislodge one of the retention clips. Bent or missing retention clips are the main reason wheel covers fall off. When reinstalling the wheel cover, use extreme care not to break or bend the retention clips. This is especially true on wheel covers with plastic clips. Apply pressure to the wheel cover evenly and gradually; do not force the cover on. To make sure the cover is fully seated, use a rubber mallet if possible, and tap gently and evenly around the cover's edge. When installed properly, the cover should be evenly seated around the edge of the wheel. If you should lose a wheel cover, there's no need to go to your car dealer. There are numerous sources of wheel covers from the automotive aftermarket.
