Hubcaps/Wheel Covers on your winter steel wheels?

[Rand]

Originally Posted By: dlayman
Originally Posted By: copcarguy
Originally Posted By: Rand

I spray all the lugnuts, axle nuts etc with boeshield t-9 and let dry
it leaves a slightly waxy protective film behind.




I've never heard of this stuff, after Googling it I want to get some!


The only downside of this stuff I could see is that if not allowed to cure completely before exposure to road salt, etc. its tackiness could actually attract and hold the salt, etc. to the wheels and nuts. Curing seems to take a good amount of time, especially in the cold. I have bare steelies and wish I had done this a few weeks ago.


While I agree.. I like the results.. so I will continue.

I usually spray them lightly 2x then put the covers on after a couple hours if im not in a rush.
my wheel covers are solid with no slots so they keep most of the direct road spray off.

I got my boeshield t-9 from sears it comes in a combo pack with a small bottle of evaporust and was quite pricy $17 IIRC

 

[spartan0199]

Just put my winter wheels/tires on and went with no wheel covers.

 

[SHOZ]

I used the plastic ones that came with the car. Hides the rusty wheel.

 

[EdwardC]

Originally Posted By: copcarguy
I have Blizzaks on steelies on my wife's Caravan. She says it looks like a taxi. I told her "car guys" know the real deal during winter and it looks cool. She thought I was [censored]-ing her, until she went to NJ to get gas (where it's the law it's full serve) and the gas station attendants were complimenting her on her "Blizzaks & steelies".

Now she knows the real deal too.


I feel the same way. My Element had steelies with the snow tires (lost in garage fire), but I love how it looked. I guess and Element is pretty different than an MR2 though. For the 2 winters I had those wheels, I sprayed some Fluid Film on the axle nut when I did the wheel swap. Didn't really notice any rust issues.

I've since purchased some OEM alloys from Craigslist for the 2nd set of tires.

I've never seen a set of aftermarket hub caps that I thought looked good. For some reason, OEM caps always seem to fit and look better. I would stick to bare steel for that reason alone.

 

[TinyVoices]

Decided I would just use a protectant on the axle nuts and go cap-less. Here is the car this morning.

 

[DriveHard]

Originally Posted By: TinyVoices

Decided I would just use a protectant on the axle nuts and go cap-less. Here is the car this morning.


Are those YOUR donuts in the snow behind you? ;-)

Looks good, I usually rock the plain steelies myself in the winter, but this year someone GAVE me a set of OE alloys for my Miata, so it now has "fancy" snow shoes too.

 

[Ducked]

Always threw hubcaps away in Scotland, and here. Never really understood what they were for.

 

[SHOZ]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
Always threw hubcaps away in Scotland, and here. Never really understood what they were for.
To hide the ugly rusty steel wheels....

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: SHOZ
Originally Posted By: Ducked
Always threw hubcaps away in Scotland, and here. Never really understood what they were for.
To hide the ugly rusty steel wheels....


Right. So they are there to encourage you to neglect wheel maintenance. I don't need that kind of encouragement.

I've heard it suggested that if a wheel nut comes off they'll retain it and the rattle will warn you. Think that's a bit of a stretch.

 

[TinyVoices]

Originally Posted By: DriveHard
Originally Posted By: TinyVoices

Decided I would just use a protectant on the axle nuts and go cap-less. Here is the car this morning.


Are those YOUR donuts in the snow behind you? ;-)

Looks good, I usually rock the plain steelies myself in the winter, but this year someone GAVE me a set of OE alloys for my Miata, so it now has "fancy" snow shoes too.


Yes those are absolutely my circles behind the car

 

[iahawk]

I call it the 'Mad Max' look....with the bare steelies....looks kind of bad a**! Spray some corrosion -X or fluid Film on the axle nuts. keeps them in good shape. Just swapped mine tonight on the family mini van...snow coming this weekend.

 

[Rand]

I just use mine to keep the highway salt spray off. I actually like the looks without better.
There is a difference between a little salt dust and a spray hitting them at 65mph. One wont take off my boeshield t-9.. the other will remove it eventually.

I thought about many alternatives but the spray can is so easy to use.. and not messy to clean up next year like antiseize or some other goop would be.

 

[Ducked]

If I can be bothered, and if I get rust, I give it my standard rusty steel treatment. Rolled beercan in a drill chuck as an abrasive, sunflower oil as a binder.

The axle nuts get greased, and, optionally, are protected by plastic film or aluminium foil sandwiched between the wheel and hub, to stop the wheels sticking on.

If you drove aggressively maybe the braking heat on the front wheels would be too much for plastic and the foil would be better.