Do hub caps protect the tire or the nuts in the wheel in anyway ?
Or are they just there for appearance only ?
2007-01-19 13:27:26 · 9 answers · asked by gary b 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
I work in a brake shop, and take a lot of tires off. I have never had a problem taking wheel nuts off, from a car with or without hubcaps. They do nothing mechanical for the car, and they are strictly for looks. They are not important unless you don't like the look of steel rims. The steel rims tend to rust no matter what, I had that on my old car and on my truck and about every older car that comes into the shop with steel rims with or without hub caps. They do nothing for the wheel nuts because the wheel are vented and most hub caps are vented, allowing moisture and the elements in. They may slow down the time rust appears, but only by a few days. But if your meaning the little steel cup greese caps on each hup (hub cap) they keep the greese in, and if thoes are gone they need to be replaced. but if your meaning the one that covers the wheel rim, (hub cap, retarded, should be wheel cover, thats waht i call them) then they're for looks
2007-01-19 13:51:37 · answer #1 · answered by gregthomasparke 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Years ago the ends of the axles, or hub (the bit that the wheel bolts on to) were open to the weather and dirt from the, in those days, not very good roads, a cover was introduced which snapped over the wheel adjacent to the wheel nut to keep the dirt out these became known as `Hub Caps` these caps have now been superseded by plastic plates which fit over the complete wheel, Hub caps can still be seen on the old `Mini` and `Morris Minor`. Posher motors had `Knave Plates` which did the same thing.
2016-05-23 23:15:30 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only real job of hub caps is to look nice, they don't really protect anything. It won't hurt anything except the appearance of your car. Hub caps that do protect the lug nuts from dirt and debris are the small ones on alloy wheels that cover just the lug nuts. The little plastic individual lug nut caps that GM uses protect the lug nuts and work quite well, except for the fact that they break all the time. You can always go to your local auto parts store and get some fake spinner hub caps! lol
2007-01-19 13:37:58 · answer #3 · answered by Kevin 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The car fairies come and steal the car away from you for not keeping it looking right ;) Just for looks though very ineffective at protecting much these days with the large openings and such however if looking for wheel covers can always go direct
2014-02-28 11:31:12 · answer #4 · answered by Rick 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hey help keep the road salt of the wheel studs, if they get rusty they can break off when you go to remove the lug nuts. thats why lots of pick up trucks that dont have hub caps, have lug nuts that cover the end of the stud. its not really that big of a deal but i wouldnt go a long time like that
2007-01-19 13:33:37 · answer #5 · answered by Dirt Track # 13 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I'm with dirt track, they not only help the lugs but help keep the grease in your bearings!
2007-01-19 13:46:25 · answer #6 · answered by busted_glass 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
appearance only
2007-01-19 13:38:47 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
strictly appearance
2007-01-19 13:31:36 · answer #8 · answered by charlie at the lake 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
only for apperance
2007-01-19 13:35:01 · answer #9 · answered by Rusty 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋