Racing Hubcaps or Aerodynamic Hubcaps

TheForce · 04-05-2006, 07:35 PM

NO RACING IS INVOLVED! TROLLS GO AWAY! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

I have recently installed racing hubcaps and I would like to say I am very pleased. Not only do they look good they also improved my fuel mileage by about 2 mpg! I have ran the hubcaps for one tank so far but I think I have seen an improvement. Before I put them on my average was about 55mpg. After I put them on My millage went up to 57mpg. I finished off my tank today with 59.0mpg on the screen!

Of course the temp has been in the 60s the past week but I seen the increase in 40 degree weather when my normal mileage would have been around 55mpg. When I got home from the gas station I looked at my screen and saw 74.3mpg!!! I love the warm temperatures! I cant wait for 80-100 degree heat!

I bought the hubcaps from Hubcap Mike. I bought the screw on type because the pop on type will not work on the stock prius wheels. Instead of drilling the wheels like the instructions said to do I decided to make things a lot easier by installing them on to the trim rings. This makes it a lot easier to pop them off encase you need to replace a flat or check your tire pressure. All I did was drill some holes and installed some pop rivets. The stock caps come pre drilled with 3 holes. I suggest drilling 3 more. All the holes will line up perfectly with the flat spots on the trim ring. Make sure when drilling the new holes you make your hole as far away from the outside as possible because you don't want the rivets to rest against the rim of the wheel. When everything is done your car should look like the pictures below.

I installed mud guards today and from the looks of it they wont effect my fuel millage at all. The hubcaps stick out enough to push the air around the mud guards.

aaf709 · 04-05-2006, 07:49 PM

They look very impressive!

My only worry is the air flow to the brakes. Maybe that isn't a problem.

TheForce · 04-05-2006, 07:53 PM

Thankis. Dont think there will be a problem with airflow to the brakes. The wheel is open in the back and I try not to use the brakes that much. I try to maximize regen. If I did have to ride the brake going down hill for a long time I would take the caps off. Thats why I put them on the trim ring. 3 pops per wheel with a screw driver and their off.

hyo silver · 04-05-2006, 07:53 PM

Cool pix, Jay. I ordered mine yesterday, and I think they'll look even better on silver. I was thinking of bolting them to the trim rings, but I'm sure rivets work just as well.

TheForce · 04-05-2006, 07:58 PM

I was thinking about bolting them also but I think the rivets look more slimline. I think they will look great on a silver car! Just remember if you bolt them to cut the bolts as short as possable and use lock tight to keep them on.

priusenvy · 04-05-2006, 08:18 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Apr 5 2006, 04:35 PM) [snapback]235550[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I have recently installed racing hubcaps and I would like to say I am very pleased. Not only do they look good they also improved my fuel mileage by about 2 mpg!
[/b]

If you use flush-mount rivets you could increase the improvement to 2.000001mpg.

hdrygas · 04-05-2006, 10:23 PM

Very nice. I like it. I can see these on my silver baby! I may well be tempted.

jeneric · 04-06-2006, 03:57 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Apr 5 2006, 04:35 PM) [snapback]235550[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

...they also improved my fuel mileage by about 2 mpg![/b]

Admit it, you put magnets around the fuel line at the same time.

Actually, I think your weather info is the key. In fact, maybe I'll start selling a magnet you put on your fuel line, only available for purchase in the spring.

Not that I'm one to talk, I still have a transformer on my van that ups the voltage to the spark plug. At the fair, they showed how their old car would run on 1 cylinder with it, and would die on 2 cylinders without. They claimed the huge spark it created burned ALL the gas. My spark plugs have lasted well and it sure FELT peppier, but it's just so hard to judge the actual results.

darelldd · 04-06-2006, 04:22 PM

Naughty, naughty. Adding unspring weight to the wheels!

I agree that there is little chance this will significantly change mileage. If you could get a 4% mileage increase this way, the wheels would have been delivered much smoother than just with the stupid plastic trim!

Looks great. I've been toying with doing this to my silver car as well. While I have promised the trim rings to a friend, I might just take them back to do this. Or maybe trade him for his ugly ones so everybody is happy. I think some nice SS Allen panhead screws would work pretty well. I'm a big fan of everything being reversible.

Well done! Let me know when there are pictures of a silver car with installed caps!

samoan_ridah · 04-06-2006, 04:52 PM

Are you guys worried about theft at all?

04-05-2006, 07:35 PM	#1
TheForce I Plug-In My Prius Join Date: May 2005 Location: Wheelersburg, Ohio Posts: 2,734 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #7 Thanks: 1 Thanked 157 Times in 116 Posts Friends: 22	NO RACING IS INVOLVED! TROLLS GO AWAY! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! I have recently installed racing hubcaps and I would like to say I am very pleased. Not only do they look good they also improved my fuel mileage by about 2 mpg! I have ran the hubcaps for one tank so far but I think I have seen an improvement. Before I put them on my average was about 55mpg. After I put them on My millage went up to 57mpg. I finished off my tank today with 59.0mpg on the screen! Of course the temp has been in the 60s the past week but I seen the increase in 40 degree weather when my normal mileage would have been around 55mpg. When I got home from the gas station I looked at my screen and saw 74.3mpg!!! I love the warm temperatures! I cant wait for 80-100 degree heat! I bought the hubcaps from Hubcap Mike. I bought the screw on type because the pop on type will not work on the stock prius wheels. Instead of drilling the wheels like the instructions said to do I decided to make things a lot easier by installing them on to the trim rings. This makes it a lot easier to pop them off encase you need to replace a flat or check your tire pressure. All I did was drill some holes and installed some pop rivets. The stock caps come pre drilled with 3 holes. I suggest drilling 3 more. All the holes will line up perfectly with the flat spots on the trim ring. Make sure when drilling the new holes you make your hole as far away from the outside as possible because you don't want the rivets to rest against the rim of the wheel. When everything is done your car should look like the pictures below. I installed mud guards today and from the looks of it they wont effect my fuel millage at all. The hubcaps stick out enough to push the air around the mud guards. __________________ 2006 Prius Barcelona Red Package #7. Picked up 2006/01/02 Converted to Plug-In on 2008/08/12 with Hymotion L5 *Hybridfest 2007 & 2008 Peoples Choice Award * *Hybridfest 2009 Peoples Choice Best of Show Award * For a list of my mods visit http://www.jaygroh.com

04-06-2006, 04:22 PM	#9
darelldd Prius is our Gas Guzzler Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern CA Posts: 5,336 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 18 Thanked 44 Times in 32 Posts Friends: 12	Naughty, naughty. Adding unspring weight to the wheels! I agree that there is little chance this will significantly change mileage. If you could get a 4% mileage increase this way, the wheels would have been delivered much smoother than just with the stupid plastic trim! Looks great. I've been toying with doing this to my silver car as well. While I have promised the trim rings to a friend, I might just take them back to do this. Or maybe trade him for his ugly ones so everybody is happy. I think some nice SS Allen panhead screws would work pretty well. I'm a big fan of everything being reversible. Well done! Let me know when there are pictures of a silver car with installed caps! __________________ -= Darell the EV Nut =- * EV Pages * Prius pages * PLEASE avoid sending me PMs!

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04-05-2006, 07:49 PM	#2
aaf709 Ravenpaw of ThunderClan Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 3,839 My Car: 2005 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	They look very impressive! My only worry is the air flow to the brakes. Maybe that isn't a problem.

04-05-2006, 07:53 PM	#3
TheForce I Plug-In My Prius Join Date: May 2005 Location: Wheelersburg, Ohio Posts: 2,734 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #7 Thanks: 1 Thanked 157 Times in 116 Posts Friends: 22	Thankis. Dont think there will be a problem with airflow to the brakes. The wheel is open in the back and I try not to use the brakes that much. I try to maximize regen. If I did have to ride the brake going down hill for a long time I would take the caps off. Thats why I put them on the trim ring. 3 pops per wheel with a screw driver and their off.

04-05-2006, 07:53 PM	#4
hyo silver awaaay Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 10,726 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: Base Thanks: 47 Thanked 152 Times in 107 Posts Friends: 63	Cool pix, Jay. I ordered mine yesterday, and I think they'll look even better on silver. I was thinking of bolting them to the trim rings, but I'm sure rivets work just as well.

04-05-2006, 07:58 PM	#5
TheForce I Plug-In My Prius Join Date: May 2005 Location: Wheelersburg, Ohio Posts: 2,734 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #7 Thanks: 1 Thanked 157 Times in 116 Posts Friends: 22	I was thinking about bolting them also but I think the rivets look more slimline. I think they will look great on a silver car! Just remember if you bolt them to cut the bolts as short as possable and use lock tight to keep them on.

04-05-2006, 10:23 PM	#7
hdrygas Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Olympia Wa Posts: 3,650 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #9 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Friends: 0	Very nice. I like it. I can see these on my silver baby! I may well be tempted.

04-06-2006, 04:52 PM	#10
samoan_ridah Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 79 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Are you guys worried about theft at all?