Before you discard those plastic wheel covers

I just realized something good about those plastic wheel covers. I was washing my Prius today and as I pulled off those plastic covers I was thinking that this would be the last time I’d ever see them on the car again.

Then as I was cleaning the alloy wheels I noticed the plastic covers were much easier to clean than the alloy wheels themselves.

With the alloy wheels there are more nooks and crannies to get into for cleaning. Those plastic covers also show less dirt than the shiny alloy surfaces.

Lastly, the front wheels on many cars usually show more brake “dirt†than the rear wheels probably because of the higher work load when braking. The plastic covers seem to mitigate this “dirty front wheel syndrome†by trapping the brake dirt behind them.

However I still think that the wheels look better in alloy. I also think that over the long haul the trapped debris are likely to result in compromising the alloy surface appearance, or even cause corrosion given the right environment.

All the reasons you give for keeping the rings on are the same reasons I use for keeping them off! I don't want to hide the brake dust - I want to keep it off my wheels. While it may be easier to clean the rings than the wheels, having the rings on doesn't stop the wheels from getting dirty. I've never had trouble keeping my ringless wheels clean. I just never let the brake dust build up enough to be hard to clean off.

I like to mix it up - a few weeks with them on and a few weeks with them off. In fact, I'm going to go take them off right now.

Been more than a few posts about loss of mileage with the wheel covers removed. I'd think that is more important to most owners than how 'cool' the car looks. But, to each, his (her) own, I guess.

Huh? I've been reading there's no decrease in MPG. Where did you read otherwise? Was the source someone who actually removed the covers from their car or just idle speculation?

A large cause of the lack of brake dust is from the fact that the friction brakes don't get used except below 7 MPH, so there's significantly less dust in the first place whether you have the covers on or not.

I just prefer the way the wheel looks without the cover (with a suitable center cap).

I am going to paint mine.

I duno ... I threw the plastic frisbees away 5 years ago. My mpg's don't seem to be suffering too much.




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I check my mileage at each fill-up and I'm getting 49 miles per gallon with my plastic hubcaps off. That is a combination of town and time on the I-5. I drive it like a regular car too. I don't hyper-mile or go slow or use the EV Mode. I get on it and go and repeatedly get that 49 MPG, which is just fine by me.

Based on what I have been reading about the shape of Americans the best way for many people to increase their mileage would be to go on a diet.

Sure there have been posts on this. There have been people who claim that removing the passenger seat was good for about 5 mpg increase. I heard people talk about several mpg decrease when they added splash guards. There are those who claim that the extra weight (and drag) of a trailer hitch will decrease mileage. There are those who think the permament rack mounts I put on my roof will destroy my mileage, and there's no question it impacts the mileage. There are those who think that I'm crazy for carrying bikes and kayaks and cargo on my roof because it destroys my mileage, and there's no question that it impacts my mileage. There are those who tell me not to tow anything. People worry about having the car full of people and gear because THAT kills the mileage.

If I add up all the terrible things I do to destroy my mileage, my car would make a Hummer look like a bicycle. I carry crap on the roof, off the back, on a trailer. I have roof racks, I have splash guards and a trailer hitch. I sometimes drive with the windows down. I always drive with the car at or beyond the maximum gross weight. And the best part: I have the trim rings removed. *gasp* My lifetime mileage after almost 30,000 miles is... drum roll please... 50.1 mpg.

So yeah. What's most important to me is NOT the utility of the car... but definitely how it looks.

Yikes. This is the ugliest car I've ever owned. I don't really care all that much about the looks. But I see NO reason to leave the stupid trim rings on.

lol

It's not just Americans though! I had a couple of erm, horizontally challenged individuals in my car the other day. As I went over a speed bump they complained there wasn't any give in the suspension. Well there was before you got in! I thought to myself