Acrylic or Lexan wheel covers

[shorttimer]

It's the machining of the plugs + material that costs $70, not the zip ties. Very nice indeed, done in metal, however, cast in plastic would be more cost effective.

[beer]

I think your better of with fake rim hubcaps, so you don't have to clean it al the time
Look at the speed record cars, from tuners that compeed at the Nardo oval, they use nice looking hubcaps aswel for better earodynamic properties

[Vekke]

You can order/buy the zipties straigth from the states. I use Panduit PRT1S-C0 for the locking heads which are 4 7/8" long. Longer zipties are PRT3S-C0 and those are 11 1/2" long. Basicly any similar size zipties should work, but I liked the release mechanism of those.

What comes to the shipping I got better offer on that and now the total price will be 55$. (zipties included)

You just need to make round ABS covers and go to your nearest sign shop and make your own rim lookalike decals. If there are no cooling holes then there is no need to clean them so often.

Edit: That plastic injection tool is coming, but at the moment cannot afford that either.

[Andyb04]

My main attraction to this thread is the ability to use these covers on rims that don't accept hubcaps, and look good. Yeah, if you have steelies then slap some smooth hubcaps on. But my goal is to look good and have good FE!

And yeah, the $70 (now $55) is for the attachment mechanism, but the end result is you are using zip ties, which are plastic.

For $55, I would consider it to be honest. I think extended lug bolts would be the sturdiest solution, but that would definitely be a pain. Zip ties would be pretty easy to install and remove for cleaning.

[graydonengineering]

Originally Posted by Andyb04

My main attraction to this thread is the ability to use these covers on rims that don't accept hubcaps, and look good. Yeah, if you have steelies then slap some smooth hubcaps on. But my goal is to look good and have good FE!

And yeah, the $70 (now $55) is for the attachment mechanism, but the end result is you are using zip ties, which are plastic.

For $55, I would consider it to be honest. I think extended lug bolts would be the sturdiest solution, but that would definitely be a pain. Zip ties would be pretty easy to install and remove for cleaning.

I am with you. I actually spent manny manny (and then a few more) hours stipping my stock alloys and polishing them up. Now they look almost like chrome. I would love to insall some transparent covers to get the high end appearance with the wind cheating advantage.

Since I have moved to AZ, I have lost all faith is zip ties. They dry out and degrade in just moths here. The same thing used to happen in Oregon only it tool YEARS rather than months lol. I no longer use them unless they are the stainless steel kind (no joke, they come in ss).

You could mount them to the lug bolts if you took extra long lug nuts, cut the finishing cap off the end, effectively making a coupling nut out of it, and then tread in the required length shaft into that open end. You could use nylon all thread for your mounting shaft to make it light and prevent scratching your clear cover.

If you have center caps on your wheels, you could mount the clear cover to that depending on it's shape and construction. In my case, the capse fit with a spring retainer. The added weight would send them flying on the fist bump.

[Vekke]

Originally Posted by graydonengineering

Since I have moved to AZ, I have lost all faith is zip ties. They dry out and degrade in just moths here. The same thing used to happen in Oregon only it tool YEARS rather than months lol. I no longer use them unless they are the stainless steel kind (no joke, they come in ss).

Did you use UV resistant and high quality zipties which were 1.5/8 " wide?

[mwebb]

just use bolts
drill and tap

do not drill through the plastic , punch through using the holes drilled through the wheel as a guide , then use a tapered punch , twisting by hand to expand the holes enough to fit the bolts .

4 bolts is fine up to 70 mph , i never go faster so i dunno if 4 bolts is good enough at 71 mph or above

[graydonengineering]

Originally Posted by mwebb

just use bolts
drill and tap

do not drill through the plastic , punch through using the holes drilled through the wheel as a guide , then use a tapered punch , twisting by hand to expand the holes enough to fit the bolts .

4 bolts is fine up to 70 mph , i never go faster so i dunno if 4 bolts is good enough at 71 mph or above

That looks good! What did you use for the plastic cover?

[mwebb]

Originally Posted by graydonengineering

That looks good! What did you use for the plastic cover?

that is a clear 17" VW new car wheel protector
up until about 1 month ago many new VWs were shipped with them popped into the center of the wheel , they were throwing them in the garbage when prepping new cars for delivery so i too a stack of them home , seemed like too useful of a thing to throw in the garbage ...
since i posted here about the possibility of using them ... VW has stopped shipping them with new cars .... probably a coincidence or a production change or something.

anyway
flying saucer snow toys for kids would work about as well and could be trimmed to size as needed

[graydonengineering]

All this clear wheel cover talk got me thinking about rear wheel skirts. Covered rear wheel wells tend to look funny because auto makers don't put them on stock cars. I don't want my truck to look funny but I want to get great MPG so I am thinking of making rear wheel skirts and wheel covers out of 1/16" polycarbonate. a 24 X 48" sheet is only a little over $20 on Mcmaster Carr and if you fold the edges all the way over (seem it like sheet metal) it can be quite ridged. Not sure how to do that but I think it's about time I learn!