Experiment: smooth wheel discs tested A-B-A - 4.6% mpg improvement @ 65 mph

[Frank Lee]

Ain't no different.

[101Volts]

Just a reminder, Remember to check if your covers are well-screwed on if you have them screwed on. I lost a pan on a recent trip.

[JeffD]

I just tried to put the pizza pans on my Frontier. I thought I was being smart and painted them with Sliver "hammered" finish Rustoleum first. Then I drilled 2 holes in the center cap and used J B weld to glue 1/4 - 20 nylon insert locking nuts on the inside. Used Rubber washers under the heads of the screws to put them on. I thought they came out pretty well.

About a week later I lost the front right pan (and center cap). I'm guessing I might have tightened the screws too much and started to pull the center cap off? I don't know because with the nylon locking feature it's hard to tell when tightening. I couldn't chance it, so I removed the remaining pans.

Anyhow, mark this as a pizza pan fail.

Considering trying to drill the ends of 2 lug nuts and attach there.

[101Volts]

I don't have a photo on here now, But Father and I wrapped stretch-wrap plastic over the hubcaps of "Moony" and are using those for the smooth aero covers. At first the plastic was falling out the sides so we taped it down. I find this preferable to the pizza pans; Though the plastic might be more prone to holes it's not about to fall off like the two frontal pizza pans did.

[Xist]

Originally Posted by 101Volts

I don't have a photo on here now, But Father and I wrapped stretch-wrap plastic over the hubcaps of "Moony" and are using those for the smooth aero covers. At first the plastic was falling out the sides so we taped it down. I find this preferable to the pizza pans; Though the plastic might be more prone to holes it's not about to fall off like the two frontal pizza pans did.

I tried using marine plastic as smooth wheel covers and as an air dam, but the plastic formed holes when I heated it. It should have been nice and tight.

As long as your plastic is tight, you should be good to go.

[McDesign]

My discs get good comments as well.

I did add three more screws to keep the aluminum discs from "popping" or galling against the aluminum wheels

Forrest

[101Volts]

Originally Posted by Xist

I tried using marine plastic as smooth wheel covers and as an air dam, but the plastic formed holes when I heated it. It should have been nice and tight.

As long as your plastic is tight, you should be good to go.

Thanks.

Father heated plastic that was on a hubcap too and it formed holes.

Though it's been changing form, The plastic has held until the last time I checked it at least and I didn't see any problems worth fixing so far.

[JeffD]

Finally got around to the pizza pans again after the previous failure.

I like the plastic idea because it seems less prone to cause damage if it comes off but I'm kind of attached to the pizza pans.

I ordered some extra lug nuts, drilled thru the acorn top (really hard steel, so had to spring for the expensive drill bit) and welded 1/4-20 nuts to them. I had to make sure that the new lug nuts had the same dimensions for the wrenching flats as the stock lug nuts. I had no idea lug nuts with the same thread would have different hex dimensions. Fortunately the lug wrench that came with the truck fits these new lug nuts even with the 1/4-20 nut welded on top.

Anyhow, painted the pizza pans, drilled a couple of holes and screwed them on with no problem (so far).

[razordave]

zip ties are awesome.

drill the single hole for a bolt as the op did and put 1 zip tie around a spoke to keep from spinning, another for safety and a third to not have to worry about anything.