First Gen xB: Initial results after smooth wheel covers, LRR tires: 43mpg!

[brickinthewind]

Well, I just lost one. The car was full of stuff and I cornered a little too fast (hypermiling of course) and I lost one - left rear. Where, I don't know, but I know why it happened. Heavy car, flexible steel wheel, inflexible hubcap.

Called Rocky Mountain Wheel back and they don't sell singles but asked me to call back next week as they sometimes have returns they can sell onesies and twosies of. I asked if there were any tricks to keeping them on more securely - they did have a good recommendation. Tweaking some of the tabs outward at, say, 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock so they hold more tightly there. Also, some guys run a bead of silicone on the inside but that has to be cleaned out every time you fill with air since there is no valve hole - caps need to be removed to reinflate. And he mentioned the racing guys just rivet them on.

Looks like I'm going to wait until they have 1 wheel cover in stock. Until then, going back to the OEM hubcaps. I'll tweak all the tabs next time I put the discs back on and see how that goes. If you do this mod, tweak the tabs out first!

[NeilBlanchard]

I know the feeling all too well. I've lost two of my pizza pan wheel covers, now; and I had to cobble together a fabric and glue substitute for the second one. I now use 2 of the spring rings on the right side covers -- they take a lot more stress on the bumpy right edge of these New England roads...