Will smooth hubcaps fit my 2000 Civic wheels?

[swoody]

Well here's more pictures than you probably ever cared to see of my rims, haha. I didn't know exactly how they'd come out, so I figured I'd take a bunch for you guys to get a better impression. I think the hubcaps should fit as there were 4 tabs on the back of the OEM hubcaps that look like regular hubcap tabs, but they really don't hold them on by themselves. The only part I'm worried about is the valvestem, since it takes up most of the room in the indent in the rim where I THINK the hubcaps would snap into. What do you guys think?



















And just a couple showing off my amazing Duct-odynamics (that is a real word in case you were wondering) DuctTape Upper and Lower grille blocks, DT Fog Light hole covers, DT mirror removals, and now DT smooth rims

[Sean T.]

As far as I can tell, your wheels WILL take traditional snap-in hubcaps

Here are the basics:

A traditional snap-in hubcap has plastic tabs that recieve tension (pushing outwards) via a metal ring...



When you push the hubcap onto the wheel, the plastic tabs snap into place in this groove...



You will also notice that on snap-in hubcaps, there is an indent in the ring as well as in the hubcap to accomodate the Air filler nozzle thingy.

On older hubcaps, and most metal hubcaps (possibly the moon caps), they are still snap-in, and follow the basic idea but with a different method. All the little metal tabs snap into that groove, but they don't need a tension ring because they have enough tension on their own. This connection is much more stable than the plastic tabs with a metal ring, so if the moon hubcaps have this, they will probably NEVER fall of.



Older plastic hubcaps use the same method, with just a few metal tabs instead of metal tabs all the way around. Even these are better than the plastic tabs... I just about fell over when this hubcap finally popped off the wheel, I was pulling so hard!



And believe me, when it comes to hubcaps, I know what I'm talking about

Here's my "collection"...



I hope this helped

[Sean T.]

oh, and the metal ones also have slots for the air tube to fit into.

[swoody]

Thank you so much Sean T. that's exactly what I was looking for. Seems like you've got quite a collection there So do you still have those 14" moons available?

[whokilledthejams]

@Sean T:
The Moon discs have metal hooks similar to that trim ring, with a gap for the valve stem (though the valve stem is covered up, and the discs fit so tight they take a claw hammer to remove).

[Sean T.]

Originally Posted by whokilledthejams

@Sean T:
The Moon discs have metal hooks similar to that trim ring, with a gap for the valve stem (though the valve stem is covered up, and the discs fit so tight they take a claw hammer to remove).

Yeah, same thing with a few of the metal hubcaps I have.... you absolutely CANNOT get them off with your hands. lol