Zip ties and wheel covers
 

I had one zip tie break in the few hundred miles that I had my wheel covers. Have any of you that attach smooth wheel covers with zip ties had difficulties?

Thanks!

There is a guy on here how created a better method. I'll look for his thread

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...aps-30157.html

I have been using them. I am just asking how long zip ties last when attaching smooth wheel covers.

zip ties
 

Mine have lasted a few thousand miles and no breaks.

One thing I did was to make the gap over the coroplast a bit wider than through the rims, so the tie wouldn't bend sharply on the rim, and maybe that helped. For example the gap on the rims is about 1 inch, and I made the gap on the coroplast 2", though probably 1.5" would be wide enough and use less length of the ties, making them easier to put on.

During testing I have also lost one plug in wheelcover assembly. It came off from a cover where the holes werent drilled so straigth compared to the zipties incoming direction. I will shoot a hubcap assebly video today to show how to do it.

I have tested my hubcap assebly to 160 km/h 100MPH speeds with 4 plugs used in the assembly.

If the holes arent in rigth place and specially it the hubcaps dont center themself to the wheel. You need to be extra careful in the assembly:

- Tighthen the plugs litlle by little. To get the hubcap fixed to center of the wheel
- Make sure the locking teeth is facing against the zipties body. This way you know that there is some tension in the ziptie. If it is not touching the tail your connection is not secured properly
- One plug can handle 10 kg of pulling force so they dont break in the assebly phase specially in hubcap assembly.

Some pictures to clear that description:
"Loose"
https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/...71&oe=54E31F7F
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.n...01514304_o.jpg

"enough tension"
https://scontent-a-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/...67541153_o.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...26019496_o.jpg

Same in video format:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ow7...ature=youtu.be

I had one break about a month ago but it was a thinner one I got from a different batch. Sadly, I lost my upper grill block to the car wash gauntlet. It was acetate so it was doomed from the start. I'm cutting a new upper and lower block this very moment.

To be clear, the one that I had that broke wasn't the ones that Vekke has. Mine are just regular zipties. I'd like to order some of the ones above at some point though. The one that failed broke at the point where it enters the lock. That one may have been too tight. Is there degredation from ultraviolet light with black ones that we need to consider? I have about 4000 miles all of them. Some of them may have couple thou more.