How to Make Your Wheels and Hubcaps Last

You want wheels that do a good job. Even the best-looking sports car does not handle the road well and is not sure if you ignore these essential components.

Use a Wheel Cleaner:

The wheels of your car touch the road and take all the dirt on it. Add in the dust that wears down the brake pads and you have the secret to the hard-to-remove stains when you wash your vehicle.

• Car wash fluid will not be able to wash them off. You will need a specially formulated wheel cleaner to remove these stains.
• Make sure you buy the correct formulation. Some cleaners are designed for metal wheels and others for painted or galvanized wheels.
• Metal wheel cleaners themselves come in various formulations, depending on whether the metal wheel has a satin, aluminum or chrome finish.
• Protect metal wheels with wheel polish and painted wheels with a coat of wax.

Have the Wheel Alignment Checked:

• Have your car's wheel alignment checked every 48,000 km (30,000 miles), or as recommended by the owner's manual.
• Also have it checked after purchasing new tires and when replacing a rack and pinion steering unit or other steering part.
• Misalignment of the tires shortens their life and is the source of poor handling.
• If your steering is stiffer than normal, or if the vehicle is pulling to one side, you probably have an alignment problem.

Lubricate the Nuts of Your Wheels:

Wheel nuts, if not occasionally lubricated, may bind or “freeze” on the bolts due to corrosion. Repairing them can be expensive.

• However, having to call a tow truck because you can't get a flat tire out is even harder.
• The next time you change or rotate your tires, purchase anti-seize compound from the auto supply store.
• Clean the screw threads with a wire brush and wipe them with the lubricant.
• It is formulated to prevent wheel nuts (and spark plugs) from freezing and will keep them, unlike other anti-seize agents, from loosening while you are driving.
• If a lug nut is stuck on a screw, try spraying them with an oil lubricant.
• Cover with cling film and let stand for about 10 minutes. Use a heat gun to apply heat. Then use a ratchet to remove the nut.

Hang on to Your Hubcaps:

Bang, bang, bang! Say goodbye to your hubcap escaping to an unknown destination.

• Hubcaps, hubcaps, and center caps may come off your car's wheels while you are driving, if they have not been properly reinstalled, if they have sagged over time, or if they have become loose. been damaged by hitting a sidewalk while parking.

Here are some tips to help keep those expensive parts securely in place on your car:

1. If an old metal bezel has come loose, remove it and slightly open the metal clips outward. This should fix the problem.
2. Newer plastic-type hubcaps and hubcaps are usually held in place by a ring of retaining wire that snaps into clips on the wheel. When installing such a hub cap or hub cap, be careful not to twist or break these fasteners.
3. One way to make sure your expensive hubcaps don't get damaged by a repair shop is to remove them yourself before taking the car to the garage for a repair that requires removing the wheels, such as a work on. brakes or fitting new tires.
4. When reinstalling the wheel covers, seat the wheel cover in place and then gently press down with a rubber mallet. Do not hit the hubcap too hard, you could break the clips underneath. If you prefer to have your repairman remove the hubcaps, make sure they have been properly reinstalled. They should look regular and aligned.