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basshead Profile
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X-TRAIL HOLIC
 


Date Registered: 02-2004
Location: Panania, Sydney
TOTAL POSTS: 2852
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after-market replacement wheel covers


Two of my second set of Nissan wheel covers broke quite some time ago and it looked silly having two covers missing (as does one) so I took them all off...

As you're probably aware, new genuine Nissan wheel covers cost nearly as much as new (after-market) alloy wheels, and I can't justify spending so much money on wheels (and new tyres to fit) these days (although I'd spent $4000 on a set of schmick 18inch chromies for my previous car about 10 years ago) so I popped into my local autoparts franchise store to see what they had on offer in the way of replacment wheel covers.

Never having bought wheel covers before, I expected them to be different for different makes of car (like oil filters, etc), but was told by the assistant that all 15 inch covers will fit all 15 inch wheels.

They had a special on "black chrome" covers so I bought a set, and when I got home, immediately put them on (with the eager help of my 3 year old son). They didn't quite seem to fit on properly; the cover was larger than the rim and about 1/5 of it was not flush with the tyre, but it still seemed to be hanging on quite well.

Later that evening I didn't even make it (approx) 150m meters to the end of my street before I was overtaken by one of the wheel covers, then as I was turning, another came off.

It turns out the tyre (BFG A/T) are similar to performance tyres, in that they have a "rim protector" where the very edge of the tyre (nearest to the bead) protrudes from the rim, thus protecting it from an impact with the gutter. This feature was what prevented the wheel cover sitting flush with the tyre all the way around, and as soon as the tyre side-wall was compressed (when turning) it pushed against the wheel cover, thus popping it out from the rim.

Just a word of warning for any others considering wheel covers - don't simply rely on the "experience" of sales staff in auto parts stores, and trial-fit them before you leave. Unfortunately I didn't have the X-Trail at the time of purchase (nor when I re-visitted to complain). They're happy to assist me any way they can, but as the packaging is now been recycled, I'm not sure they'll exchange them (even though they were not damaged when they popped off).

I might need to visit some of the Greenacre wrecking yards to find 2nd-hand Nissan wheel covers...




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Rich. X-013(c)
'04 S2 ST Auto. Nudge_roofracks_tow_tints_Lightforce_GME_YokoGeoA/T-S_TBS_bashplate_50mm-spacer-lift
Click here to see >300MB of photos and videos All For His Glory.
11/Mar/2011, 9:25 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message MSN Yahoo Blog
 
jalalski Profile
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Date Registered: 02-2004
Location: SUTHERLAND, SYDNEY
TOTAL POSTS: 29100
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Re:


Rich,

You can find a set of the genuine hubcaps on eBay for much less than what you paid for the aftermarket ones.

I also thought you would have cable tied the hubcaps by now, as this is exactly what the guys where doing to avoid loosing them or to at least prevent/delay them being stolen.

---

12/Mar/2011, 3:50 am Link to this post Send Private Message MSN Blog
 
Mr Xtrail Profile
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X-TRAIL FANATIC
 


Date Registered: 12-2008
Location: Sydney
TOTAL POSTS: 394
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Re:


i remember the first time I saw cable ties on a car, it was a taxi. I remember saying to myself why would a cabbie cable tie the hubcaps...then the light bulb went off, it was to keep them from coming off, as no one would want to steal hubbies off a cabbie...or would they??

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2008 T31 TL DCI 6 Speed Manual X-Trail (x-1083)
with JAOS Strut Bar, K&N filter, Mats, Rubber Boot Liner, Tints, Cargo Barrier, Towbar, glove box light, dashmat, Geo ATS 225/60/17 & now with babyseat

13/Mar/2011, 4:19 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message
 
basshead Profile
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X-TRAIL HOLIC
 


Date Registered: 02-2004
Location: Panania, Sydney
TOTAL POSTS: 2852
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Re: Re:


quote:

Mr Xtrail wrote:

I remember saying to myself why would a cabbie cable tie the hubcaps...then the light bulb went off, it was to keep them from coming off, as no one would want to steal hubbies off a cabbie...or would they??



Another cab driver? Seriously though, they're probably all scratched up from hitting gutters anyway...


I popped back into the autoparts store today to try another set of wheel covers, and they had exactly the same problem.

So I wondered whether the factory wheel covers were also the same, so I tried one of the not-yet-broken ones on when I got home, and to my surprise, it was the same poor fit as the after-market ones!

So it just goes to prove that you can't properly use wheel covers with tyres which have "rim protector" lip near the bead. Probably makes sense as the majority of tyres that have that feature are performance tyres (as I already mentioned) and more than likely fitted to fancy alloy wheels.

Back to the drawing board... Perhaps I'll just paint the factory steelies white, but that would be a pain-staking process due to the prep required... 2nd best option is to find some more second-hand factory wheel covers (I'll keep trying eBay, and the Greenacre wreckers when I'm over that way next time).

Now I might need to create a new 4-sale thread to get rid of these new $15-a-set wheel covers emoticon (Sorry Jalal, they were much cheaper than the single 15inch Nissan wheel cover I saw on eBay after reading your reply!).

It's the principle that matters, not how much I paid for them...



---
Rich. X-013(c)
'04 S2 ST Auto. Nudge_roofracks_tow_tints_Lightforce_GME_YokoGeoA/T-S_TBS_bashplate_50mm-spacer-lift
Click here to see >300MB of photos and videos All For His Glory.
14/Mar/2011, 7:07 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message MSN Yahoo Blog
 


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