What Center Caps are on Your Wheels?

"way2blu does a rev update" (way2blu) 07/19/2020 at 03:02 • Filed to: Late night Oppo, center caps, wheelopnik, rims

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Until I got this screenshot from a video shoot today, I forgot center caps were a thing. Like, it’s an often-overlooked stylistic point. I feel center caps are underrated, and thus deserve a nice post.

The ones on my Camaro are pretty lowkey. The black Chevy badge with no chrome surround is subtle yet elegant. Or, maybe it was cheaper not to chrome it. Who knows.

Let’s see some up close and personal wheel shots, Oppo. Do you have factory center caps? Aftermarket? Or, *gasp* none at all?

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 03:28

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My car came with aftermarket wheels, they have this weird hubcap/centercap thing where the whole area covering the wheel nuts comes off. I was thinking of adding a prancing moose sticker in the “center cap”

atfsgeoff > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 03:31

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I prefer the term hubcap, I like the retro connotation.

My Volvo has the factory hub caps and while it took me a couple years to track down the correct fronts, my truck now wears correct matching factory hub caps as well.

Tricky part with the truck’s caps is that the rears are dished out further than the fronts in order to provide clearance for the full floating rear axle that juts out pretty far from the wheel face. The front caps are shallower because there’s no need to clear that axle. I bought the truck with three rear caps, found and bought one additional rear cap and one front cap, and I eventually found a guy down south who traded me another front cap for one of my excess rear caps. I even have a special tool to remove and install them, because it’s a very, very tight snap fit onto the steel wheels.

Sorry I can’t take any close-up shots as I’m 1200 miles from home till next month.

bmil128 > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 03:46

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Not to brag but these are on my daily. They charge a pretty penny for them but they are well made with a 3D prism effect.

As a kid I liked the semi sunburst effect on the Caprice wagons my grandfather had.

InFierority Complex > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 03:48

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\\ The Abarth has these

The fiero’s are just blank although you can get one with the Pegasus emblem on them.

The Lancia’s are these alternate Lancia emblems.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 04:28

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The VW came with self ejecting centre caps on its steel wheels. When I switched to some used VW alloy wheels, many moons ago ...one was missing a centre cap. I’m not sure if the other three are still there...

Our 20 year old Forester...still has its factory caps...

The farm ute has split rims and manual front hubs. No time for fancy caps.

Svend > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 04:40

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The Wheel Centres on the current and previous Skoda Superb are like this.

This is the wheel from the previous car, Piglet.

This is the current Skoda logo. 

The earlier Mk2 Superb had the full multi colour emblem, but were prone to ‘White Worm’, where water starts to get under the clear plastic cover and starts to de- laminate it, causing it to look white in places.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 06:46

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My Accent has 1998 Ford Escort rims on it, so rather than having Ford center caps, I 3D modeled and had 3d printed replacement center caps with Hyundai on them written in Hyundai’s corporate font. They’ve been through a few iterations now (while trying to find a type of print filament that would last...) , but the current iteration is a translucent blue because that’s all the place I was getting them printed at had at that moment, haha!

Tripper > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 07:18

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I’m big on oem caps or at least caps with the car manufacturers badge. I have not been able to find a set for the 13” mini lites on the 02. I replaced the ones that came on the M3 with new ones last year along with both roundels. The Alltrack has standard VW ones.

Whenever I go for a set of aftermarket wheels, I make sure they’ll accept an OEM center cap. One exception being HRE wheels because their badge looks pretty good on everything.

old-busted-hotness-still-cant-comment > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 07:31

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Correct for the wheels:

I put the factory wheels on for winter, but I changed the centers from blue ovals on silver to panthers:

They’re not cougars, they’re panthers. Right?

My bird IS the word > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 08:22

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Center caps are a big part of these wheels

Technically I should have the earlier round caps on my car but I liked the later hex-style caps better.

facw > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 08:36

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Nothing fancy, just the stock caps:

Possibly I should get new ones, one of mine is cracked.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 09:04

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No on at the moment, I still need to order longer wheel studs & slip on spacers so  they will clear the axle stubs up front.

Brickman > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 09:12

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Strange how the ZR2 has the black badges but has gold bowtie center caps. Now I should have center caps like you :)

S-10 has center hub caps with now fades gold bowtie :P

old pic

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 09:31

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None at all haha.

It’s kinda ghetto but these were my track wheels so so had removed the center caps as to not lose them on track. Now I’ve switched them back to my street set but i haven’t found the caps. Even worse is that my hub adapters are bright red so it’s a bit rice.

Urambo Tauro > atfsgeoff 07/19/2020 at 09:35

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I also like the term “hub cap”. It feels more accurate and explicit in describing its function. B ecause in many cases, it’s not just a decorative item but it actually helps protect hub fasten ers, be they lug nuts, a spindle/ axle nut, or both .

Urambo Tauro > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 09:41

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My Mustang’s caps have the Ford logo. Which kinda breaks this rule I have that cars s hould never have more than two of the same logo visible from any given angle (from a rear quarter view, the Ford logo is also visible on the trunk lid) . But I let it slide because the logos are inoffensively small.

404 - User No Longer Available > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 09:48

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Factory. Think the Solstice is also the only one in that generation of Pontiacs to have silver caps, all others have the red coloured dart .

CaptDale - is secretly British > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 10:29

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Just the factory insert

QCGoose > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 10:48

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Useless Trivia: On the GT350, the only obviou s place on the exterior where you’ll find the Ford logo is on the wheels’ center caps, a nd the less obvious spots are all on the windows among the glass spec data; the other being part of the windshield’s black border at the top center .

HoustonRunner > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 11:22

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Fairly normal, though the bowties on my Suburban are technically on Yukon Denali wheels.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > way2blu does a rev update 07/19/2020 at 12:27

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I have hub caps that don’t just cover the hubs but the whole wheel. Fancy, I know.

Considering the wheels beneath used to look like this, I’ll take them.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 07/19/2020 at 12:32

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Oh, and yes I know I didn't align the valve stem to the cutout. I fixed that.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > My bird IS the word 07/20/2020 at 14:45

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I prefer the hex. It just looks right.