A stylish wheel rim covering

Anthony Fontanelle
August 13, 2007

Wheel rims are safely tucked on Saturn vehicles' wheel base by protruding lug nuts. Due to their stuck out position, lug nuts are prone to elements and scratches, if not dents. Saturn hubcaps are thus designed to cover the rim and protect the lug nuts, although they were also fitted to add style to a vehicle's wheels.

Built for protective purposes, the first hubcaps were made from heavy steel. Later, the leading car manufacturers used the hubcaps as a means to advertise their logos. Saturn, for example, has put its name on the Saturn hubcaps, though the latter's looks remain simple. After World War II, designers opted to use aluminum and lighter metals, in place of steel and chromium. Years later, vehicles turned to over-sized, chrome-finish hubcaps that extend outside the wheel base. Owners of even the cheaper automobile models see having hubcaps as an additional sense of style.

When economy turned from a hot streak to a steady state, hubcaps returned to their functional ways, especially with the influx of the smaller Japanese sedans and compacts. Older hubcaps suddenly became a thing of the past, and as a result, boosted its value often finding their way into auctions. Today, wheel rim coverings, such as the Saturn hubcaps, feature free-spinning center cap and are either silver-, chrome-, or gold-finished. Hubcaps have also become a advertisement tool, as the some taxi fleets use the spinner to post small product teasers, especially in taxis.

A complete set of Saturn hubcaps pose maintenance challenges. The main reason for this is the process of changing tires. In times of tire changes, the Saturn hubcaps are detached with a screwdriver or other disconnecting tool, causing the cap to eventually warp. While the hubcap secures removed lug nuts, it becomes a flop after the new tire is attached. Few drivers carry a rubber mallet with them, so hubcaps are often reattached loosely. Running full speed on a highway may lead to the loss of one or more hubcaps. Scrupulous car owners should take the time to periodically secure their hubcaps by tapping the rim in a circular pattern with a rubber mallet.

Source:  Amazines.com