How to Install a Wheel Cover

Learning how to install a wheel cover is not that hard. Moreover, you can immediately transform your vehicle’s look just by installing these wheel covers, also known as hubcaps. Some people can do it within minutes. You only have to follow some basic steps using your own hands in order to accomplish this task. Evidently, attaching a wheel cover does not actually require complicated tools.

Benefits of wheel covers
Wheel covers provide protection to the steel rims of certain vehicles. They also provide a nice external look that can add value to the wheels. In general, they are made of plastic and are extremely lightweight. The wheel covers have various designs and colors. Frequently, they are manufactured to look as if they are made of alloy or some other pricey wheel variety. Once you learn how to install a wheel cover, you will soon find out that it does not take too much time to do one. 

Steps involved in how to install a wheel cover
• Position the retention rings within the grooves located near the base of the mounting rings. Retention rings can be found flanked by the clip socket’s interior edging and the rear portion of the metal clips. There are wheel covers available with preinstalled retention rings.
• Place the curved part of the retention ring to the valve notch of the wheel cover. This will circle the valve stem when installing the cover to the vehicle’s wheel. Secure the retention ring in the slots that go around the wheel cover. Arrange the valve notch and stem on the wheel.
• Pay attention to the placement of any center cap if there is one, and lug nuts, including the entire form of the rim. Make certain that things are correctly aligned. The wheel cover should totally match and fit securely on the cap and lug nuts without being too tight.
• Without fastening together the wheel cover and rim yet, get hold of the wheel cover directly over the rim. In installing covers, even pressure must be applied. In the steps involved with how to install a wheel cover, the action is just similar to placing a bottle cap on the bottle. If pressure is uneven, there is a chance it could crack or break. The proper way to accomplish this is to use your hands close to the top part and the knees close to the bottom part and then apply even pressure. For most vehicles, it is not necessary to go all through the cover, just snap them together securely in place. Apply synchronized pressure over two portions each time. Always keep the wheel cover parallel to the rim all through the steps.
• Just repeat the entire process for the rest of the wheel covers.

Bear in mind that when learning how to install a wheel cover and the retention rings are not preinstalled, the first step is to position the wheel covers over a flat surface. This is to avoid scratching the paint or chrome while putting on the retention rings. Tools are not required for this process, only your bare hands. It happens sometimes that tools cause breakage on the wheel covers. The proper way to do this is to work on installing each cover by applying pressure to two parts at once. Using other techniques may possibly damage the cover.

Make sure that before driving your vehicle, the wheel covers are securely snapped in place.