GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

In the absence of having new wheels right away when my Vibe arrives, I'm throwing around the idea of taking the hubcaps off my steel wheels for awhile, and going with the low rent street racer look... hehe

I have no hub cap on my Vibe. I bought 4 winter tire with 4 15" steel rims and I haven't bought hub cap yet. I figure out buying hub caps but I'm not very stressed with that, may be will be next winter. Looks no so bad, but my Vibe looks much better with its 16" alloy.

quote:So I am running around with black steel wheels and chromed nuts...Pretty neat!You too. Me I keept the stock chromed nuts. They seems to be resistant enough to salt and calcium. I'll check this further when I'll put back my alloy.

Trying to picture your cars like this is giving me a Rice big headache

After putting new 16" steel wheels on for the winters, I thought it looked bad so I bought some 16" wheel covers at Canadian Tire and it looks way better now.

I don't think it is a good idea to run the stock lugs on steel wheels for snow tires. I suppose it depends on the wheel, but my buddy who works at a tire shop recommended against it. I will try to get a pic of my Vibe with the snow wheels and tires later today...Kinda dirty but here it is with the snow tires and wheels. You can see the corner of the FILTHY Golf too. It just returned from a 650 miles trip to the great white north...

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Yes, the lip of the lug nut is usually different on steel wheels compared to aluminum alloys. Steel wheels usually use a short, acorn shaped nut to hold them in place, while for alloys, a longer, narrower lug nut is used. I am told that it can be dangerous to use the wrong type of nut for the wheels. They can come loose, or the weight of the vehicle is not supported properly and can damage the wheels or related components.

I went the same route, I put black steel tires and new lug nuts.....I wanted to keep the original when the mags go back on and the are brand new.......with the salt that they have been dumping these last 2 weeks....I think it may have been well worth it.

I will probably remove my hub caps come winter time...they get so beat up as it is, might as well salvage what I can of them...

so pimp.im have the black steelies on my 92 hatch.

quote:So I am running around with black steel wheels and chromed nuts...Pretty neat!chromed nuts...ouch! sorry, i had to, it was too easy

the way the talk is going made me think of what the vibe would look like with chrome steel wheels and baby moons!!or am I showing my age?

quote:the way the talk is going made me think of what the vibe would look like with chrome steel wheels and baby moons!!or am I showing my age? must be your age, i have no idea what you mean!

quote:must be your age, i have no idea what you mean!They are old-timers wheels.

How about some chrome trim rims.It looks good with the chrome lugnuts!I guess!

OLD TIMER WHEELS!!!! besides the poor air flow around the brakes I think they might look pretty cool on a vibe.quote:They are old-timers wheels.

quote:How about some chrome trim rims.It looks good with the chrome lugnuts!I guess! where you get those at? do they just go over the rim? how much? i think theyd be good on my factory rims for snow tires.

Here is an idea how it goes on the wheel.This is the best what I found.Do a google serch,and you will find the companies,who selling them.

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Here is an idea how it goes on the wheel.This is the best what I found.Do a google serch,and you will find the companies,who selling them.

thanks, i may have to hook myself up sometime with some of them

as much as I hate to bring up dead threads...is there any potential damage caused to the front hubs/threaded shaft (can't remember what it's called now...of course) by exposure to salt/road grime? I figured that hubcaps wouldn't completely protect those areas anyhow, but should I put something (like a grease) on these areas? It's my first time with unprotected steelies...can you tell? -DB

Quote, originally posted by BrianS »After putting new 16" steel wheels on for the winters, I thought it looked bad so I bought some 16" wheel covers at Canadian Tire and it looks way better now.Exactly ditto for me, except 15"s. It looks low-rent enough with the tiny 195s vs. my summer 275/40 x 17"s! A nice looking plastic set was <$40.

I'm sorry tho - I am NOT liking those mudflaps... bleh... Pete

coolio...thanks for the info. i figured that hubcaps don't create environmentally sealed areas, and that salt would get in there regardless...but now i can sleep at night, knowing that I'm not causing anything bad to happen.

dude steelies are awesome.plastic hubcaps look so gay, keep the steelies

Bump on an ancient thread. Anyone have any idea what the cost effectiveness would be of having stock steelies chromed? The bare black looks ghetto , but chrome steelies would look ghetto-fab!

Quote, originally posted by kcorona »Bump on an ancient thread. Anyone have any idea what the cost effectiveness would be of having stock steelies chromed? The bare black looks ghetto , but chrome steelies would look ghetto-fab! thats be nasty as hell.

Quote, originally posted by tangerine »thats be nasty as hell.What can I say? I'm a nasty boi. There's a Honda (Pilot?) in the parking lot at work here, looks new, that has, if not chrome, glossy silver painted steelies, no hubcaps. It don't look half bad.

Turn your vibe into a honda.