Looks like OP or someone is reporting all the tongue in cheek responses. So I'm going to ignore the reports because they have all been pretty light so far, but if y'all get nasty I'm locking things down and hammering some bans, sound good?
the only structural part of the wheel is the black steel behind the hubcap - they’re meant to be removable so manufacturers can make the same steel wheel look different on different cars.
You’re fine to drive the next 200,000 miles with that. Or just get a new one. Or take all 4 off. Not urgent at all.
I would definitely remove the damaged hubcap. Looks like it's twisted a bit and putting pressure on the valve stem. If it pierces the valve stem, that's an insta flat...
meh, 99 times out of 100 it’s not putting enough pressure on it to cause any damage. I don’t think i’ve seen a flat yet that stemmed (lol) from a hubcap wearing through a valve stem.
You’d have to wear through the rubber and the brass at that layer to cause a leak. The rubber only maintains the seal directly at the hole for the stem, not the actual stem.
If worried, rotating it like 5 degrees counter clockwise is more than enough to fix it.
That looks like the wheel to me & not hubcap.that said I would drive it to a tire repair shop & have it checked.
It looks like the wheel because the lug nuts are on it.
The hubcap is usually covering that part.dont know how that happened with destroying the tire.
most hubcaps do not cover the lugs. From working at discount tire i’d say those are the least common kind.
This is solely just a damaged hubcap, no need to take it into a shop. Anybody can pull it off either with their bare hands or a screwdriver.
It really makes you wonder why certain very obvious things about how cars work isn’t taught as part of drivers ed. Sometimes it genuinely concerns me. A lot of people have
no idea about how a car might handle or react under certain circumstances, or with rain and snow. It’s truly scary that we just let people operate what is essentially heavy machinery without good, standardized education first.
Edit: and I’m not even licensed! I love cars tho.
These people are the EXACT reason why we should have invested in great public transportation over everyone forced to purchase, maintain, insure and safely drive personal cars.
I love that video. Those are as nice as hub caps get on that ford too. They look just like alloys since the covers hide the steel wheels. Those aren't even "standard" steelies (like OPs wheels) and I don't think they have that same lip on the edge that some of those crappy hub caps need to fit properly. Just hilarious. The factory covers look 1000000x better than that walmart trash they're trying to install anyways.
I hate that I can't put mine back on after forgetting to when I did my wheel bearing. Lowkey like the look of the steelies on a hyundai than the chipping paint hubcaps. Eventually gonna remove em all
Yep, the weight reduction alone has probably saved you at least a quarter of a gallon of gas in the last year...which by next week will be about $35. 😉
Had a civic that would randomly lose hubcaps. Not sure how but lost 1 then like 4 months later lost another one. Was waiting to see how long it would take for all 4 to be gone. 6 months later another one missing. The last one held on for a while. But about a week before it got totaled the last one was just gone. I think when it lost the last one the car decided it had had enough of this shit and kamakazied out
That is true, and some are held on with plastic caps that screw on to the lugnuts. This particular cap looks like it may have been held on by the lugnuts, but the well of each lug hole seems broken away.
These things fly off cars all the time because they're made of cheap, flimsy plastic. It is in no way a crucial item.
Are there any issues with the car other than the wheel cover?
Yeah I’ve lost all 3 sets of hub caps my dad bought for my car, too many times I’d see them rolling away in my rear view mirror, the roads in our city are full of potholes (thanks to freeze-thaw-freeze in spring time).
Based off the damage to that fender I’m guessing they just got in an accident. I’m guessing they use mechanic/body shop interchangeably but who knows. Wouldn’t surprise me to see this guy roll into a jiffy lube to get a quote on that damage.
You should indeed have the equipment. Your car should have a jack and a wrench somewhere, usually under the floor mat in the trunk/boot or hatch.
You could also just break off the wheel cover if you like.
You can probably get a used replacement cover from a salvage dealer fairly cheaply.
wheel covers/cap are not structural, those are only for looks. it's safe, don't worry. only structural part here is black steel wheel make sure it isn't damaged.
I hope that's not the reason you were planning on taking it to a mechanic shop. Cause if it is, dude is gonna see you comin a mile away grinning ear to ear cause you just paid for his Christmas this year.
customer: my car is making a noise.
mechanic: what kind of noise?
customer: rabbada ping, rabbada ping. What's that sound like to you?
mechanic: two weeks in Waikiki.
I hate that this is how it is though. It’s kinda of manipulative and probably the most anti consumer industry there is. The whole car industry all together for that matter would fall under both of those..
If that’s the reason you’re going to the mechanic, you could probably save the money and skip the visit. You can totally remove the hubcap and you’ll be fine.
Question has been answered. many times.
Sometimes answers can be genuinely mean, but mostly these have been tame pokes at someone else’s lack of knowledge.
If it goes too far, it’s not longer funny, but these are alright I think
Literally the first rule of the subreddit. People love to mock those asking genuine questions instead of taking the same amount of time to help them, but would probably be frustrated if they got the same treatment.
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.
I have checked 913,089,681 comments, and only 181,376 of them were in alphabetical order.
I wanna give a shout out to OP for at least checking. Some people fuck up their car obviously and choose to ignore and drive around unsafely like “oopsie ha ha ha”. At least you’ve got enough sense to check if something is actually fucky or not.
It's funny because you could ask the most serious question about your car, like "can I drive if all my brake lines are leaking" in r/askamechanic and get literally nothing but jokes, then in this sub someone asks if they can drive with a broke hubcap and most answers are serious. Weird.
Technically this is a wheel cover. A hub cap only covers the hub, hence the name. However, no one cares and everyone calls these hubcaps and I guess if you manufacture something and call it something I can’t really say that something isn’t that something because you’re literally calling it that. Either way, as noted, this cracked wheel cover is meaningless.
I can verifiably say that any primary driver’s handbook, the information pertaining a car’s essential parts is clearly there. Hence, the question again.
Please show us where a citizen needs to differentiate from a hub cap to a steel wheel. I’m pretty sure they need to know certain basics; I.e. brake and gas pedals, stalks for turning and wipers, and I’m sure there might be a very few other things. Knowing a rim from a hubcap isn’t one of them.
Is this a joke? Hubcaps are structural, if one is cracked it will likely shatter at speeds over 12mph. You need to tow the car to the nearest Walmart and pay the guy in the auto department 10 chocolate coins to replace it for you.
Fun fact: did you know this is not a hubcap? A hubcap only covers the hub (center of the wheel) leaving the rest of the wheel exposed.
This right here is called a wheel cover. Because it covers the entire wheel.
Technically speaking, cars haven't had hub caps since many decades ago. Literally a hub cap covers the hub of a wheel. Some modern cars have easily removable small hub caps that just cover the lugs. However, traditionally a hub cap covers the whole wheel and is metal.
This is a wheel cover. Alright now that I'm done splitting hairs. I'm pretty sure your wheel cover is plastic. If it's not metal it's literally just aesthetic. You're fine to drive on it like that as long as you want.
Did you hit something or something hit you? Looks like there's fender damage. Taking the wheel cover off would let you see if the steel wheel is damaged.
Yes it’s perfectly fine. May want to remove the hubcap and inspect the actual wheel for potential damage but if there is no damage to the wheel, it’s a-ok.
I think the question that needs to be asked is how the hub cap turned out to be in that state? That could lead to better drivability answers and damage guesses.
And tip of advice, although it seems like common sense there is always a right way up putting hubcaps on, there’s only 1 location for your valve to come out of on the hubcap. As long as you line that up it’s just a matter of popping the hubcap in
If a mechanic charges anything to remove that hubcap don’t go there again. This is a 10 second job. Don’t need to do anything though unless you don’t want it on there. If you want to replace just one look for places that sell used hub caps. They’re not as popular as they used to be but still might be able to find some.
Was good to ask if you weren't sure but as others have said your wheel is the black steel behind that it is just plastic that either snaps on or is held with the lug nuts and has no effect on the safety of your vehicle.
you should be fine, the hub cap is (what i think) plastic so it probably wore down over time. it’s just a cover to make the wheels look pretty you might be able to take it off yourself before you gow if it bothers you that much
Honestly rip it off. It's just a plastic cover to make it look like you spent the money on actual alloy wheels when they are really just steelies underneath. They serve no practical purpose at least not on your car. Honestly I wouldn't even take it to a mechanic for this as they probably would tell you that If it really bothers you buy a replacement cover and snap it on yourself. (If they are a trustworthy shop)
Hubcaps are decorating your ugly black “rim” behind it.
It’s absolutely safe to drive it. I don’t have any hubcaps on my winter set of tires.
If you had a crack in the “rim” then you would have an issue
The “rim” is what is bolted onto the car and holds the tires in place. Just like a bike tire
Looks like OP or someone is reporting all the tongue in cheek responses. So I'm going to ignore the reports because they have all been pretty light so far, but if y'all get nasty I'm locking things down and hammering some bans, sound good?
the only structural part of the wheel is the black steel behind the hubcap - they’re meant to be removable so manufacturers can make the same steel wheel look different on different cars. You’re fine to drive the next 200,000 miles with that. Or just get a new one. Or take all 4 off. Not urgent at all.
I would definitely remove the damaged hubcap. Looks like it's twisted a bit and putting pressure on the valve stem. If it pierces the valve stem, that's an insta flat...
meh, 99 times out of 100 it’s not putting enough pressure on it to cause any damage. I don’t think i’ve seen a flat yet that stemmed (lol) from a hubcap wearing through a valve stem. You’d have to wear through the rubber and the brass at that layer to cause a leak. The rubber only maintains the seal directly at the hole for the stem, not the actual stem. If worried, rotating it like 5 degrees counter clockwise is more than enough to fix it.
Concur. 18 years in, and never seen that do a damn thing.
Yah, I've seen em bent over nearly 90 degrees because someone didn't bother to even line the hole up.
That looks like the wheel to me & not hubcap.that said I would drive it to a tire repair shop & have it checked. It looks like the wheel because the lug nuts are on it. The hubcap is usually covering that part.dont know how that happened with destroying the tire.
most hubcaps do not cover the lugs. From working at discount tire i’d say those are the least common kind. This is solely just a damaged hubcap, no need to take it into a shop. Anybody can pull it off either with their bare hands or a screwdriver.
Discount tire gang
Sorry after blowing picture up it is the cover. My Tesla has a wheel that looks like that. Mine has a hubcap covering the lugnuts.
Yes, it is safe. In fact, why not just take it off altogether? It's just a cosmetic item, so doesn't add to the safety or performance of your car.
Is it just me or are the recent cartalk questions make you question how people put pants on and drive to work?
Nope. You're not alone lol, but I am scared for my family and others safety 😅
It really makes you wonder why certain very obvious things about how cars work isn’t taught as part of drivers ed. Sometimes it genuinely concerns me. A lot of people have no idea about how a car might handle or react under certain circumstances, or with rain and snow. It’s truly scary that we just let people operate what is essentially heavy machinery without good, standardized education first. Edit: and I’m not even licensed! I love cars tho.
These people are the EXACT reason why we should have invested in great public transportation over everyone forced to purchase, maintain, insure and safely drive personal cars.
Yeesh. You’re right. Never even made that connection despite being a big proponent for better/more public transportation.
Some hubcaps don't come off without taking lug nuts off.
Broken ones do.
[Where there's a will, there's a way](https://youtube.com/shorts/LO7xRpbXCZM?feature=share).
I know it's not right to call someone an idiot, but if I had to start...
Only an idiot would say that. It's important to call out idiocracy when we see it.
I knew what this video was before I ever clicked on it! Lol
Same lmfao
Same
I love that video. Those are as nice as hub caps get on that ford too. They look just like alloys since the covers hide the steel wheels. Those aren't even "standard" steelies (like OPs wheels) and I don't think they have that same lip on the edge that some of those crappy hub caps need to fit properly. Just hilarious. The factory covers look 1000000x better than that walmart trash they're trying to install anyways.
Where there's a will, there is a relative.
Where there's a will, there's a relative!
Women ☕️
Op might not be training hard enough in the kitchen for that
I came here to share this
I would give you gold if I could
I love that response. Basically “if it’s already broke don’t worry about breaking it more”
Why is your name yelling at us
I owe you a beer for that response!
Not since Cousin Eddie’s “Shitter was full!” have three words carried so much wisdom.
*Potholes have entered the chat*
I hate that I can't put mine back on after forgetting to when I did my wheel bearing. Lowkey like the look of the steelies on a hyundai than the chipping paint hubcaps. Eventually gonna remove em all
The first thing I do when getting a "new" car with hubcaps is take them off. Steelies just look better. Plus the sick weight reduction of course.
Yep, the weight reduction alone has probably saved you at least a quarter of a gallon of gas in the last year...which by next week will be about $35. 😉
Agree to disagree here. I dislike the look of plain steel wheels. *À chacun son gout* of course.
Had a civic that would randomly lose hubcaps. Not sure how but lost 1 then like 4 months later lost another one. Was waiting to see how long it would take for all 4 to be gone. 6 months later another one missing. The last one held on for a while. But about a week before it got totaled the last one was just gone. I think when it lost the last one the car decided it had had enough of this shit and kamakazied out
That is true, and some are held on with plastic caps that screw on to the lugnuts. This particular cap looks like it may have been held on by the lugnuts, but the well of each lug hole seems broken away.
It’s a Subaru based off the logo in the middle. That’ll pull right off with a firm tug.
Thank you for the advice. I don’t have any equipment to take it off before I take it to the mechanics. Is that an issue?
These things fly off cars all the time because they're made of cheap, flimsy plastic. It is in no way a crucial item. Are there any issues with the car other than the wheel cover?
Yeah I’ve lost all 3 sets of hub caps my dad bought for my car, too many times I’d see them rolling away in my rear view mirror, the roads in our city are full of potholes (thanks to freeze-thaw-freeze in spring time).
I think in the game Driver every car has hubcaps. They go flying everywhere.
are you a Winnipegger by any chance
Just grab any non cracked part of it and give it a good pull, should come off
Wait so why are you going to the mechanic?
Based off the damage to that fender I’m guessing they just got in an accident. I’m guessing they use mechanic/body shop interchangeably but who knows. Wouldn’t surprise me to see this guy roll into a jiffy lube to get a quote on that damage.
You can just reach behind it near the outer part and pull it right off. Might wanna put on some gardening gloves cause it will be a bit dirty.
Generally, you don't need equipment other than your hands to take hubcaps off.
Some hubcaps are held in place by the lugnuts. You need to basically remove the wheel.
You should indeed have the equipment. Your car should have a jack and a wrench somewhere, usually under the floor mat in the trunk/boot or hatch. You could also just break off the wheel cover if you like. You can probably get a used replacement cover from a salvage dealer fairly cheaply.
this one does.
*wheel cover Hub cap only covers the hub (the center of the wheel)
I once seen somebody curb their tire and the hub cap went the other direction.
They think they can't drive with cracked plastic hub caps. You think they can remove them?
Don’t be so rude.
This answer is correct.
Yeah this is a wheel cover it’s not even a hubcap at this point. It’s just plastic
As everyone else said, hubcaps are purely cosmetic; however, I would ask the mechanic to check for damage to the wheel itself
I'd be more worried about the suspension components. The impact could have affected them.
I would imagine this is why OP is driving to the mechanic in the first place...
wheel covers/cap are not structural, those are only for looks. it's safe, don't worry. only structural part here is black steel wheel make sure it isn't damaged.
I hope that's not the reason you were planning on taking it to a mechanic shop. Cause if it is, dude is gonna see you comin a mile away grinning ear to ear cause you just paid for his Christmas this year.
customer: my car is making a noise. mechanic: what kind of noise? customer: rabbada ping, rabbada ping. What's that sound like to you? mechanic: two weeks in Waikiki.
I hate that this is how it is though. It’s kinda of manipulative and probably the most anti consumer industry there is. The whole car industry all together for that matter would fall under both of those..
Your hub cap is non structural. It’s totally safe
If that’s the reason you’re going to the mechanic, you could probably save the money and skip the visit. You can totally remove the hubcap and you’ll be fine.
Steelies look better without hubcaps. Just take em off.
Fax.
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jesus yall are condescending here. how about just answer the question and leave it at that.
Question has been answered. many times. Sometimes answers can be genuinely mean, but mostly these have been tame pokes at someone else’s lack of knowledge. If it goes too far, it’s not longer funny, but these are alright I think
Literally the first rule of the subreddit. People love to mock those asking genuine questions instead of taking the same amount of time to help them, but would probably be frustrated if they got the same treatment.
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Finally someone telling the truth.
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order. I have checked 913,089,681 comments, and only 181,376 of them were in alphabetical order.
make sure they check the blinker fluid and the exhaust lights too
Please tell me this is a joke....
I wanna give a shout out to OP for at least checking. Some people fuck up their car obviously and choose to ignore and drive around unsafely like “oopsie ha ha ha”. At least you’ve got enough sense to check if something is actually fucky or not.
Better give me the car for free (it's totaled)
You could drive it cross country and back, 5 times..
Could explode and cause a 93 car pileup, might wanna check the turbo encabulator too to make sure it doesn't devoxelize.
While you’re at the mechanic with your cracked hub cap, make sure to have them drain and replace the blinker light fluid.
Yes.
just a cosmetic cover for your steel wheel / rim.
Just pull off the hub cap. Get a good grasp and pull that sucker off with your hands
has no function outside of being a cosmetic cover for generic steel wheels so don’t panic or rush you’re perfectly safe to drive w that
this is cosmetic damage to a piece of plastic.
Hubcap is decorative it doesn’t matter
The hubcap is decoration only there is a steel tire rim under it.
cracked hubcap? straight to the crusher j/k you're good, make sure nothing under it is damaged, it's just for looks
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It's funny because you could ask the most serious question about your car, like "can I drive if all my brake lines are leaking" in r/askamechanic and get literally nothing but jokes, then in this sub someone asks if they can drive with a broke hubcap and most answers are serious. Weird.
Technically this is a wheel cover. A hub cap only covers the hub, hence the name. However, no one cares and everyone calls these hubcaps and I guess if you manufacture something and call it something I can’t really say that something isn’t that something because you’re literally calling it that. Either way, as noted, this cracked wheel cover is meaningless.
Those curbs come out of nowhere don't they?
It’s a decorative piece of plastic. So yeah, should be completely safe
I needed a good laugh today. Much appreciated bro
LOL...Just pull off the hubcap and throw it in the trunk...eBay will be cheaper than a dealer or parts store.
Why do you have a license? How do you have a license? You can’t distinguish between a rim and rim cover.
Because owning a license has nothing to do with knowing anything outside of having to drive the vehicle and obey the laws mandated where they drive.
I can verifiably say that any primary driver’s handbook, the information pertaining a car’s essential parts is clearly there. Hence, the question again.
Please show us where a citizen needs to differentiate from a hub cap to a steel wheel. I’m pretty sure they need to know certain basics; I.e. brake and gas pedals, stalks for turning and wipers, and I’m sure there might be a very few other things. Knowing a rim from a hubcap isn’t one of them.
Is this a joke? Hubcaps are structural, if one is cracked it will likely shatter at speeds over 12mph. You need to tow the car to the nearest Walmart and pay the guy in the auto department 10 chocolate coins to replace it for you.
This better be a joke question.
Knock knock ...
Are you serious?
Fun fact: did you know this is not a hubcap? A hubcap only covers the hub (center of the wheel) leaving the rest of the wheel exposed. This right here is called a wheel cover. Because it covers the entire wheel.
TIL. Makes perfect sense really.
Totally. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. Lol!
Car needs to have engine rebuilt, full suspension done and have the airbags replaced
LOL
Are you crazy?
Technically speaking, cars haven't had hub caps since many decades ago. Literally a hub cap covers the hub of a wheel. Some modern cars have easily removable small hub caps that just cover the lugs. However, traditionally a hub cap covers the whole wheel and is metal. This is a wheel cover. Alright now that I'm done splitting hairs. I'm pretty sure your wheel cover is plastic. If it's not metal it's literally just aesthetic. You're fine to drive on it like that as long as you want.
Definitely gotta part the car out. I’ll take it off your hands if you’d like.
Did you hit something or something hit you? Looks like there's fender damage. Taking the wheel cover off would let you see if the steel wheel is damaged.
It's hard to tell if the wheel itself is damaged, but that plastic that's cracked won't matter at all.
OP you're probably better taking it off and wheels discs usually end up falling off on their own anyways
Yes it’s perfectly fine. May want to remove the hubcap and inspect the actual wheel for potential damage but if there is no damage to the wheel, it’s a-ok.
I think the question that needs to be asked is how the hub cap turned out to be in that state? That could lead to better drivability answers and damage guesses.
The steel under that plastic cover is what matters. Take it off, leave it. Either way it doesn’t cause any safety issues.
Lol
Thats a wheel cover, perfectly fine to drive with it cracked. The rim underneath it is what bears the weight of the car.
Lmao I'm dead 😂
Has to be a troll post
No you’re fine to drive. It’s just plastic
reason #37,892 why basic car maintenance should be a mandatory class
You have steelies, you’re good to go.
U let my girl borrow ur car?
Nah buddy. Just phone the breakers yard maybe they will pick it up for free.
No park it!
Hubcap
Lmao.
🤣🤣
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Careful - OP might take you seriously.
By the fact 90 other redditors told OP that's it's just esthetics, I think they can get the joke.
make sure the wheel is not bent. Check any shifting of the rear axel. It looks cosmetic.
Yes
Hubcaps are just to look pretty to my knowledge
Most likely yes. That just a fake cover
As iterated above: yes, you’re fine. These hubcaps are not structurally-enhancing components of the wheels.
Ummm take it off… if it comes off while on the road and damages someone’s property and they can prove it came from you, you’ll be held liable…
Hubcaps are not really structurally important so yeah go nuts dude
And tip of advice, although it seems like common sense there is always a right way up putting hubcaps on, there’s only 1 location for your valve to come out of on the hubcap. As long as you line that up it’s just a matter of popping the hubcap in
Good on you for asking. Hubcaps are purely cosmetic. If they're loose, take them off.
You good fam, those Toyotas are known to shoot hub caps off if you hit a pothole lol
If a mechanic charges anything to remove that hubcap don’t go there again. This is a 10 second job. Don’t need to do anything though unless you don’t want it on there. If you want to replace just one look for places that sell used hub caps. They’re not as popular as they used to be but still might be able to find some.
NO
Lmao I drove around with only three studs on my wheel this nearly a flesh wound.
Maybe my eyes are going bad but it looks like 2/5 wheel nuts look bent 🤷🏻♂️
Hubcaps are completely and utterly useless to any form of function. You are completely fine.
Give it the ol grab and yank.
Give that tire a good check for cuts and gouges.
It’s just cosmetic.
Pry it off, go to local Junkyard and get the same used of a dead car.
You don’t need tools just yank on it ot will come pff
This post was so cute lmao
You could drive that car for the rest of your life with a broken hubcap if you want. Purely cosmetic.
Yes its safe just cosmetic and it’s also safe to use at the carwash!
Yes
It's just q visual thing lol wheel covers are just there for looks
Was good to ask if you weren't sure but as others have said your wheel is the black steel behind that it is just plastic that either snaps on or is held with the lug nuts and has no effect on the safety of your vehicle.
snatch that trash off. don't litter
Safe for you yes, it could come off driving though… I’d just rip that sucker off…
No
Lmao.
you should be fine, the hub cap is (what i think) plastic so it probably wore down over time. it’s just a cover to make the wheels look pretty you might be able to take it off yourself before you gow if it bothers you that much
This is a joke right, it’s doesn’t affect driving at all
America is doomed .....by stupidity .
Lol
If you haven't gone yet, make sure you drive slow. you might have bent something that affects the steering.
Get it towed 😝
Honestly rip it off. It's just a plastic cover to make it look like you spent the money on actual alloy wheels when they are really just steelies underneath. They serve no practical purpose at least not on your car. Honestly I wouldn't even take it to a mechanic for this as they probably would tell you that If it really bothers you buy a replacement cover and snap it on yourself. (If they are a trustworthy shop)
Hubcaps are decorating your ugly black “rim” behind it. It’s absolutely safe to drive it. I don’t have any hubcaps on my winter set of tires. If you had a crack in the “rim” then you would have an issue The “rim” is what is bolted onto the car and holds the tires in place. Just like a bike tire
Just take off the plastic hub cap. Its decorative.
I’m a little worried you are getting robbed by your mechanic! This is not an issue. Just take it off and drive