Gen 4 Center Caps

It was worth $75 to me to get Toyota center caps.

 

1$ each for 1 1/2” electrical panel knock-outs, and some plumbers Teflon tape around them for a bit of friction

 

Just editorial: it's always requires a mental "course correction' when I hear "hub caps", in the typical current usage. The "hub" is that little protruberance in the centre hole, and technically, a "hub cap" is a little cap, on that hole. What you're referring to as a "centre cap".

A "wheel cover" is more recent innovation, a complete cover over (most typically) a steel rim, to dress it up, to masquerade as an alloy rim.

Anyways, just rambling.

 

These worked for me rather well.

4x Toyota Prius 04-15 Corolla 2009-2013 Yaris 2006-2014 Chrome Center Caps Cap | eBay

 

You used them on a Gen 4? The groove is different on them.

 

Yeah and why the eff would they do that? I know, to tick me off.

 

There's 'just fine' and there's 'refined.' Just me being petty.

 

You could 3D print some with Toyota logos on.

Toyota Caps 3D Printed by kithmo posted Dec 17, 2017 at 11:43 AM

 

Get outa here... Really?

 

In the old days when painted steel wheels were standard, the hub caps on most cars were expanded out to cover the lug nuts. So covering more than just the hub, but still called a hub cap from what I recall. Meanwhile more expensive cars like Cadillac had fancier stainless steel covers which covered the entire wheel, but still called a hubcap by most people, although I think I remember some people even back then starting to call those wheelcovers.

I think the term wheel cover may have come into more popular use when plastic covers become the norm. Many people still call even the plastic ones hubcaps, which in a sense they are since they cover the hub, but for a traditionalist it's hard to accept the idea of a hubcap not being made of metal.

 

Care to share the printer file?

 

There are a couple here:
Search Thingiverse - Thingiverse

 

Do you still have these on your wheels? How are they holding up?

I've been looking for quite sometime for oem or replica center caps that will fit my 4th gen but couldn't justify $80! LOL

 

I seem to be unable to edit that post, above, but those are the $9.99 center caps from ebay.

Had to use the Dremel with a cutoff wheel to flatten all aspects of the locking nubs which weren't locking onto anything. In fact, they were pushing the caps out.

Then used a non-permanent tacky stuff to hold them in. I really like the look of the silver center caps instead of the black & silver official Toyota ones that go for $80, but maybe that is in part because my car is white. With a dark blue Prius the black accents on center caps might be what I'd go for.

 

Exactly my issue, with some third gen caps. EBay listing said they were OEM. Also, when I tried to leave a comment, for some strange reason couldn't: by design?

Anyways, luckily I have OEM caps as well, and careful comparison and trial fit of both showed the issue: around the rim are four beveled zones. They're supposed to nicely center/secure the cap, but on the EBay ones the bevel is not sufficient, there's a flat zone just under the cap outside, and it raises the the cap accordingly.

Half an hour patient dremel work:


The translucent white zone is where I ground off material:

Material removed:

I kept at it, then trial fit, then grind some more. Basically had to go till that zone was completely beveled, before the cap would settle down, sit completely flush.

 

One more thing: the jaws didn't lock positively in the groove inside the bore until I revised this bevel; they couldn't quite reach the groove.