I recently installed a new set of winter tires on new rims. the tire person said that the wheel covers do not fit a standard steel rim. is this the case? he seemed to be very anti-wheel coverr in general for some reason. also he said I needed a different set of lugnuts for non-alloy rims. 65 more dollars paid. that was quite surprising. anyways if the OEM rims do not fit on winters, I do want to get some off-the-shelf 15" covers for the purpose of protecting the brakes from moisture. so are they compatible?
The covers likely won't fit steel rims; they're designed for the alloys. What rims are they, Corolla steelies, or aftermarket? I was using Corolla steel rims, and the main issue I found was the open centre hubs rusting up like crazy. I cleaned them up, applied rust-proofing, tried something that worked surprisingly well: 2" ABS end caps. They're black plastic, with 2.375" ID, and with the Corolla rims they're "slightly" loose. I thought at first it'd be a deal-breaker, but tried making stout rubber bands by cutting sections of a bicycle inner tube, pushing them onto the rim of the (Corolla) hub opening, just on, then tapped the end caps on. Held securely, for multiple winters, and looked passable good. AFAIK Gen 3 and 4 wheels are interchangeable. info on my rims and lug nuts in attached (prices in CDN $’s). This was in 2010. The nuts were rough finished , galvanized, open-ended (I would periodically brush a drop of oil on the ends, to avoid the exposed stud tips rusting. Here's a pic, how they looked: Steel wheels for 2021 Prius Prime | PriusChat
my wheel covers are OEM that came with the car. if they don't fit winters then, i wanted to use a wheel cover that has little holes like this. moreso less rust on brakes is what i want . I have noticed over the years that people who have wheel covers appear to have their steel wheels rusted less good to know about lug nuts, and a little silly that two sets are needed.
They're not exactly "needed"; you can put the original lug nuts on the steel rim. They do look a little odd though, protruding out, and with a dangling washer. I can't see wheel covers doing anything for rust on brake rotors. If you're driving in salty conditions with no cover, what will look like hell soon enough is the hub, showing through the centre opening on the steel rim. I went with snows on steel rims for about 10 years, then when I replaced them went to these 2012~2015 Plug-In Prius rims.
