How to put in hubcaps on 2012 Prius?

Start with the bottom half of the hubcap, snap them in place. Squat toward the tire and put one knee on the lower left of the hubcap at the 7 o clock mark and other knee around the 5 o clock mark, these marks of the hubcap should already be snapped in. Make a fist with your dominant hand and with the bottom side of the fist, pound the upper circle of the hubcap edges so they begin snapping in. You can bang them from left to right or right to left until the edge of the hubcaps are all in. I usually have one snap left which you can stand and bend down to smash the last one with your bottom fist. It actually doesn't hurt your fist if you practice just on one tire.

 

watch this video starting at 7:58 minute mark

 

You might also consider just putting on center caps. They pop into the center bore opening, keep things from rusting, and overall the wheels look not bad. I believe this is the part number:

42603-52110

The can be had from US online Toyota parts retailers for around $12 (US) apiece:

Center Cap - Toyota (42603-52110) | Toyota Parts

Interesting, I can get them on west coast Canada for around $9 (CDN), shipped from UAE:

Genuine Genuine Toyota 42603-52110 (4260352110) ORNAMENT SUB-ASSY, WHEEL HUB - Amayama

There are counterfeit ones for sale on EBay. I bought a set of those: they claimed to be genuine, but were obviously not, comparing to the set I have (with our OEM 17" rims). They were at least fixable, with a Dremel tool: if and when I trade-in it'll put that set on and retain the OEM caps.

"Mid-Antlantic" implies a Brit expat in the States? For responders, more specific would help.

 

I would add, apply the parking brake so the car doesn't roll when torquing.
And Toyota says: 76#lbs. And maybe that depends on the year, and wheel size.

It's easier to get the plug through if the tire is inflated. When it's low, it presses in on it self
making it hard to get the plug through. I've done a lot of those!

 

It's 76 lb/ft, but what's a pound or two. IIRC @NutzAboutBolts says 80, in the video. 80 is what Honda always says, for their Accord/Civic/Fit models.

Doing a plug repair when it's lost a lot of air, it helps to have someone push the sidewalls together while you administer the plug, well a bit. But yeah, the less time with nothing in the puncture hole, the better. He kinda stresses that in the video.

Our daughter's driving her PIlot all over hill-and-dale with a screw in one back tire, right now. I aired it up, and offered to plug-repair. She wants to get the kosher inside/outside repair, and her tire place will do it, for free. Only problem: she's "too busy", lol. Situation normal...

 

Tire shops computers says 80 also. They will not torque any lower or they won’t service your wheels tires period.

 

I believe Toyota knows more about their car than some off the wall shop.
A pound or 2 difference, might not make any difference.
Walfart would put over 80 on mine. I told them they over torqued them. And they don't know how
to use a torque wrench, they bounce on them.

I pulled the Toyota owner manual and showed them... they redid them.
But I always do it right when I get back home and let the car sit for a few hours.
It takes over 200ftlb to loosen all the lug nuts when they do it.

Plus... It doesn't matter what honda says, my Prius is a Toyota.

The patch and plug combo is "best". But I've been using plugs for hundreds of thousands
of miles and only had a problem, once, maybe twice?

 

you should plug it up. It’s easy, also, an inflated tire is better to plug since a deflated tire sink down when you’re pushing the plug through the tire hole. I usually inflated till 40psi and push the plug in to patch it up. As for torquing the lug nuts, I do 80ft lbs because the torque sticks are usually 80 ft lbs and it won’t make or break if it’s 76ft lbs. just don’t over toque it to 120 ft lbs lol

 

Mazda shop manuals always seem to give a range with torque values, including the wheel lug nuts, so you're forever doing A+B/2.

Hey how'd we get so far off-topic, lol.

I think @ASRDogman watched the FULL @NutzAboutBolts video, then started commenting on anything and everything, not just wheel covers.

Oh well.

 

Back to the wheel covers ...

In all my days I had never seen wheel covers over aluminum wheels until my Prius. Usually you either get the nice looking alloy wheels or the ugly steel wheels with wheel covers to fake people out. So since the alloy wheels on the Prius here do look nice, why the wheel covers?

I assume it gains a tiny amount of mpg due to reduced drag. Anyone know?

 

That's right, blame me.... it's always my fault, even when it's not.....
typical HUman reaction.....

 

Go back a few decades and you got a semi-presentable silver-painted steel rim with a centre cap, also known as a "hub cap". Hey, it was a cap over the hub opening.

Appearance expectations were lower; it was a car, with wheels. Steel wheels can be suprisingly light, and they're strong. The processes to make them are straightforward too.

With the full wheel covers, the method of attachment is a factor too. Toyota uses friction clips: you push them on to lock. They still can fling off, and are very expensive to replace. And if you've had the covers on for a while, then take them off, the friction clips will have left scars.

Honda used a securing method that employed a plastic washer on the shoulder of each lug nut. You pushed on the rim, then the wheel cover, then spun on the lug nuts, and their plastic washers held the wheel cover securely. I'm not sure if they still do that, they may be going to the cheapo friction clip method?

 

Thank you so much for this well-written, precise description, Grit. This actually served me better than a video might have- telling me exactly how to hold it with my knees, etc. I could see how tight the fit on the replacement hubcap was, I'd have never figured out how to get it on without this description. And "The Fist" in this case is likely the best possible tool, a rubber mallet might crack the plastic.

We humans are just soft enough!

Greatly appreciate you creating this resource, Grit.