How Were Center Caps Necessary?
Are they wheel covers, center caps or hub caps? Are there variations in them? Why were they developed? These are just some questions to ponder whether they interest you or not.
Hubcaps have received as much love as the cars they go on. Even the Chrysler Building honor hub caps with the art deco style found there.
How did they come about anyway? Hubcaps were necessary. At first, wooden spokes were used on automobiles. They had to be joined together with the outer rim to where the wheel bearing was at in the hub. The wheel bearing was stuffed using grease. A cover was necessary to hold the grease in and dirt out.
A hub cap was needed. Now you know it started as a useful item. Little in size, it covered the center cap and left the spokes uncovered. The wooden spokes did not last long. When they were new, they were polished and occasionally festooned using pin-striping. Age mad them pin striping crack and unappealing. From a distance, autos that had old spokes were heard.
Toward the end of the twenties and thirties, steel wire spokes were developed. Center caps were still needed. Again, the spokes were left uncovered. The thirties, practicality became second to fashion. Hubcaps were stamped with the name of the auto maker in brass or stainless steel and they were bigger. Caps were supposed to be stylish; but the spokes still showed. They were complicated to clean and the wind noise when traveling down the road was maddening.
In 1934, Cadillac developed the first disc that covered the entire wheel. It provided a streamlined look.
1938 ushered in the use of pressed steel wheels by Cadillac. These hubcaps were full sized. Cadillac made them a sign of comfort and elegance. Soon, Cadillac owners realized their hubcaps were in high demand when they were stolen by hot rodders. These hot rodders used them on the customized cars from the 30′s, 40′s and 50′s.
The 1970′s brought the beginning of the use of plastic hubcaps by automobile makers on the cars. Steel hubcaps were tossed aside during the 80′s and plastic hubcaps continued on. Plastic automatically makes people think of cheap and easily broken pieces. That is not true with this plastic. The plastic used on hubcaps is weightless, resilient and tough. Some weightless hubcaps come right off a car. Keep in mind that automobile makers produce these items that are not all that perfect either. They also come off quite simply. It is not enough to have all these things combined though. All hubcaps have to have an unyielding retention system. A 360 degree, all steel retention ring is the absolute best. It simply holds on to the wheel and holds the hubcap in place.
You are now an official expert on hub cap history. Amaze all of your friends with the information that you have gained on the elusive hubcap.
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