Are they wheel covers, wheel center caps or hub caps? Are there variations in them? Why were they created? These are just some questions to ponder whether they interest you or not.
Hubcaps have been given as much love as the cars they go on. Even the Chrysler Building pays tribute to hub caps with the art deco style found there.
Why were they even developed? They were developed out of necessity. Before metal was used, spokes were made of wood. The hub, located in the outer rim, had to be coupled with the spoke. A grease packed wheel bearing was located inside the hub. To contain the grease and keep out dirt, a cover had to be used.
What was needed was a hub cap. So this hub cap came into being for functional causes, but they were small center caps designed to cover the hub and leave the spokes bare. The spokes built out of wood were not created for this world. They were glossed and occasionally adorned with pin-striping but they aged and cracked and didn’t glance to excellent. Automobiles with aging spokes could be heard from a distance.
The late twenties and thirties, saw a design change to steel wire-spokes. These required wheel center caps as well. As using the previous layout, the spokes were nevertheless left bare. The thirties, require took second play to fashion. Hubcaps got greater and were stamped by the auto maker with their name in stainless steel or brass and were meant for being decorative, nonetheless, the spokes were nevertheless left bare. They were hard to clean and were irritating simply because of the wind noise they produced on the road.
In 1934, Cadillac developed the first disc that covered the entire wheel. It offered a streamlined look.
Cadillac started working with pressed steel wheels in 1938. Full sized hubcaps were used for the wheels. What is significant is that Cadillac made this cover a symbol of comfort and style. It didn’t take hot rodders long to look for old Cadillac wheel covers for the 1930-1950′s customized hot rods. Individuals who owned Cadillac’s started out having their addresses stolen.
The 1970′s saw the roll-out of the plastic hubcap by auto makers on their cars. During the 1980′s, steel hubcaps were all but extinct and plastic stayed a constant. When you think of plastic, easily broken and cheap is apt to come to mind. That is not true with this plastic. The plastic used on hubcaps is light weight, tough and tough. Some light-weight hubcaps will fly right off a car. It is important to realize that auto makers produce hubcaps that are not all that wonderful either. They also come off easily. It is not enough to have all these things combined though. All hubcaps require an unyielding retention system. A 360 degree, all steel retention ring is the best. It simply grips the wheel and keeps the hubcap where it goes.
Since you are now an expert when it comes to the history of the hubcap, you can wow your friends at the next meet up with the information and facts that you have discovered.
