Wheel covers in winter: do they come off in snow and how to fix them

Snow itself does not rip hubcaps off. They fly off because of play: a hubcap on plastic clips that sits on the wheel with a gap — the wrong size, with tired clips, or on a non-standard wheel — gets a side удар against the frozen edge of a snowy rut, and the clips spread open. Ice that builds up inside the wheel adds weight and presses on the hubcap from the inside. The difference is made by the mounting type: hubcaps on factory wheel bolts do not fly off at all, clip-on hubcaps hold if they are matched exactly to size (R15 and R16 are not interchangeable) and checked once in autumn, and universal ones on a spring ring are worth backing up with zip ties.

Contents

• In brief
• Why hubcaps fly off specifically in winter
• How each mounting type behaves in snow
• Do plastic hubcaps crack in мороз
• How to secure a hubcap so you do not lose it
• What to do if a hubcap still flew off
• Which hubcaps are in the DD Tuning catalog

In brief

• They do not fly off because of snow, but because of play — a hubcap of the wrong diameter, worn clips, or ice between the wheel and the hubcap.
• Hubcaps on factory wheel bolts (stainless steel for vans) behave in winter like the wheel itself — you will not lose them.
• Plastic does not crack from мороз on its own; ABS is broken by an impact with a curb, an ice scraper, or an attempt to remove the hubcap in freezing weather.
• Two or three plastic zip ties through the hubcap slots around the wheel spokes are the cheapest insurance for a clip-on hubcap.
• You cannot buy one lost hubcap separately — they are sold as a set of four, so checking the fit in autumn is cheaper than a new set.

Why hubcaps fly off specifically in winter

In summer, the same hubcap with a bit of play can last the whole season. In winter, four things work against it at once.

• Impact in a rut. Packed snow and the frozen edge of a rut strike the wheel from the side, not from below. For a clip-on hubcap, this is the worst direction: the clips are designed to keep the hubcap from flying forward, not from being shifted sideways.
• Ice inside the wheel. Wet snow packs between the wheel and the hubcap, freezes, and expands. The ice crust acts like a wedge — it spreads the clips by half a millimeter, and that is enough.
• Plastic is stiffer in the cold. In freezing temperatures, the hubcap clips spring back worse: if they were already tired from being removed a few times, in winter they do not return to their working position.
• Wrong size or the wrong wheel. The most common reason we hear from customers: a 15-inch hubcap was put on a 16-inch wheel “because it almost fit”, or the vehicle has non-standard steel wheels with a different rim edge shape. Hubcaps for R15 and R16 are different parts, and before ordering it is better to measure the wheel than to trust the model year.

A hubcap that clicks or rattles over bumps already in autumn is not sitting centered — in winter it will be the first to fly off.

How each mounting type behaves in snow

Full-size hubcaps in the DD Tuning hubcap catalog are installed in the factory locations without drilling — depending on the model, either on factory wheel bolts or on clips over the rim edge. A general step-by-step instruction for installing a clip-on hubcap is in a separate article how to install hubcaps on car wheels; here we will focus specifically on the winter side of the question.

Do plastic hubcaps crack in мороз

From the cold itself — no. ABS-plastic hubcaps are flexible and designed for year-round driving; road chemicals and salt do not bother them either. Three things break them, and all three are driver actions or an impact:

• removing them in freezing weather — cold ABS is less springy, and a clip that you can bend with a finger in summer snaps at −15 °C; it is better to remove and install hubcaps in a warm garage or at least after a drive, when the wheel has warmed up;
• ice scraper and shovel — do not knock ice off a hubcap: the plastic gets scratched, and a удар to the edge cracks it at the clip; ice comes off by itself after 10–15 minutes of driving or at a car wash with warm (not hot) water;
• a curb and a frozen rut — any plastic will crack from a strong удар; this is not a defect, but a reason to inspect the hubcap after such contact.

Stainless-steel hubcaps do not change properties in the cold: they do not rust from chemicals, do not crack, and the mirror surface gives a chrome look without a coating that could peel. Their weakness is different — a dent from a curb that you would not notice on plastic. If you are choosing between the two materials specifically for winter, there is a comparison in the article what to choose for steel wheels: hubcaps or wheel caps — it also explains why “wheel caps” are a different product: small center covers, not a full hubcap.

How to secure a hubcap so you do not lose it

The simplest and cheapest insurance for a clip-on hubcap is plastic zip ties (also called cable ties). The principle is the same: the tie passes through a вентиляційний slot in the hubcap and wraps around a spoke or an opening in the steel wheel, so even if the clips spread from an impact, the hubcap stays on the wheel instead of flying into the ditch. A few rules so the insurance does not cause harm:

• zip ties 3.6–4.8 mm wide, black (UV-resistant) — white ones crumble over a winter;
• two per hubcap is the minimum, three is better, evenly around the circle; one tie will only skew the hubcap;
• do not wrap around the valve — in the cold you will not be able to inflate the tire;
• metal clamps are not suitable: they cut into the plastic and scratch the wheel;
• cut the tail flush with the lock, hide the lock inside; the weight of three ties is just a few grams and does not affect balancing.

Hubcaps on factory wheel bolts do not need zip ties: their winter check is to re-torque the bolts after the seasonal wheel change, just as without hubcaps. The step-by-step sequence with zip ties and fit checking is in the instruction block below.

What to do if a hubcap still flew off

First inspect the other three: if one was torn off, the причина is almost always shared — size, worn clips, or ice. Put zip ties on the ones that are left without waiting for the next impact. Next, two practical points.

You cannot buy one hubcap separately. A set is four hubcaps; you cannot buy one to replace a lost one. The same applies to the idea of buying “only the rear ones”. That is why checking the fit in autumn is the cheapest prevention, not a formality.

Finishing the winter with three hubcaps is not scary. Nothing will happen to a steel wheel over a few months without a hubcap, except it will get a film from road chemicals faster. It is more dangerous to put a “similar size” hubcap from another vehicle on the fourth wheel: it will fly off in the first мороз.

And about car washes: after washing in мороз, blow out the space between the hubcap and the wheel or drive a few kilometers so the water does not freeze inside the wheel — the same logic as for window deflectors in winter.

Which hubcaps are in the DD Tuning catalog

We offer full-size hubcaps that cover the entire stamped steel wheel, made for specific vans: Mercedes Sprinter three generations (W901–W905 1995–2006 on R15, W906 2006–2018 and W907/W910 from 2018 on R16), Volkswagen Crafter 2006–2016 and LT 1995–2006, Iveco Daily from 2014, Citroen Jumpy 2007–2017, and Fiat Scudo 2007–2015. Two materials: stainless-steel hubcaps by Cagatay in OEM, Exclusive V1–V3, “Petals”, and “Star” designs, and ABS plastic hubcaps in black or gray. Sets are separate for single-rear-wheel and dual-rear-wheel (dually) versions; plastic ones are only for single-rear-wheel.

For winter the selection rule is simple: stainless steel on factory bolts is “install and forget”, not afraid of chemicals or ruts; ABS on clips is lighter and quieter, but it is the one you should check for fit in autumn and back up with zip ties. In both cases, the van’s model year is not a size guarantee: in the changeover year, both bodies are found, so before ordering, send the size of the factory wheels, whether the rear wheels are dual, and a side photo of the wheel. There are no full-size hubcaps for passenger cars in the catalog — for them, the general tips above apply.

We ship via Nova Poshta throughout Ukraine.

How it works

Check the size and fit

Make sure the hubcap matches your wheel diameter exactly (R15 or R16) and that all clips are intact. A hubcap with a cracked retaining clip won’t be saved by zip ties — it’s better to replace it before winter.

Clean and dry the wheel

Wash dirt and road chemicals off the rim edge and wipe it dry. Do this in warm conditions or right after a drive: cold clip plastic becomes brittle.

Snap the hubcap into place

Align the cutout for the valve stem with the valve, fit the hubcap in place, and press it around the edge with your palm until each clip clicks. Do not hit the hubcap or press it in with your foot.

Thread the ties through

Through the hubcap’s ventilation slot, feed a black plastic zip tie 3.6–4.8 mm around a spoke or through a hole in the steel wheel and tighten it. Install two or three ties this way evenly around the wheel, without touching the valve stem.

Trim the tails and hide the locks

Cut the zip tie tails flush with the lock, and turn the lock inward so it does not stick out and collect ice.

Check the fit

Shake the hubcap by hand — there should be no play or clicking. After the first 20–30 km and after each car wash in freezing weather, inspect the hubcaps again and tighten the ties if needed.