Dee Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Who knew that they even put plastic hubcaps on cars anymore, shame on me for not noticing. I noticed a black mark, it's magic marker on my wheels, so I just was making sure that's it wasn't a scratch, and the look on my face must have been priceless when I learned those are plastic hubcaps like Zayres (for those that remember) use to sell for 19.99 on special. I guess I never noticed other than the more expensive wheels, mine are a flat color silver just like my Envoy, so I thought no more about it. In fact the dealership has a car exactly like mine, the difference in price was wheel locks. Really? They lock those plastic covers on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Yep, people steal anything these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Yep. In the US the SE comes with steel wheels . . . . . it is clearly described on the Dodge web site and presumably in the brochure. . . . . at least they included covers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtsr Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 I guess you still haven't looked too closely at your wheels. Wheel locks do what the name implies - try coming out in the morning and finding your DJ up on cinder blocks (if your lucky). Then try and buy those steel rims and new plastic covers for anywhere close to $200 apiece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted January 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 In my neighborhood, they only touched the corvette and the fully loaded Lincoln, 200 doesn't buy these4 boys the next trip to the next corner, my wheels on the Envoy were much better and I don't think anyone looked twice. lol oh well, again shame on me, I only test drove beyond really looking at every other DJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 SE is base model. No frills. Steel wheels and plastic hubcaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 And the Limited has aluminum wheels with Chrome Cladding glued on them. Maybe these should have a lock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted January 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Well, it should be a law, if the vehicle is stickered over 30K you can't use plastic hubs I'm not upset, just didn't think they used plastic like that on cars anymore, kudos to Dodge making them so real, fooled the hell out of me! And I can think of at least 3 scenarios that I would have been more shocked in learning, one would have been watching my hubs melt as I sprayed them with wheel and tire cleaner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onecrazyfoo4u Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 I find it hilarious that Dodge charges $500 extra for the stupid chrome clad wheels. I fell for the trick too and didn't notice until I had signed all paperwork. Otherwise I would've switched for the 19" alloy REAL wheels. Pathetic what companies are doing these days. Never again will I fall for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 (edited) Most all vehicle manufacturers use chrome plastic clad wheels instead of real chrome. Ford has them on their top of the line king ranch F-150, a $65,000 truck. Had them on my 2005 Dakota. They've been doing it awhile. Believe it or not, they hold up better than true chrome and if you do happen to damage one, you can replace the cover instead of replacing the whole wheel. Dee, you paid over $30k for a base SE? Edited January 5, 2015 by jkeaton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtsr Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 I've fallen victim to wheel thieves once, I had my '68 Javelin 290/280hp SST parked in my driveway when they stole all 4 2" chrome reversed rims. Cop woke me up 2am and asked if I knew my car was on cinder blocks, they caught the guy a block from my house. dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey_SeXT Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 I remembered this thread from a while back.... http://www.dodgejourneyforum.com/topic/5140-wheel-tires-stolen-on-dj/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolly Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 '68 Javelin 290/280hp SST Boy does that ever bring back the memories! Beautiful machine!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey_SeXT Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 dhh3 and bigtsr 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) @jkeaton, no I didn't pay 30K, the MSRP for just over 30K. sheeesh, I didn't pay but 25K out the door on my Envoy stickered at 37,777. The only reason I settled on an SE was I needed a car, my Envoy needed more repairs then it was going to be worth (breaks, cluster panel motor, rear door roof window motor (lucky for the opera window between seat and back of truck worked), windshield washer reservoir, and something clunked in the front end just a couple of miles from the dealer). Everything beyond an SE came with stuff I didn't want or need. 6 cyl, AWD, and storage, all I would have wanted other than that is sunroof, and maybe leather, nothing else, don't even need the Uconnect. I won't put wheels on any car that I can't park outside of a garage, I currently don't have a garage. A few years ago, pouring down rain, my neighbor across the street had a brand new Escalade, not fully loaded, but over loaded. 4am, my other neighbor next to me knocks on her door and says he drove by seen her tires, drove by again, they weren't there. Months later she shows me the pictures of her truck on blocks. I ask her where did the blocks come from. She said she didn't know, I then got to tell her those were the blocks that the he stole from me while I was having a circular drive put in. They busted her sunroof, got the wheel lock, stole all her DVD equipment, messed the entire vehicle up. Less than 6 months later he brings home 4 more tires on rims, puts them behind his shed, that faces my property, they're still there. pfftt anytime he says anything to me, I tell him "shut up, you're just a renter." Don't like him, needs to leave me alone. The Big Boys Toys has a DJ on facebook, looks to be an SE, on 22" tires and rims, that's not happening here. Edited January 6, 2015 by Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtsr Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 My Javelin was white with red striping. Nice pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 So what's the difference and which is better between "steel wheels" and "aluminum wheels?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) Steel wheels need hub caps (normally). Aluminum wheels are styled without the need for hub caps. Steel wheels with hubcaps are usually found on the base models of any vehicle.Steel is cheaper than aluminum. The higher you go up in trim level results in higher quality aluminum wheels. Right up to the much sought after plastic chrome clad aluminum wheels. As to which is better? Personal preference. Steel rusts, aluminum corrodes. Aluminum is lighter though. Steel: Aluminum: Edited January 6, 2015 by jkeaton Dee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) OK, the reason I ask is I apparently have both?? On the list of exterior features I have the 17-inch x 6.5-inch Steel Wheels, on the list of optional equipment I have 17-inch x 6.5-inch Aluminum Wheels. the optional equipment past the 28F, Premium group, down to Uconnect with voice lists; Leather shift, auto dim rear view w microphone, leather wrapped steering wheel, then 17" aluminum wheels? But it lists steel wheels under Exterior Features? how did I get so lucky? Never mind, it's on the print from the window sticker, not the actual window sticker that I just went out to get from the car,,,, I'm still happy Edited January 6, 2015 by Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) Standard features is what comes on the standard model. Then you can have optional features added. i.e. you could have a base model with optional wheels installed. Take a picture of your wheels and post it here that way we can make bloody sure what you have. If you have steel wheels with hub caps, the hubcaps are held on by the lug nuts, but it you remove the lug nuts and the wheel, the plastic hub cap will come off. On aluminum wheels, there is no hubcap. It's all wheel. On the chrome clad aluminum wheels, yes there is a plastic chromed cap over the aluminum, but it is not removable without a ton of work. It is epoxied to the aluminum. So, you have 3 choices: steel wheels with hub caps, aluminum wheels, or chrome clad aluminum wheels. Edited January 6, 2015 by jkeaton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Journey_SeXT Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 (edited) So what's the difference and which is better between "steel wheels" and "aluminum wheels?" The difference is aluminum is nicer and looks more rich than steel. The aluminum wheels you should have a clear view of the caliper exposed where as the steel wheels will cover the calipers. Also, aluminum is better than steel as steel rims will start to rust in a few years.....especially if you are in the snowbelt area where lots of salt is used. Edited January 6, 2015 by Journey_SeXT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Posted January 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 On my SE it's steel and plastic hubs. I started to look at other SEs still out there and I'm noticing the base price on a 2015 is 200 more on some than others? 25,395 and 25,595, online stickers are all over the map..oh well, all is good. Pictures..... runs off singing Miranda Lambert's Automatic; Let's pull the windows down Windows with the cranks Come on lets take a picture The kind you have to shake..... dhh3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhh3 Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Aluminum is also lighter than steel = less unsprung weight! jkeaton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B4ZINGA Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Actually, hub caps these days are only used on heavy duty trucks and police vehicles. What passenger cars have are wheel covers -- they cover the entire wheel, rather than just the hub area. This is because it is cheaper to produce an ugly steel wheel that can be produced by the millions to reduce production costs and slap a piece of plastic over it than it is to produce a better looking unique wheel with a hub cap like they did in the early days before alloy wheels became more of a thing. Most base model mass-market vehicles have steel wheels with wheel covers rather than pricier alloy wheels that cost 2-3x as much. Replacing those steel wheels still puts your wallet on a diet, though. $150 apiece on my sisters 2005 Impala LS. Meanwhile the alloys on my Special are $400 apiece at the dealer. That gets to be expensive in Detroit, so I've invested in tires with a bit more meat in the sidewall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkeaton Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Technically you are correct but us old folks still refer to them as hubcaps....lol B4ZINGA 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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