Go for it.

I've been looking at those for a while, as a matter of fact. Those look retro enough to me.

I'm not happy with the smoothies I have. I love the way they look, but they're "walking" around the rim, and there's nothing I do that seems to make any difference. They walk right up against the valve stems and I'm afraid they'll damage the stems and cause critical loss of tire pressure at speed if they get bad enough. I took them off for now and put the stock covers back on.

Peace of mind is worth more than appearance. The smoothies will creep around the wheel in as little as 100 miles, and I think they'll get worse the more I try to tighten them up. I don't feel like fooling with them all the time.

Wheel Covers
 

On another site someone else was complaining about those same wheelcovers bending the valve stems. Do you know if the 16" steel racing discs have the same problem. At this point I am torn between the racing discs and those wheel covers from J.C. Whitney.

Yeah, I'm not willing to gamble that I can adjust them and have them stay put at this point. Valve stem failure at 70+ mph is not my idea of a good time. :eek:

The racing discs wouldn't be an issue, since they cover the entire wheel and valve stem. If they walk, they won't bend down the valve stem. Some people say they're noisy. Bear in mind you have to take them off to put air in your tires. That's a very good argument for having the tire pressure monitoring system.

I'm gonna order those 16 inch Crown Vic covers and see how they work out. Since they're plastic, they should flex with the wheel better and stay put. I was originally gonna go with those anyway, but my wife liked the smoothies.

I really like the way the smoothies look, but I don't think they're gonna work out for me. I emailed Hubcapmike. I'll let you guys know what they say.

Well let me know how the crown vic wheel covers turn out. Can you take pics?

Hubcapmike emailed me back. They say to swap out to metal valve stems or put a small piece of bar stock across the inside lip of the wheel to keep the cover from spinning. I assume they mean to weld a tiny piece of bar stock across it. I might head over to my buddy's tire shop and bounce some ideas off him. It seems to me that just a tiny spot of weld would do the same thing, but I'm leery of that with the TPMS in place.

They also offered to take them back for a refund, which I think is good faith on their part. I think I'll hang onto them and think on it, since I really do like the way they look.

I'm still gonna order the Crown Vic caps. I'll post pics with them when I get them. I'll start another thread when I do, since I think i may have hijacked this one enough. My apologies.

Knight, did you make any progress with those baby moons? That's really what we all want. Anything else is just a poor substitute, IMO.

Well, I emailed them and haven't gotten a response. Sooooooooo, I would say until further notice nobody should buy these.

Valve stems were another of the big problems with the real Moon Eyes. They don't have holes for valve stems so you have to unbolt them and take them off to check your tire pressures.

How do they stay on?I checked hub cap Mikes on line and they needed either notches or old rims had clips. Thanks geeze

The full hub caps had a tendency to fly off , and scratch the rim, also slide on the rim and damage the valve stem

My baby moons fit nicely on stock rims: Attachment 22308

Part numbers?
Manufacturer?
Those look great!
Are they clipped on?
What did you do to hold them on the wheel?

The seller is: Chrome Reverse Baby Moon Hubcaps for Smoothie Wheels - Set of 4 | eBay

I did buy VW clips for 75$ but it never worked with these. i drilled 2 holes in the hubcap lips and 2 in the rims. I jack up the wheel wich allows me to spin the rim and see if the hub cap is centered . I tighten the rear ones with a long wratchet/screwdriver from behind the wheels with screws and nuts (my screw is already glued in the hubcap so it doesn't move). For the front, since the brake disks are bigger i use my fingers thru the rim holes to tighten the 2 screws that i welded a nail over. I also put hockey tape on the hubcap lips so there's no rattles. Works great. Attachment 22306

Attachment 22307

I'm building a 2nd set of rims and i found these at a local truck shop for 6.99$ each!!! They are a half inch larger than the E-bays ones i have and also look great on the stock rims. Since there's no lip on these, i cut the side piece off and i'll weld a braket with hole in the back. Maybe the welding will damage the chrome i don't know yet.

Attachment 22305

Those might work better with the VW clips

But the edges are too big. those are for large semi trucks

I took my baby moons off because I couldn't keep them from rusting. I am sure they were a low quality cap,but how do you know whats a good quality

Same here ,i'm in Quebec Canada. My trim rings also rusted. I'll just put em on in the summer.

My moons are ten years old, I don't run them in the winter, but no rust

If they are 10 years old then they are senior moons! Mine are still babies after a year.

Daphne Moon is a senior moon

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...a3bb538f03.jpg

sHE'S A MOON BABE!

In 2008, I got the HHR, and put Vintiques Smoothies on it with Baby Moons:

http://www.trfindley.com/flcars/hhrd.JPG

Over the subsequent 9 years, I have had to replace 8 wheels due to being bent from going over potholes. The suburban roads around Atlant mostly have a speed limit of 45 mph, and the potholes don't bend the rims of other cars.

The Vintiques wheels are chrome plated, and can't be straightened unless the chrome is removed. It is infeasible to try to fix them, so I had to replace each wheel at $130 to get a straight one.
I am sick of replacing a wheel on average of once a year.

Can anyone tell me if the 16" steel wheels are made of stronger metal, and are less likely to bend?

Since the Baby Moons won't attach to the steel wheels, I expect to get the full size Moons from Hubcap Mike.

I run 16 inch steelies in the winter

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/atta...lborne-005.jpg

And Wheel Vintiques Rally rims in summer,

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/atta...-parts-003.jpg


No issues with either set, and I do drive the wheels off this ride!
396,000 klms this past weekend or 246,063 miles.
Train tracks, potholes, 8 trips to Florida, 10 trips to Cape Cod, 9 trips to Myrtle Beach.
9 months of driving 200 miles a day to my wife's bedside while she was fighting cancer.
Maybe it's the chrome?

Maybe it IS the chrome.

My baby moons are attached to the HHR steel rims with 2 screws. Never had a problem

Agreed. They are on there tight! :roflol:

They were waxed a lot when I owned them .:thumb:

And still are! Once a week, all show season, I haven't been showing for two or three years but, it takes my mind off other issues!
I do think that the OEM rims are heavier gauge steel and stronger!