Looked thru many hubcap threads but couldn't find any mention of the paint and some kind of coating coming off. Our 2 front caps look awful, looks like brake dust has caused them to get discolored and has ruined the plastic and are peeling. Guess I'll need to take em off, sand them down and spray some kind of silver paint on them. What kind should I use?

Problem is, I don't want it happen again. Why would GM install poor quality hubcaps when they know that brake dust is very corrosive.

Anyone else have this problem?

 

I have not seen a lot of problems with the hhr hub caps pealing. If I was repainting my hub caps I think I would use paint that is designed for plastic like krylon fusion for plastic.

 

Hate to say it but you answered your own question in part, and it's not GM's fault.

Brake dust is corrosive, and it's best to clean your wheels/wheel covers on a regular basis.

Once it has been left on a finish long enough, it will attack it. Either by causing pitting on alloy rims, or paint lifting/peeling on the wheel covers.

Head to your auto parts store and ask for silver or argent silver wheel paint, its designed to resist heat discoloration from the brakes. And they also have a compatible clear coat to give your covers an OEM level shine. I think both Dupli-Color and Krylon make the appropriate paints.

And I see that Lucky is reading my mind, or vice versa again.

 

The other cause is frequent trips to the car wash. Like former rentals that got it everyday.

 

Thanks all. Your answers really help. My '08 is a rental return and I guess I didn't clean them well enuff when I washed to car. Makes sense since the back ones are fine.

Been trying to convince the DW to permanently remove the caps and run the LT black, spoked wheels, love the look. I'm losing.

 

Ak ok I was going to ask what type you had. You have the later LT spoke steel wheels with the plastic hubcaps. They dont seem to hold up as well under high wear and tear conditions like rental use.
I've used the duplicolor wheel paint with good results, but that was on alloy wheels.

 

Mine are holding up real well stacked up in the garage.

A friend of mine has gray front wheel covers and chrome rears. Not unusual.

I think Mike is the really correct one, the use of non-ceramic pads (cheaper) and the resulting dust.

 

You might want to just replace the 2 fronts with good condition matching used ones.

It is a bit difficult to get a close enough match in paint unless you are not fussy.

The cost of base coat and clear coat and sand paper/or other mild abrasive plus the work involved prepping might just justify replacement instead.

Look at the Classifieds here and on E Bay under "Wheel Covers"

Make sure you know the correct cover style and application.

SF

 

not fussy, so the solution is to re-paint the front two then put those two on one side and the good ones on the other side. Nobody will notice but me.

 

But WE will know!!!

(great solution to it man!!)