jerry455

I tried searching for a solution to the rattling hub caps on my LS but maybe not many people on here have the cheap factory hub caps. It sure makes the HHR sound like a piece of junk as the wheel covers rattle around over bumps in the road. I am not ready to upgrade to an aluminum rim yet, probably when I have to get new tires, but until then I would like to quiet the noise. I love my HHR but I wish that the engineers would not have cheapened up on it in so many little areas.

843de

The most obvious thing is to check and make sure they are on tight, those plastic simulated lug nuts will work loose over time, give them a good snug with your lug wrench and see if it helps any.

asanti

I've heard somewhere that you can use some type of foam insulator on the backside of the hubcaps to quiet them down. If snugging up the plastic lug nuts doesn't cure the rattles, you may want to consider looking into that.

Later
Allex

jerry455

The lugs covers are tight as I check them regularly.

bk94si

I would put some scotch mounting squares on the back wherever it is rattling.

Sno White

I took mine off entirely, but the sticky foam sounds like a good remedy. Or sticky back cork – it might last longer.

urbexHHR

Just something common with any car with hubcaps. Not really a design flaw... My Lumina does that, as it too has hubcaps. You can hear cars when they drive down the road and tell if they have them by the noises.

Chevy13

#1 solution. Custom wheels!

donbrew

Take the "hub caps" off, then look at the back side around the rim. There should be several pieces of black plastic stuck on to tabs on the wheel cover. They get torn up, torn off, abused in many ways. The theory is that they stop the noise. If one comes loose and flops around onto the tire, it will cause a gash of sorts on the sidewall (probably unsafe), that happened to me.

I used "Plumber's GOOP" to secure the pieces of plastic back onto the hub cover. The foam tape idea sounds like the best solution. I have just never paid attention/cared about the noise, so I really don't know what the complaint is, but that is the solution I think. My HHR has the 6 spoke steel wheels, so it looks OK without the covers, if I were to get new lug nuts. Those holey steel wheels just would not work without the wheel covers!

08bowtie

body shop supply house should have a product call "Q" Pads - black sticky back sound deadening material for inside door panels,fenders etc, - works like a charm for stopping rattles