security for wheel covers?

October 25, 2009 6:33 PM

Wheel covers keep getting stolen. Any way to secure them?

My girlfriend drives a 2008 Corolla that keeps losing wheel covers. The first one disappeared while she was on vacation last week (car was not in use). The second went missing last night. Replacing them is not a problem, but I don't want to keep buying them without addressing the root of the problem.

Is there any way to lock these things on? She has the 15" 6-spoke wheel covers pictured here . The wheel covers are snap-on and are not secured by the wheel's lug nuts. I realize that even a lug nut is removable, but something that secured the covers to them would at least be a deterrent. Does anyone know of such a solution? Thanks!

PS she has security nuts on but they only protect the wheel from removal, not the covers :(

posted by datacenter refugee to Technology (3 answers total)

Best answer: I've seen people use plastic zip-ties to keep them in place, but I thought that was usually for redundancy in case they snap out while the car is moving. Not sure if that would be enough of a deterrent though. Suppose you could try metal ties, but they might be tricky to get off if you have a puncture.
posted by a womble is an active kind of sloth at 6:39 PM on October 25, 2009

Probably not the answer you're looking for, but if it were me, I'd just take all four off and be done with it.
posted by box at 7:03 PM on October 25, 2009 [2 favorites]

Seconding zipties. Two or three for each wheel and a set of dikes in the glovebox for emergency removal.
posted by bravowhiskey at 2:07 PM on October 27, 2009