Hubcaps falling off

[tomj76]

I have a '96 Windstar. It has the standard plastic hubcaps.

One or two, maybe three of the original hubcaps fell off and were lost. This happens because the plastic that holds the metal spring ring to the hubcap breaks, and the result is a loosly attached hubcap.

I bought an inexpensive set of replacement hubcaps. Three of those have broken and fallen off.

Has anyone found a hubcap that won't fall off over time? Is there a fully metal hubcap available for this vehicle?

[Airjer_]

How long did the original ones last?

A set of used o.e. aluminum wheels May not be a bad option. Much less than buying them new and you never have to worry about the caps falling off!

[tomj76]

I'm not sure how long they lasted. Maybe we lost the first one about four years after we bought the Windstar (2000), then another one a year or two later, then bought the replacement set a couple years after that.

When measured in miles per hubcap, they don't cost that much, but on most vehicles they last a lifetime.

I've thought about the aluminum alloy wheels, and I might end up doing that. Interestingly, even a junk set would probably close to double the "value" of the vehicle, especially with new tires to go with them. Then there's the whole issue of safety that goes with the aluminum wheels as related to the lug bolts.

I've never bought alloy wheels, and the stock hub caps have always been sub-standard on any of the Ford vehicles that I've ever owned. I must be in the no-alloy-wheels minority. ;-)