[milligi]

Found the photos posted by johns-iq.30, silver w/ full moons/smoothie wheel covers. That is EXACTLY the look I've been going for on my '14 Lava iq, but little luck finding the full moons online. Besides, there's something or other called nubs or something like that on the back of wheel covers that are supposed to match up with the wheel. I found a set of GMC 16" wheel covers on CraigsL that I could be satisfied with as "modified" full moons. I just called the owner and he told me "things were made different back in the 70s and 80s" to which I asked, "is a 16" wheel different from car to car or isn't it the same no matter who mfr'd it?"
I'm sorry but you know we women have to call things "whachamacallits" and "doo-dads" so I can't remember why a hubcap needs to have a matchup with "nubs-lugs" (not wheel-bolts), or whatever. So, can't I just put any set of 16" covers/caps on my wheels and tires? Getting new Cooper Evolution's (185/55R16) this week because of severe and dangerous cracking although only 38K miles on the BadYear Originals . I'd even dig deep for a set of American Racing Smoothies but they're not made in a 16".😢 THX Guys!
John-iq.30, if you see this, please tell me where you got your smoothies.....🙏

 

[jzchen]

Hi,

I still remember when we were looking for these things for you in the past. I am sorry you haven't been successful in finding them yet.

As I recall the style you were looking for was basically a nice smooth dome shape wheel or wheel cover. (I honestly didn't know what a half moon wheel was back when I first read you were looking for them and had to figure it out).

I've had experience with wheel covers in the past and some had a lock that held them in place in the middle. Others just clipped onto the very edge of the steel wheel where there is a little lip that holds this metal spring like structure onto it.

I am guessing with the more bulky/heavy nature of the half moon style they have designed them to clamp onto the bolts that hold the wheel onto the hub/car. This may help prevent them from falling off. Now if that is the case then there are many different bolt patterns that various vehicles use. The 4-100 pattern on the iQ is not very common and the covers may not match up with this part.

Maybe you can try to send a private message to the person who posted a picture of the wheels you are looking for. He may no longer come onto iq-forums.com but may see the email notice and respond...

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[milligi]

Thx for your primer on wheel covers/hubcaps. You have a good memory. But then probably not many 70s- plus ladies looking to equip their iQs with a look from the 1950s!
After thinking it would be easier to just go with new "fancy" wheels, I've found it is nearly impossible to find a 16" mag with 4-100 bolt pattern for this car (just like the stupid tire size!) which is why I returned to a search for the (much cheaper) wheel-cover/hubcaps....but not very diligently, because the car does "roll" when I need it to, as-is.
Here's a link to the photos I found: www.iq-forums.com/media/albums/johns-iq.30 on this site. Although I sent "dyerjg" a msg, he didn't respond to another member's request on the moons so I'm not hopeful.

MUSINGS OF AN OLD LADY
OK, so 3 years out, I'm beginning to get reluctant to spend on anything not entirely necessary. Driving maybe once or twice a month due to my mobility challenges, I haven't fixed the a/c from before last Fall.
As a retiree, spending becomes a matter of "Cost Per Trip", broken down,

• at $600/yr insurance, that's $25-$50 every time I get in the car. (Don't suggest selling and going Uber -- can't request a specific vehicle, restrictions against riding in passenger seat, and the back wheel openings to the hinge side of the back doors are so narrow that I can't sit on the seat edge and swing my legs in;
• at $1500 dealer a/c repair it will take approximately 150 months (12.5 years) to "pay" for itself. Put another way, with 5 warm months out of 12, twice per month, those 10 trips will have cost $150 each! and none of that includes regular oil changes and scheduled maintenance.
• those 4 new tires I need, which will probably get flat spots from sitting, at $650 (avg 10 trips per yr), is $65 per trip; Double it for wheels, now $130 per trip;

Added together, 1-2 trips per month over the next year, the cost for that "luxury" will be $150-$300 per EACH time I get the little orange monster out for a 4-5 mile round-trip. YIKES!
However, the DMV will probably confiscate my license due to my age next time I go for renewal! I think you'll all agree there's something about "creating" the vision we had for our iQs when searching for one. Then there's the issue of that still-boxed-spoiler riding along behind my front seats.....
* * * * * * * * * *
If you can stand another litany of why this is an excellent car for us of the "older" set:
1. the door is widest (52") in the industry for easy access of anyone with knee/hip/loss of muscle tone issues
2. the door sill is low enough to the ground for anyone with issues as #1
3. the gear shift in the console is easy to move. (My Crown Vic was on the column and having shoulder issues, it was a major pain to shove it up into park)
4. like the Alero I had before the CV, the iQ ignition switch is on the dash, an easier "straight-on" turn of the key than contorting one's wrist to the keyed ignition on the column.

 

[jzchen]

Things have been very busy here for me so my memory is failing me, lack of sleep....

Yes me and another user, @nis350, have noticed cracking in our (Good4aYear) tires. We also don't drive ours much, I think nis350 the least but now that my wife's other car has become stable I am catching up. I have been living with the cracks just diligently checking the tire pressures...

It does seem costly to keep the way you calculated the cost. BUT my sister-in-law just arrived in LAX last night and the midnight UBER ride from LAX to Arcadia (about 38.5 mi) cost a whopping $150. So no, keep the car. I won't dare make any suggestions to get rid of it. I did come across insurance companies that offer insurance by the mile. I used their calculator and it wouldn't have been cheaper for me but likely because I have an at fault accident within the last 3 years. It may be something that may benefit you...

About the wheels I'll look into it some more. Hopefully I can find something. Please let us know how the Coopers in the size you mention work out if you do change your tires. (I would honestly just live with them until they really look bad but then again I'm 45 and can deal with a flat).

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[milligi]

Appreciate your desire to be of assistance...."until they really look bad".....looked bad enough that when my son saw them he told me to get new ones ASAP since the VERY occasional drive on the Interstate would be dangerous for his mom. And yes, after sitting for several weeks, my TPMS reading showed low so although I had a dr. appt., I stopped for a shop to air them up for me and left side was 26 and 28 from standard 33 as on the door sticker.

 

[jzchen]

Yes wise advice from someone who's had a chance to inspect tires. Even pictures can be deceiving to us here on the forum...

I dug around some then went somewhere "no one has gone before".

To be honest someone I know on the smart car forums did buy a set of wheels direct from China through this site, and I've bought one spoiler from their AliExpress side. So I guess it's technically "where one or two have gone before".

Wholesale Personalized retro 12/14/15/16/17/18 inch 4X100 4X114.3 5X112 5X100 Beetle PT Cruiser Car refittin aluminium alloy wheels From m.alibaba.com

Wholesale Personalized retro 12/14/15/16/17/18 inch 4X100 4X114.3 5X112 5X100 Beetle PT Cruiser Car refittin aluminium alloy wheels from on m.alibaba.com

m.alibaba.com

I'll look a little more before going on another break....

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[jzchen]

Here's a US based company somewhat near to me:

Classic Car Smoothie Style 2-Piece Steel Wheels |

800-854-8937 Made to order classic car, hot rod and street rod, wire, rallye, vintage, smoothie, artillery and oem wheels. Made in USA.

thewheelsmith.net

May be close in price compared to shipping from China...

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[milligi]

What are your finder's fees? Now on my second time checking out the wheelsmith catalog. Better than the 1983 Sears Christmas Wish Book!!! Haven't gotten to the "overseas" link yet, nor seen the prices on wheelsmith. If you don't hear from me for awhile, I've fainted. Prefer American made, of course. Got no idea what to expect -- but definitely worth checking out everything. Hope you didn't get docked lost wages from your Day Job while doing this research.
Can't wait to get the new tires and wheels on. Hopefully your research will benefit other non-conformist wheel shoppers in the future. THAAANK$$$$.

 

[jzchen]

Recently my "day job" has been helping my son cope with Sophomore life on a university campus. His whole first year was held online, (and he recently turned 16 early September), so I've been driving him to school and back. Hmm. How about you cover my wages for a week? 40 hrs x $0.00/hr will cost you a whopping nothing. . I'll worry about work when he gets his DL and can take himself to school and back. (Just got his learner's permit yesterday)...

About pricing I find that due to the trade war, or currency exchange, or whatever, the US wheels may likely be cheaper than the ones from China. I find the pricing for the wheels on the Chinese site quite expensive actually, so I'm glad I found that American one. Please let me know if you need help communicating with them I'm not too far away from Corona....

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[milligi]

" 40 hrs x $0.00/hr " I'm in!
Hope you have a beater for your son to drive. They always wreck the first one.
(From experience with 2 sons, 1 daughter. --1972 w-dr Corolla wagon; 1973 Ford Maverick cp.;1977 Olds Cutlass cp.)
My first was a 13-yr old, 1953 Pontiac Chieftain. Made from tank armor, it was bullet-and-wreck-proof!

 

[jzchen]

I started searching again this morning for a little bit. For some reason I didn’t get a good night’s rest. Distracting me from some sore legs from tense night driving last night.

119.0US $ |15inch Steel Wheel 4 Holes 4x100 Jetta Rims Smoothie Chrome Caps - Wheels - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

I’m somewhat concerned about the offset being too low. Anyone knowledgeable can you please chime in? (Thanks in advance).

 

[milligi]

I sure am thankful for the attention you've given my questions. I liked that wheelsmith website and checking them out amidst other non-related irons in my fire. I can keep you (and others) updated on my progress, but be warned, I neither move as fast, nor make decisions as easily as I did decades ago! 😕
BTW, you do know I have 16" wheels? That link you just sent are 15s and I also saw a conversation on here since I've taken up the search again, discussing either tires or wheels as 15s. I had to check my old clips of wheels/hubs I liked and compare with the info I found online to reassure myself that I have 16s as original equipment. I'm running through all the former posts on wheels and tires. Hurts my brain! As for your offset question, that's one thing I'm not going to try to understand. Shouldn't be a problem if I stick with OEM. At some point I have to believe the guys who install will know if an issue arises.
Sorry about your leg issue...I have RLS, a very unpleasant non-curable disorder.

 

[jzchen]

Yes, I did realize you are very likely to have 16" wheels. While I knew this I also considered two (or so) reasons on why I should post them as an option:
1. You may have not bought the replacement Cooper tires yet, and hence still have the old Goodyear tires that need replacing. If so you could downsize (-1) to 15" wheels and hopefully have more tire choices.
2. If that is the case, then these wheels seem to be a lot more reasonably priced.

Of course you may have already bought the Coopers, (you have no obligation to report that to us). I'm afraid then I've thrown you a bad suggestion, and I apologize.

On the offset/sizing front I'm afraid I don't have enough knowledge of the correct specifications to fit nicely. I hope someone else could chime in...

Sorry to read about your condition! I did not know about it until now. I do have a tendency to shake my legs up and down by pressing down on the front of my foot rapidly as it seems to help when they are sore. I can't help but wonder if this due to RLS or the starting signs. I actually remember doing this as a youngster too. It seems to have come back as I've been riding my bike again (for health) and have sore legs from doing so...

 

[milligi]

I went to the tire store yesterday with the intent of ordering the Coopers and to pick out some wheels (brought along my several choices). Unfortunately, their wheel selection is limited and he discouraged me from ordering and shipping direct to them ("they wouldn't know what to do with them") and I need to buy and install both at the same time. With my limited mileage, I'm not particular about going with cast or forged. While I've thought it more practical to stay with a 16" wheel, the salesman suggested I could go with a 15" and have not only more choices, but cheaper on both, which you have just validated for me.
I'm still at the drawing board with his suggestion of 195/65/R15, but even with 0mm offset I'm not that comfortable with .35 closer to top of wheel well and .4 closer side to side.
I think I feel more comfortable with a 185/60/R15 with tolerance increases of .1, .2, .2 if I'm going to change to a 15" wheel.

• So, although I'm not considering it, is it that easy to just flip another wheel size onto the axle - for instance, a 14" or even a 17", (assuming wheelwell will accommodate) as long as it's a 4x100 bolt pattern??? (Weird dimensions all the way on the iQ!!!)
• With no modifications, is anyone else running 185/60R15s or 195/65/R15s ?
• If current wheels are 5.5 wide, what's the max wheel width I can use, 6.5", 7"? I'm supposing the wheel width might impact that tolerance to the wheelwells.
• One more, of a practical nature, I've never had "mag" wheels and except for the past 3 years, always had a garage. Now that my car sits out it just dawned on me to ask whether brakes will be affected with snow and/or ice accumulation with spoke wheels moreso than with the "smoothie" (full coverage, or hubcaps, etc.) type.

I know I'm asking lots of questions, but I trust you guys who've made these changes much more than I do a guy who's going to sell me tires and wheels (major investment for me). I just hope I'm not sorry when next summer comes around and I still don't have a/c; but I'll look cool with my new wheels!
Thanks. I can't imagine doing this without everyone's help from comments you've formerly posted, but especially jzchen for patiently educating me on this current thread.

 

[jzchen]

@milligi You post some very pertinent questions that I'm afraid I don't have the answers to a lot of them.

Somewhat recently (for this forum) I found that @SmallerThanMyYugo actually tried a set of 14" 1st generation Prius wheels.:

14" wheels on the iQ - Yes, they fit.

On a whim, I tried on a set of 1st generation Prius wheels today. They are 14x5.5 JJ, 45 et, 4x100, 54.1 center bore. Our stock wheels are 16x5 J, 45 et, 4x100, 54.1 center bore - so I knew that if they cleared the front brake calipers, that they would fit. It was tight, but clear they did. I...

www.iq-forums.com

I did stick my head under my iQ a long time ago and checked the size printed on the aluminum wheel option that came with mine and the size noted seems correct from my memory. So given that the stock/original wheels on our iQs are a measely 5" wide, it is definitely an odd size, considering the 14" wheels noted were 5.5" wide, a whole 10% wider.

While I do have preference forged over cast, that is because I know less weight helps the car perform better, but probably most importantly is that my back will thank me as I try to do most of the work and save on labor, ie tire rotations. I hate going to the tire stores and the salesman notes the tread is almost done while there is still a good amount left in my opinion. In the case of Smoothie wheels for the iQ I was happy to find anything that might fit, more specifically that they came in 4x100 bolt pattern.

I am happy to post what I find and happy to learn on here. Nice people here on iq-forums. Please do not feel like you need to purchase anything due to my effort. That is not my intention at all. I would be just as happy if you said hey I better get my AC fixed for next summer rather than buy replacement wheels, really a cosmetic thing unless your wheels are damaged. I would guess this is unlikely.

It is nice to know that there may be smoothie wheel options for the iQ. I was surprised by your point about snow, you're probably right smooth wheels may protect the brakes from all the damage winter season may cause them. Living here in SoCal (as we like to abbreviate) I think I've seen powder on the ground twice in the 30 or so years I've lived in the area.

About the options I posted since the offset, aka ET, is +45 on our wheels, it may be best to wait for a similar option. The less ET the more they will tend to stick out from the side of the car. While this may not look pleasant to some there may be laws against such as they would tend to kick up dirt/small rocks into traffic. Then there is the spacing concern to the edge of the fender, not just the inside of the wheel well...





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[milligi]

I'm back with a few of my questions answered.

I remember seeing that post on the Prius wheels.
I asked my son about changing wheel size. He threw in the same consideration you did: offset of current wheels vs. offset of new. Add to that the difficulty of the odd 4x100 bolt pattern in a 16" and finding a 15" wheel width that does not go over 6.5". This was not supposed to be so complicated but I no longer have an in-house mechanic in case anything goes wrong from a bad fitment. At this rate my discourage factor is increasing and those 16" smoothie/full moon hubcaps, could alleviate all these numbers and comps........and questions!
At this point, I'm certain to go with 185/60R16 tires -- or 185/65R15 if I change wheels. Those sizes are the closest to current comps and also the least variance in speedometer ratings.
Jzchen, I didn't know you were in SoCal, but speaking with my son yesterday who has a second set of mounted winter tires told me I shouldn't have to worry about buildup of ice and snow unless I drive through really deep snow (not that I'll be doing much of either). I just don't want to get stuck if I have to get out for any reason and icy buildup makes turning the wheels or exposure to the brakes difficult. He also asked it I could keep the wheels and brakes clean (for appearance and functionality). And yes, I've thought of that which makes [new name for moons:] racing discs more attractive in terms of maintenance.
My son found www.hubcaphaven and I'm hoping a call to them will tell me what I need to know -- probably where I'm headed after all this uncertainty [read: waste of everyone's time!] Sorry. Next time I post should be a photo with my little Orange Monster equipped as I've envisioned; hopefully also with the spoiler. Can't thank you all enough for your input. Signing out. ~Georgia

 

[jzchen]

Please do not think this has been a waste of time. I love all car stuff and volunteered to be a moderator here under the condition that it was understood that I don't have a wealth of knowledge about the iQ.

I did promise to be neutral/unbiased, and to keep the forum a friendly place to share what we know.

Please do not sign off. Come back and share your experience with the tire size and model you end up choosing. It will help any others with their iQs... I may bump into other options as well...

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[jzchen]

So I went to the site referenced by your son. (I think you should treat him to breakfast, lunch, or dinner)!

Bingo:

RD16HH 16 Inch Stainless Steel Racing Disc Hubcaps/Wheel Covers Set

www.hubcaphaven.com

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[milligi]

"I did promise to be neutral/unbiased, and to keep the forum a friendly place to share what we know. "

jzchen, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Thank you.
~milligi
====================

I have pulled together photos of 8 cars worth mentioning. I think it was appropriate to post in the "Off Topic Discussions" under "Cars I've Owned." If the photos need to be elsewhere, please advise. Thanks.

 

[jzchen]

Thank you for coming back! I did not see that site in all my searching I commend your son on finding it.

On a side note I've always had a job at my mother's medical clinic since I graduated college. (It was preferred that I become a doctor in their footsteps but that didn't happen)... Since it was family run I was part of management. (My mom retired due to COVID risk as she's in her 80s just last year). I just applied for a job at a local Toyota dealer to be a used car valet. Simple application BUT I didn't have any professional references as I worked for family since 1998. Crossing my fingers...

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