I track my car maybe 3 or 4 times a year. S/C, BBK, all the usual mods. Will having a center cap some how over heat my bearings or cause any other detraction to performance? I know most "track cars" do not have center caps but is really a bad thing?

 

Plastic ones will melt and fall off.
I like to see my axle nut just for peace of mind.

 

Stopped using mine after one of them melted off.

 

So as long as they are metal you should be okay?

 

They're never only metal. If they're metal, they're usually held on with a rubber O-ring.

Take them off before tracking and put them back on afterwards. Otherwise they'll be projectiles on track.

 

Take them off. The ones on the OEM wheels are plastic, and will slowly lose their tension in the wheel after going through heat cycles. Metal ones with rubber o-rings will almost certainly pop off once there is a lot of heat built up behind them.

The metal flat caps on my CE28Ns make a pretty amazing sound when popping off once there is a lot of heat built up. Definitely take them off when going to the track. I doubt it makes a massive difference but I am sure the hubs/bearings are slightly better cooled with no center caps on most wheels.

 

The one exception i'd make are the enkei caps which are secured with screws.



otherwise take them off. i'd hate to be the guy who has your center cap fly into their windshield...

 

Ahha mine did the same thing when I had CE28Ns. Parked in the pits, just walked past my front rims and POP, one centre cap went flying off. Was way too hot to touch.
Lost another one on track... expensive lesson which I didn't learn the first time.
Lesson is: Don't use centre caps for track.

 

thanks guys, safety card trumps fashion card!

 

I ran my Weds TC105N caps for my first couple of sessions and the heat messed with the adhesive holding the CF part on the metal rear mounted caps. I won't run them again.