Is it necessary to use the plastic wheel center caps on my 1998 Cherokee XJ sport, 4L? Mine are starting to break and ebay pre-owned replacements are pricey and likely to end up cracking off anyway. If they are required to maintain wheel bearing integrity, are there any cheap knockoffs that would fit the stock wheels?

Thanks for any advice.

 

Not at all.

 

First, thanks for the prompt reply. I'd still like to have some kind of center cap. I've been seeing the press-fit kind at very attractive prices for a set of 4. However, my stock 15" wheels have a measured opening of 70mm. All the ones I'm seeing online seem to be 55mm but claim to fit my 1998 XJ.



Any thoughts on this?

 

It's not a question of years, but wheels: those 55mm are for any ally wheels, the one you pictured only fit steelies - AFAIK

 

The center caps are larger on the steelies than the alloys. You'll most likely either want to look at getting a set of wheels, or going to a local Pick-'n'-Pull junkyard to (hopefully) find a Jeep you can take some off of.

-Vince

 

FYI, moparpartsgiant.com has them new for $64 and change. I got one from there last winter, and it appears they still have them in stock.
https://www.moparpartsgiant.com/part...~5cf34l4a.html