Projects Well, these hubcaps are certainly crap...

I've got Wheel Vintiques wheels and baby moons on the roadster. When I put the caps on, it was challenging to seat them, as they're so thin they dent when popping them on the little bumps on the rim center that seat them. Even the slightest bump with a fist at the edge dents them, and they're a challenge to just push and snap on. I've had the front wheels off just the other day to clearance the Wilson Welding backing plates as the original Buick drums hit them and made a squeaking noise, now it's impossible to keep them on. Installing them seems to make them out of round, and they don't grip. This morning the left front one flew off for the 4th time, I didn't even go back for it. I'm done.
I'd try the Mercury repops they offer, or the Ford script ones, but I'm concerned that they quality may be as ****py as these. Have any of you run them? Perhaps those little stainless trims that just cover the lip on the center? I like the way the wheels look without caps and the chrome lug nuts, but now of course the paint is damage from installing these pieces of junk.
Ugh.

 

The secret is to make relief cuts with a death wheel in the lip that goes in the wheel so the hubpcap inner ring can contract to go inside the wheel. I've done this and never lost one, done it on Merc and Ford caps. Yeah they're impossible to get on without the relief cuts.

A cut at 3 and 9 o clock should do it.

 

Can you please post a photo? Thanks.

 

I don't have one around anymore, so here's an internet pic with some marks drawn on my phone to show the relief cuts. Don't cut into the outside part of the cap just the ring that snaps into the wheel. They are too tight and the relief cut allows that inner ring to contract so it'll go in the wheel.

 

I used grips to pull in the edge slightly where the wheel dimples are. Lined up the drain hole with the valve as a reference for removal and replacement

 

I'm not sure if these are the same style as you want, but I got these from Coker and they seem very solid.

Phil

 

Those are on smooth center wheels, and fit inside the "dish" part of the wheel. My wheels have the dimples, or "bumps" on the outside of the center's raised rim. The caps are quite a bit larger diameter. Coker sells the same caps as I got from Wheel Vintiques. Summit, Speedway and Jegs have the same caps, I'm ***uming they're all junk.

 

I'm being dense, but I don't get what you're doing. Cut a small relief on the very inside lip of the hubcap? That seems like it'd make it even weaker and more flexible?

 

My understanding is you are having trouble getting the caps on without denting them. This allows them to go on with less effort, and you don't dent them. I've done this on several sets, never dented or lost one. This was on original early ford wheels with Wheel Vintiques hub caps. I've done it on 40 caps and 46 Merc caps.

I think they are flying off because they are exerting too much pressure to the wheel because the are slightly too big. The relief cuts allow them to grab the wheel at and not force themselves out when the wheel flexes.

 

I can try it. I (foolishly) ordered a replacement for the one that keeps flying off, since it's scuffed from road rash. It's worth a try.

 

I've got the WV Smoothies and their baby moons, never had a problem, easy to bump on with the hand, and with an hole drilled in the edge they come off fairly easy with a hooked Ice pick.*

 

Well, denting is one aggravating part of the problem, the other is having them fly off at 45 MPH going straight down the road. I just got the replacement I'd ordered from Summit, and tried your suggestion on one of them. Which I put on that left front that's been shucking caps. I think it's a couple of things...
First, these caps are complete junk, BUT, the rear wheels on the car are Genuine Ford 15", the front's are Wheel Vintiques. The caps snap very completely and firmly onto the little bumps on the Ford wheels. The rear wheels haven't shucked a cap, it's the fronts that don't like them. The Wheel Vintiques, on the other hand, the cap doesn't seem to "snap" on firmly like the rears. With, or without the relief cut. I'll see if it still shucks caps, but I'm not very confident that letting the cap expand over the bumps with the cut will do anything but let them off even easier. I can pull it off by hand, without prying the edge with a screwdriver. That doesn't seem right. Note that I only cut the very backside of the rolled edge of the cap, not the bottom of the fold or to the outside.

 

Brian you may want to try running this style cap. The ribs seem to stiffen up the cap. I have had no problems putting these in place and giving them a shot with my open hand to pop them on. Come off easy enough with a pry tool I made.

 

I hope it works out for ya, but I have never had WV wheels, just early Ford wheels with WV caps.

 

I believe those wheels are different than the style I have. They look like smooth centers, the cap mounts inside the center section? Or do they mount over the raised "bead" on the center with three bumps?

 

Put a few dabs of silicone around that ring and let it set up before putting back on.

 

Sometimes just a fresh coat of paint on the wheels (particularly at those nubs) will help keep the caps from flying off. Think about it, each time you take one on or off you're likely taking a smidge of paint off as well.

 

Baby moons have always been a bit fragile. I always found that instead of a fist, a palm worked better and hold it in place while you sorta "stretch" the edge over the nubs. Your results may vary.

 

I put a layer of duct tape on my wheels before installing the hub caps. It gives the clip something to bite on to.

I’ve also used silicone and windshield urethane to hold on difficult caps.

 

Sounds like one of you is describing "innies" and the other "outies"

 

Outies^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ @Dan Hay is talking about the caps that snap INSIDE the center I believe?

 

I have a set of repop 48-52 Ford 3/4 ton hubcaps that wouldn't sit right and I dented the first one trying to install...after comparing with a Ford hubcap,I saw that the repop ring was slightly larger in Diameter so I used that trick and it worked....the 3/4 ton wheels are "innie" with the bumps inside the wheel hump like a 40s or 50's Ford wheel.

 

yes, innies. Sorry if I missed that detail.

 

Sounds like a good reason to run aluminum wheels to me!
No more flying bent hubcaps!

 

And, there you have it. Free advice is worth what it costs. In this case it's cost me $26 for the (admittedly junk to begin with) new hubcap that I cut a relief in. It'd have flown off anyway I guess...

 

oops

 

Brian here is the style of wheel I have. Don't know if you have the same or not?

 

Completely different wheel. The mounting "bumps" are on the outside of the raised lip on the center, they're not "smoothies" like yours.

 

Those are what I called innies.

Here are "outies" like @flynbrian48 apparently has

 

Sounds like the repro wheels are more of a problem than the caps. Sharp car, worth getting this worked out.