Having a problem with my '57 BelAir hubcaps. I bought a new set of rims and I'm thinking the tolerances are new all that great. When I try to install the hubcap on one wheel the rim seems smaller than the other weels. I have used rubber hammer to try and force it but it is to the point of damaging the hubcap. On another wheel the hubcap goes in easy... so easy that I'm affraid it will pop off when I drive. My question is has anyone expereinced this and what do you recommend? I actually thought about using some type of permatex on the lose hubcap but looing to you experts for advise.
Do you have a factory rim to compare to what you bought? Are the nubs that hold on the cover correct? Are the covers repo or original? Sorry for the questions but all the factory original parts were pretty bullet proof. I worked in a tire shop thru college and we could pop on 57-up 14” wheel covers with the palm of our hand out at edge of the cover or use a rubber mallet.
Yes, except my hubcaps are full wheel hubcaps, not center wheel. I have my original wheels black for moon humcaps. Then the red series 67 for the full spinner hubcaps. I already had one pop off just riding around the neighbor hood. hate to lose one on the highway.
I realize you have full cover’s. Posted the pic to show the 4 nub’s on the outer hoop. Even though it’s a 210 with small caps the wheels are the same.
maybe switch the wheels , surely your full wheel covers will fit the black wheels if they are orig, will the baby moons fit the repop wheels? if so you could just repaint the wheels
Post a pic of your new wheels without the wheel cover. It's the little nubs on the outer rim, not the ones in the center that hold a dog-dish, that need to be there to hold those covers on. Those covers won't snap onto a plain wheel, and I kinda doubt any aftermarket wheels have those nubs in place, although you could build up 4 little beads of weld and grind/dress them into shape if you wanted to.
Yep, I agree. As I indicated above, I have the full wheel hubcaps, not the center, dog dish, caps. These wheels are for Tri-Five Chevys.... 14 inch. have the correct nubs for both full hubcaps and dog dish caps. On a couple of these wheels I had to grind the nub down on the outer part of the wheel to get the hubcap on. And that was with a rubber mallet. On one the hubcap basically slips in by hand and i can easily pull it off with a slight tug on the spinner. That's my concern as I might lose it at higher speeds. Trying to think of somethiing that might secure the hubcap without having to change out with my black wheels and repaint both sets. not sure if they make a lock tight type that would work or not.
Something I just remembered. When Covid hit I was after a set of 15 6’s by the manufacturer you purchased. They were back ordered because employee that did the dimpling to the hoops was let go. The process was done manually. I don’t think they check this process very well.
^^^ That's probably what I would do. Pain in the butt, considering you'll also have to switch all of the tires over. But I wouldn't want to risk losing a hubcap and potentially damaging the paint on the body when it comes off. I see now that there are wheel cover nubs on the new red wheels, although the nubs that are there do look quite a bit different than the wheels that Johnny Gee posted above, as well as the depth of the step in the rim.
I've put these bumps in rims to hold the wheelcovers on into new rims and it's actually really difficult to get it in the right spot. The front lip of the wheel doesn't have a consistent width so it's hard to get a starting point.
I tried something this morning and we'll see how it works out. I took a small piece of aluminum and folded it. Then I slipped it over the hubcap at the proper place where it seemed loose. Then I installed it on the wheel. It was much tighter fit. According to something I read the reason they don't fit so well and even pop off if tight is the rolling tire causess the wheel to flex. After a while, if the hubcap isn't installed right or doesn't fit correctly, it will work its way to the point it pops off. Now after every drive or when I stop I will check them.
I have a totally different kind of rim, but the same problem. My full cover hub caps don't seem to fit tight to the inside of the rim. I plan to correct this by putting four beads spaced around the wheel using the welder. Is to a bit butch? Yes, but I really don't care. The exposed part you see will look the same. The only time you will notice is with the wheel cover off. Hopefully that will be when I pull it off, not when it goes flying on it's own!
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