Technical Broken center cap stud help

I have actually done this successfully. Drill a piece of scrap steel with the drill size you want to use. Clamp it to the wheel with the hole centered over the broken screw with a pair of small C-clamps through the center hole (2 clamps keep it from rotating better than 1). Use the hole in the scrap piece as a drill guide and drill with a hand drill. Mine came out real well but I think I had to open them up to a bigger size than they were (10-24, I think now). Use anti-sieze.

Blue

 

I have removed dozens of them this way, it works.

 

Ive seen this situation for years,on torq thrust type wheels,slots etc.
Someone should invent some kind of maybe 2 peice cap that would be held in place like a pop in cap from the back side then have the outside part like a regular cap to cover the broken screws but have it actually attach with a screw in the middle like a cragar SS cap or some of the old spoke hubcaps or something.

.......I have seen slide through from the back side caps on slots that were suppose to have the screw type that were broke like yours, I will say I dont know if they looked as good as the screw on caps but at least they had caps,and maybe the broken screws werent quite as noticeable.

 

We removed a broken main bearing bolt by drilling with the cap still in place as a guide, with a left hand drill bit. It actually backed itself out while drilling! dew49merc

 

Drill out oversize and install time-serts!
http://www.timesert.com/

 

I like the Time-Sert things, just did a quick glance, I like this line in their description:

My first idea is to take a piece of plate and drill a hole then use that as a guide. I have a small drill press and I think that's actually going to do it. Second option is going to be welding something on, but the stud is so tiny and the bit that sticks up on some is barely a 16th so I'm afraid I'd muck up the finish of the rim with a quick spot weld. The third option would probably be those time serts unless they are $900 a piece

Does anyone know, if you look at the first picture I posted the entire wheel is aluminum but the center is a grey color, is that paint or just the color of the metal? I thought about glass bead blasting them to clean them up, but would re-painting them stand the test of time?