1965 Wheel Covers (hub caps) fall off - how to fix | Ford Thunderbird forum club group 1955-2005 models

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1965 Wheel Covers (hub caps) fall off - how to fix

  • Thread starter Thread starter jj_sharp
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jj_sharp

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Greetings one and all,

My wife's car was going down the road and the rear 2 hub caps came off (separate incidents).
In one case, the fender-skirt-attachment came as well (both went bouncing down the street).

What is a good way to deal with this?
She just sanded and painted the rims.
How can the wheel covers (hub caps) be more securely attached to the wheels?

Thanks,
Jody

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I know if my wheel discs are not installed completely tight to the rims the will squeak and scratch as the rim rotates and flexes. My discs also fit very tight but the must be completely on to eliminate this problem. I suspect, that if left to their own, they might eventually work off. Listen closely for sounds as you slowly drive down a paved street.
 
jj_sharp said:
Greetings one and all,

My wife's car was going down the road and the rear 2 hub caps came off (separate incidents).
In one case, the fender-skirt-attachment came as well (both went bouncing down the street).

What is a good way to deal with this?
She just sanded and painted the rims.
How can the wheel covers (hub caps) be more securely attached to the wheels?

Thanks,
Jody
Click to expand...
I too had that problem with my VERY expensive wheel covers for my Mark II....a good friend suggested I place a thin bead of silicone around the edge ...works perfectly! No adverse handling or balance problems but you do need to reapply if if take the wheel cover off for any reason.
 
I like the silicon idea, I should have thought of it myself.
I know that stuff sticks like crazy, and I have repaired things that looks un-salvageable with silicon.
Someone told my wife to try duct tape, but that that seemed wonky.
 
Where exactly did you put the silicon? Did you put it on the lip of the wheel facing outward? Or on the inner lip where the clips grip the wheel? Thanks.
 
Jody,

This is not an uncommon problem, it comes up often. Many suggestions have been made on ways to "cure" this problem although the silicon bead is a new one to me. I have also heard that slightly bending the tangs on the hub cap and filing them to a sharper point may also secure the hub caps tighter. I believe that the underlying cause of this problem is the use of radial tires on wheels that were designed for bias ply tires. This article from SEMA explains it in greater detail. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a "go to" option that will prevent this from happening again. Hopefully one of the suggestions works for your wife's car
 
me too, I've used my Dremel for clearance around the inner lip for clearance, nothing should touch and no problem since.
plastic trim rings
 
The SEMA article was enlightening.

My wife went with duct tape on the rim. Time will tell if that works out ok.

Thanks everyone.
 
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