Anybody else with full smoothies: I'm having trouble with a couple of them creeping around the wheel. They come up against the valve stem and bend it way over. I keep putting them back on straight. No damage yet, but I'm not going to let them go to that point.

I've bent the gripping tabs out more to tighten them up, but it only helps a little.

Any thoughts? I'm going to put a wrap of electrical tape around the gripping tabs. I came across that suggestion on a classic car forum. I'll see how that works.

 

maybe you could clean the contact areas on said hub caps and the rims and use a smear of silicone/rtv.........let it sit and cure ....... give it a test and let us know.......this stops squeeky hub caps....not sure 'bout movin' too much hub caps.....

 

Well, electrical tape is a no go, but I should have thought of that, since the tape is too smooth. The guys said they used duct tape and some said they put masking tape on the contact area on the wheel itself.

I've bent the teeth out as far as they'll stay, and they just don't dig in well enough. Some also said they took a file and sharpened the teeth to make them grip better. Apparently this is a problem with some wheels, if they have a lot of lightening holes. It lets them flex too much.

It's too bad; these hubcaps look great, but I can't take a chance on them creeping too far around the rim and damaging the valve stems at speed.

Does anybody else have this trouble with them, or did I get a bad set? They're not defective; they just don't seem to stay put on these steel wheels.

This is what the guys on a Chrysler Imperial forum were discussing:

http://www.imperialclub.com/Repair/Wheels/years.htm

 

Hubcapmike sent me a reply when I asked about the problem.

"You can change them out to metal valve stems or put a small piece of bar stock across the inside lip of the wheel to keep them from spinning."

They also offered a refund, but I might try to get these to work. It seems to be a common problem.

 

hey Doug;

I have a set coming--I also would like to get them to work, since I do not like the plastics and it is not worth $1000 for a new set of chromes with new sensors (ripoff---since the moons look better)--what did HubcapMike mean by "put a small piece of bar stock across the inside lip of the wheel"??

thx

 

I emailed them back. I'm waiting for a reply. They must mean to weld a small piece in. I'm not too keen on that, but I'm sure it would work.

One of the guys on the Chrysler forum said he used a small spot of epoxy. I suppose anything that the hubcap teeth would sit up against to keep it in place would work.

 

hubcapmike said that you can either weld the bar in place or use JB Weld.

I think it goes without saying that will require rebalancing the wheels.