52 Wheel Cover

RalphG

RalphG

Well-known member
I'm having a real problem keeping the one remaining original wheel cover on my 52 Merc. Just looking at this picture I took this morning and I realize the wheel cover is missing. Good thing I only drove half a mile down the driveway and won't have too far to search. This is the second time. Maybe I need to bend the tabs a little so they grip the rim better?
 

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I had that problem with the full wheel caps on my '53 Ford... I finally took them off and replaced them with the small hubcaps and trim rings.
 
Paint the wheels and give each one a smaller diameter and a "fresher" surface for the tabs on the cap to dig into. The adhesive might work but someday you'll need to remove that hub cap.
 
Vic Piano said:
I had that problem with the full wheel caps on my '53 Ford... I finally took them off and replaced them with the small hubcaps and trim rings.
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I found it in the ditch. I have to admit I do like the small snap on caps as well or better than the full wheel disks. And there is no way they will fall off. It takes a pry bar to remove them. I have a pair of Meteor caps for two wheels. Need to find another pair I guess.
 
RalphG said:
I found it in the ditch. I have to admit I do like the small snap on caps as well or better than the full wheel disks. And there is no way they will fall off. It takes a pry bar to remove them. I have a pair of Meteor caps for two wheels. Need to find another pair I guess.
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Ralph, I put the 'dog bowl' hubcaps and trim rings on my '53 in 1974 and not one has ever come off yet without help... LOL
 
Just look at how long those wheel covers have been on that car without a problem. The only thing that has changed is the driver. I am thinking Ralph is doing too much tearing around down the lane. Maybe cutting doughnuts in the pasture.

I had the same thing happen with full cover wheel covers years ago on a 73 Chevy pickup. Once on does come off, it seems to never stay on again. I think they get sprung. I replaced that cover with another and the problem went away.

Ron
 
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Ralph,

When I put radials on mine they came off before I was out of the driveway. So I went with "dog dish" and trim rings. The look great and never come off.
 

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Merc Cruzer said:
Ralph,

When I put radials on mine they came off before I was out of the driveway. So I went with "dog dish" and trim rings. The look great and never come off.
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You are right, the dog dish and rings look great, as does your whole car. I do find the radials I installed seem to ride hard and rough compared to my memory of the car from the 1960s on bias ply tires. Maybe I need to drop the tire pressure a little on the radials.
I have a short video clip (on facebook I think) of the wheel cover actually flying off as I drove along the driveway with the camera mounted on the rear quarter. It made it easy to find the cover. :-)
 
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