Putting on New 30-31 Hub Caps

E

Ed in Maine

Well-known member
I am putting newly painted wheels and hub caps on my Victoria. I have a couple of questions:
1. How did Henry fasten the hub caps on to the rim? Did he bend the tabs so that the hub caps could be removed without taking off the rim or did he put on the hub cap while the rim was removed and then turn over the wheel and bend over the tabs firmly on the inside?
2. I would like to place an 0-ring between the hub cap and the rim to prevent vibration and paint wear. What diameter o-ring and what cross-sectional diameter is recommended?

I have never done a good job trying to bend the tabs so the cap fit tightly to the rim. This time around I want to do a better job. Ed
 
Hi Ed,
I have not seen any media of how Ford put hubcaps on at the factory. However, there is a service bulletin that indicates 4 equally spaced tabs get bent entirely over the hub. My practice is to bend all of the tabs over, so the cap is not loose & no o'ring needed.


I would like to see some pictures of your Victoria.
 
I never had any luck bending over the tabs......cap would not get tight. I bend them over with the wheel off from the back, then apply generous gobs of RTV sealant and let dry a day or two, then check for movement. If none, put back on car. If cap still moves, use more goo.
 
While one might be tempted to flip the wheel over and rest the weight on the hubcap to hold it tight to the wheel while bending the tabs, suggest that you don't do it that way, you might dent the hubcap. Instead, what I do is kindly ask my bride to press in on the hubcap while I bend the tabs. I start by bending them by hand, then use a long drift (mine happens to be brass) to knock the tabs tight. I start with four tabs, then add more if necessary to keep things from rattling. The trick seems to be to knock as close to the outside of the tab (the part that presses inwards on the wheel) as you can as opposed to knocking down on the tab, which won't transmit any holding power to the tab.

Oldgearz' trick of using RTV sounds like a good one, although I've not used it. (I have used it to tame a license plate that was rattling in the license plate frame...) You can apply it to the tabs on the inside of the wheel and it won't show.

JayJay
 
I bent the tabs before I put the hubcap on so that it would snap in, then bent over 4 tabs, been 35 years still not loose,
 
#5
JayJay
Senior Member

Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: SF Bay Area
Posts: 324
Default Re: Putting on New 30-31 Hub Caps
While one might be tempted to flip the wheel over and rest the weight on the hubcap to hold it tight to the wheel while bending the tabs, suggest that you don't do it that way, you might dent the hubcap. Instead, what I do is kindly ask my bride to press in on the hubcap while I bend the tabs. I start by bending them by hand, then use a long drift (mine happens to be brass) to knock the tabs tight. I start with four tabs, then add more if necessary to keep things from rattling. The trick seems to be to knock as close to the outside of the tab (the part that presses inwards on the wheel) as you can as opposed to knocking down on the tab, which won't transmit any holding power to the tab.

I do exactly the same thing with mine. The trick is to get the tabs as tight to the outside of the mounting hole as possible.
 
Thank you for your replies. Bob, I tried to upload my pictures to this site, but Ford Barn gives me a message that the "Upload Failed". I will try to figure it out. Ed
 
This is what I used. I wasted time trying to put the o rings between the hub cap and the wheel before bending the tabs. If you stretch them a bit ( like a rubber band) they go on easily *after* you finish bending the tabs.

https://www.brattons.com/6-PIECE-30-31-HUB-CAP-GASKET-KIT/productinfo/1471/

I only bent 4 tabs on each of the hub caps. I should be able to remove the hub caps later if I want to move them to a different set of wheels.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I use the "Hup Cap Tool" to install the repro hubcaps with 10 tangs. No "O" rings, no glue mess. Works fantastic. Bends the tangs so the hub cap snaps on. Of course, no longer available.

483304
 

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I just bought one from one of the suppliers, don't remember which one. It's a heavy piece of steel, and I don't know if there was a instruction sheet with it so might not remember how to do it.
 
MrBruce said:
I just bought one from one of the suppliers, don't remember which one. It's a heavy piece of steel, and I don't know if there was a instruction sheet with it so might not remember how to do it.
Click to expand...

I can send you the instruction sheet if you need it. PM me your e-mail address and I will scan it for you.
 
Does anybody really think Henry wasted time (and therefore money) having his men bend over hub cap tabs??? I bet they were made far better than the copies we get these days and snapped in.
IMO, all this talk of bending over the tabs, using silicone and rubber rings is merely an effort to make crappy repros work.
I've seen pictures of cars coming down the assembly line with wheels on and no hub caps.
 
Synchro909 said:
Does anybody really think Henry wasted time (and therefore money) having his men bend over hub cap tabs??? I bet they were made far better than the copies we get these days and snapped in.
IMO, all this talk of bending over the tabs, using silicone and rubber rings is merely an effort to make crappy repros work.
Click to expand...

Do you have any better suggestions than trying to "make crappy repros work"? That's all most of us have to work with.
 
Y-Blockhead said:
Do you have any better suggestions than trying to "make crappy repros work"? That's all most of us have to work with.
Click to expand...

No, other than pressure the vendors to do better but that would take a vast number of us not buying their current offerings and I can't see that happening.
 
Y-Blockhead said:
I use the "Hup Cap Tool" to install the repro hubcaps with 10 tangs. No "O" rings, no glue mess. Works fantastic. Bends the tangs so the hub cap snaps on. Of course, no longer available.

483304
Click to expand...

Does that tool make the "waffle" bends in the hubcap tangs like the originals?
 
I just purchased 2 A-1130-SS hubcaps for my 1030 Town Sedan Approx Jan 15 build date. The hubcaps are way too small for the hole in the wheel. Hole is 3 3/4". Also the caps are much shallower than the others. Anyone have input??

Jim Czebiniak
 
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