Removing Hubcaps

V12Bill

V12Bill

Well-known member
I went to a lot of trouble to get a good finish on my wheels and hubcaps on my 39 pickup. I needed to remove a hubcap today and realized that the screwdriver provided in the tool kit does not offer enough leverage and the tire iron seems to want to use the rim of the wheel as a fulcrum and thus scratch the paint. Did Henry not care about scratching paint on the wheels and hubcaps or did he supply a tool to remove hubcaps? What do you use to remove 1936 to 39 hubcaps?
 
Don't know what those look like, but I have baby moons on my '50 car and I use an old bondo spreader to pop the caps off. Hard plastic and doesn't scratch anything...
 
Harbor Freight sells plastic prying tools to take trim off that are perfect for removing hubcaps. They come in a set of 4 yellow tools. They really work great for hubcaps.
 
Go to a junkyard and look for a lugwrench from a late model car. A lot of them have a hard plastic screwdriver/chisel point on them to remove hub/centre caps.

Mart.
 
Since I've returned to Florida, the hard rubber ice scraper I used in Ohio works great for popping-off hubcaps.
 
When I used a screwdriver I would twist instead of pry. You can also use a sleeve over the tool to keep from messing up the rim. I have since made a remover from a piece of hard plastic.
 
Keep things simple:
Just make them up from a piece of hardwood. Never scratch and work great. Forget about the beauty ring tool spelling.
John

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I did the same as oldford2 and used a piece of oak. Works great with tap with rubber mallet. No marks !
 
It seems that most of you don't realize that the 1936 to 39 hubcap comes within 2" of the outer rim of the wheel. These cars have the wide 5 X 10.5" pattern and the hub cap covers all of the lugs and nuts. There is no room for a wedge and a screwdriver blade will only fit under the edge of the edge of the hub cap to be twisted if the shaft is bent. What do 36 to 39 owners use to remove their hub caps?
 
Like deuce, I got the Harbor Freight prying tools and they work just fine. They cost around $5.00 for the set of four. The Bob Drake tool while good, is about $40.00
 
V12Bill said:
It seems that most of you don't realize that the 1936 to 39 hubcap comes within 2" of the outer rim of the wheel. These cars have the wide 5 X 10.5" pattern and the hub cap covers all of the lugs and nuts. There is no room for a wedge and a screwdriver blade will only fit under the edge of the edge of the hub cap to be twisted if the shaft is bent. What do 36 to 39 owners use to remove their hub caps?
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Sounds like what I use on my 47 may work for the earlier models - a standard paint can/bottle opener. (Paint can end, of course)

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I use a plastic bondo spreader that I push in between the wheel and hubcap. I have a couple hubcaps that are real tight and I put a screwdriver between the bondo spreader and hubcap to pry it off.
 
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