Chrome Wheel Center Caps

I still have a 7 spoke chrome cap for sale. its missing 1 tab but otherwise in perfect condition.
$35 shipped in the cont. US.

albertj wrote:

Straighteight wrote:

Anybody found a NEW way to use the center caps once the tabs break off? How about the adhesive used to hold moldings on, just a dab to hold, but strong enought to hold em on?
Anybody got used ones for sale?

You can stick them on the wheels by cleaning them (and the hub area) with a little dry gas on a clean rag and then a streak of RTV on the edge of the cap - in effecct you glue them in place.

Problem is (not a huge problem just a PITA) you have to do this *every* time you pull them off.

Albertj

Thank you for the tip!

Any particular brand of RTV you have had good luck with? How much trouble getting them off? Wouldn't a spot here and there on the edge of the cap do the job, and make them easier to take off?

Straighteight wrote:

albertj wrote:

Straighteight wrote:

Anybody found a NEW way to use the center caps once the tabs break off? How about the adhesive used to hold moldings on, just a dab to hold, but strong enought to hold em on?
Anybody got used ones for sale?

You can stick them on the wheels by cleaning them (and the hub area) with a little dry gas on a clean rag and then a streak of RTV on the edge of the cap - in effecct you glue them in place.

Problem is (not a huge problem just a PITA) you have to do this *every* time you pull them off.

Albertj

Thank you for the tip!

Any particular brand of RTV you have had good luck with? How much trouble getting them off? Wouldn't a spot here and there on the edge of the cap do the job, and make them easier to take off?

Permatex.

Unless your tabs are somewhat holding with that wire bail thinngy then you'll need to use a bead not dabs.

THey will hold on unless you pry them off, if pried they will come right off clean. Form-a-Gasket is not anything like stick-at-all-costs urethane trim cement. It is mean to hold and disassemble clean.

Albertj

I'm sure some of the fault lies with the tire monkeys and the demands of faster, faster, faster, but in my experience I don't think GM has ever built a decent center cap... The Buick Rallyes, the Pontiac PolyCast Honeycombs, the original Cadillac alloys, and now these - by the time I've bought the car something has always been broken or missing.

Eldo wrote:

I'm sure some of the fault lies with the tire monkeys and the demands of faster, faster, faster, but in my experience I don't think GM has ever built a decent center cap... The Buick Rallyes, the Pontiac PolyCast Honeycombs, the original Cadillac alloys, and now these - by the time I've bought the car something has always been broken or missing.

The center caps for the chromes are weird, it's like the tabs were glued on in the first place, which I imagine might have been done to keep the faces smooth. For what they charge for the silly things they could have molded in slots in the back and put a t304 stainless 'spider' on with little feet to hold on the rim. My Chrysler LeBaron had alloys and **much** better center caps, they were spun aluminum with a steel "spider" on the back, never a problem.

Albertj

I think the tabs were molded to the cap as one piece, but it seems like they attempted to strengthen them with an epoxy near the area that is stressed. GM knew the design was weak, so they did what they could - might be the reason they charged so much for them.

My originals all broke, but I think that's because I let others (mechanics) abuse them. Now that I have a set of "fresh" ones (NOS), I've had no problems as long as I'm careful and don't let them fall into the wrong hands.

AA wrote:

I think the tabs were molded to the cap as one piece, but it seems like they attempted to strengthen them with an epoxy near the area that is stressed. GM knew the design was weak, so they did what they could - might be the reason they charged so much for them.

My originals all broke, but I think that's because I let others (mechanics) abuse them. Now that I have a set of "fresh" ones (NOS), I've had no problems as long as I'm careful and don't let them fall into the wrong hands.

My originals all broke, now when have a shop do tire changeover I just take 'em off first. I do have a couple tabs I repaired with fillets of JBWeld.

Albertj

I have added some epoxy to the stressed areas, as extra insurance. Maybe it has helped?

Epoxy looks like a great idea. As I read thru all these suggestions the thought that these clips were glued on from the start, (a poor manufacturing procedure that should never have been considered by anyone sober) makes one wonder if any thought was given to Buick's reputation for durabilitiy, and what kind of tests they put these parts through before approving use and production.
Thank you all for your thoughts and the time it took to present this information!!

Straighteight wrote:

As I read thru all these suggestions... it makes one wonder if any thought was given to Buick's reputation for durability, and what kind of tests they put these parts through before approving use and production...

As "The Engineer", I think I figured out the mathematical answer to your musings:

36,000-mile warranty + 40,000-mile tires = "Ok, go ahead and approve the center caps!!"

Now lets talk about paint delamination.

best way to repair plastic tabs is with thin strips of fiberglass. works forever....

robotennis61 wrote:

best way to repair plastic tabs is with thin strips of fiberglass. works forever....

I would assume that you need to sand off the 'PlastiChrome' first?

Eldo wrote:

robotennis61 wrote:

best way to repair plastic tabs is with thin strips of fiberglass. works forever....

I would assume that you need to sand off the 'PlastiChrome' first?

a good scuffing is all that you need. fiberglass resin,once applied wont come off a prepped surface.

robotennis61 wrote:

Eldo wrote:

robotennis61 wrote:

best way to repair plastic tabs is with thin strips of fiberglass. works forever....

I would assume that you need to sand off the 'PlastiChrome' first?

a good scuffing is all that you need. fiberglass resin,once applied wont come off a prepped surface.

For those of us with little or no imagination, how about a ruff outline how it is done?

I did my brakes the other day, so since I had my caps off I thought I would show you guys my solution for broken tabs. First, make five "L" brackets that are the width of the tabs, about an inch long. Then drill a hole in both the the "L" bracket and tab. Find five small screws, I prefer to use screws from old audio cassettes. You will also need a construction grade adhesive to glue the bottom part of the "L" bracket to the cap itself. Most important is that you line up the tab in its original position before securing everything. I know its a little messy and this may not work for you, but its worked for me so I thought I'd throw that out there.

thats the way its done... another way would be to place fiberglass strips along the length of the repair. repeat until satisfied with the strength of the repair.

Nice repair. Will have to look at doing the same or something very similar.
Cheap, strong and easy, doesn't get any better than that.

almost wonder if that's how they ought have done it in the first place.

Albertj

PLUS!

One question, BMD... What did you use for the metal? Is it aluminum that's thin enough to still 'spring'?

Exactly, anything stiffer would not have allowed the necessary play for the tab to bend in and out, so a thin grade aluminum is a must. Thanks for the + .

this is exaclty what i did to my 7 spoke caps ,had only on 1 of the caps a missing tab the rest were OK....then used some GORILLA GLUE just to strenghten them .So far after 2 year no problem at all .

stan wrote:

this is exaclty what i did to my 7 spoke caps ,had only on 1 of the caps a missing tab the rest were OK....then used some GORILLA GLUE just to strenghten them .So far after 2 year no problem at all .

Stan, I'm not sure that I'm following you.
Did you just Gorrila Glue the remaining tabs that were good or did you cut them all off and made aluminum brackets then fastened with a screw and then gorilla glued them back on to the center cover.
That's the impression I got for BMD unless I'm way off base.
In other words, is this a preemptive fix as well as a fix after the fact if you can find the plastic piece to attach to the aluminum angle bracket.

ohh yes Rick,my tabs were good as new i just glued them incase they crack and break over time.
Just remember-it takes about 10 hours for the glue to cure,BUT you must be careful to put only a bit `cause it expands while curing.