Saturday, May 5, 2012

Wheel Covers

Little things can make a big difference. In the case of wheel covers, maybe this is a practical demonstration of The Pareto Principle

I bought a set of stainless steel covers (AKA "hubcaps") at The Wheel Pros for $250.95, including GST.  Here is a picture with the old covers on top, and the shiny new ones on the bottom.


On my rims, the lug nuts have to fit inside the lug caps on the  wheel cover. It is a tight fit and if they aren't centred correctly, you can damage the lug caps.  You can't see the lugs under the wheel cover, so it is easy to be off-centre.  

The lug is off centre.
One method is to remove one lug cover so that you can make sure everything is centred as you install the wheel cover (as in the picture below).  Notice I am using a rubber mallet so I don't damage the wheel cover.
Hammer the cover onto the rim with a rubber mallet.
The problem with that approach is that the lug covers may become loose if you repeatedly remove and replace them.

Here is a better method I'll try next time, but it will require a little more care.  Look for the valve through one of the holes around the outside of the wheel cover. When the lugs are properly centred, the valve will also be centred in the hole.  Keep the valve lined up as you hammer the cover into place
Valve is centred in the hole. 

Before
After
Post Script: 
Before you install hubcaps on your truck or motorhome, you might want to read a more recent post as a bit of a cautionary tale (click here).

3 comments:

Bob said...

Nice improvement. Our RV never got to the age where it needed anything more than cleaning and then a wax job on the outside.
Inside was a different story though. Forest River weren't (and possibly still aren't) known for their "high end quality" in the cabinetry department. (won't be buying another). I eventually removed all of the drawers in the vehicle and built new ones. Made with machined dovetails from half inch clear pine. Threw their crap away. If I thought I had the time and ambition, I'd just build an RV from scratch, but that tends to get in the way of a whole heap of other stuff, like taking it on the road.
We've browsed a few on line, but time will still tell what we might end up with.
You look like you're certainly enjoying yours.
I enjoyed the post. Thanks.

Dean Jarvey said...

Thanks Bob. I like taking care of things, but there is always so much more to care for than there is time to manage. Without knowing much about motorhomes at the time, I lucked out on one with great quality. If/when I buy again, I've learned what to look for. Good luck with your browsing.

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