Walt Fogle wrote:
I recently acquired a nice set of rostyle hubcaps for my 1969 TR6. My
owner's manual shows a "L" shaped tool that's used for poping the hubcaps
off the wheel when you want to remove them. Does anyone know of a suitable
substitute tool or something that can be fashioned out of a chunk of metal?
I'll only use the hubcaps for an occasional car show and photo op.
Walt - there's no need to re-fashion the tool. You can use a long bladed
screwdriver just as effectively - and you've probably got one already? Poke
the shaft horizontally through one of the elongated slots on the cover so
the flat of the tip is resting on the wheel centre disc and rim. Push it in
a good distance so you get reasonable leverage. Then pull the screwdriver
handle gently outwards. The caps are (were) little more than a friction fit,
so will come off easily without (a) damaging the lip on the cover or harming
the paint/powdercoat on the wheel itself from the screwdriver blade.
Okay, so you only plan to fit them when the car is on display? Be aware the
one thing that ensured these covers were only fitted to TR5/250 and very
early TR6's is because the damned things rattled so much. Drives you mad!
You can overcome this by sticking about six short pieces of 1/2 inch O/D
rubber hose about 1 inch long to the inside rim edge of the cover so that it
forms a cushion between the wheel rim and the cover. Ensure you use a really
good adhesive. This will be enough to:
*Stop the rattles
*Not overcome the friction fit of the cover on the wheel, and
*Ensure the rubbers aren't seen when the car is on display.
My two cars both have this type of cover and before I fitted the 'buffers' I
was seriously thinking of fitting Stag wheels to both. As you'll surely
discover, a foot or two of rubber hose is a lot cheaper than ten Stag
alloys! Originality of appearance is assured by still retaining the covers,
though that's not a key issue for me. If you need to repaint the black
portions, use Satin Black - NOT gloss.
Good luck, Jonmac
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