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I wasn't too happy with the way my front drum skins looked. The centers stuck out too far and just looked cheap.

Wheel center 3Since getting some nice aluminum hubs aren't in the cards for me I thought I'd try something to make them look better. Most people paint the end to look like a hub bearing cap. I wanted to take it a step further, and this is the outcome.

Wheel center 1Wheel center 2Wheel center 4

I might try painting the centers at some point, but I'm going to run it like this for awhile. Now if I could only fill in those pesky hub cap clip holes......

I might even remove the powder coating and get the wheels brushed. Who knows.

This mod was the cheapest way of making them look less cheap.

BTW, who makes a better wheel stud? I had to run a die to clean up the threads on all the studs that I got with my 190s, and they're still rough and they corrode easily.

CG

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Images (4)
  • Wheel center 3
  • Wheel center 1
  • Wheel center 2
  • Wheel center 4
Last edited by Carlos G
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Do you want them to look black or silver.   I heard of metal bluing and I also think you could use a rust converter like Evapo rust.  Which I have used and it converts rust fairly well.  

Or Nutz ( or liquid film) wool fat, Lanolin based 

I don't know of anyrthing that keeps them perfect...but you can keep trying to keep them going every winter....  just saying. 

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Images (1)
  • mceclip0

Bob,

I jacked up the front end until a wheel would turn freely. I then used my Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel and while holding the Dremel very steadily, I cut on the dotted line while turning the wheel round and round until I had cut through.

Wheel center 6 I then removed the wheel and drum skin and sanded the cut smooth. I didn't remove any material other than what the cutoff wheel took off during the cut. 

Wheel center 7

I then wrapped the edge of the part that I had cut off with electrical tape and then slit some foam tubing that I had and fit it on the edge over the tape. I originally used some Goop to secure it, but that made a mess so I used some crazy glue. That little foam block was put inside this new cap and placed onto the hub bearing cap. I held it in place with a finger as I slide the drum skin back on and then the wheel. The cap can be adjusted to center it after the wheel is bolted back on. I left it like this for now. I might attach it in a more permanent manner later. Or not.

Wheel center 8

This is what it looks like without that foam block pushing it against the drum skin. Maybe I can make another cut farther down the cone to further stream line this idea.

Wheel center 5

All it takes is time.

  

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Images (4)
  • Wheel center 6
  • Wheel center 7
  • Wheel center 8
  • Wheel center 5

I took a different approach.  Like Carlos, I wasn't happy with the look but in a different way.  I thought the skins with the fully covered center were for the front and the 2 with the hole in the center were for the rear.  I also thought the castle nut sticking out looked hokey, so I used what I thought was for the fronts to the rear.  For the fronts I found some aluminum fence post caps, widened the center holes and the result are in the pictures.

P1050510    P1050511 P1050512

The 2 rear skins still have the center sticking out. I don't have Carlos' cutting skills.  I liked keeping the front dust caps & rear castle nuts covered.

 

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Images (3)
  • P1050510: front with fence post cap
  • P1050511: rear with center unchanged
  • P1050512: fence post cap
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