Not Baby Moons but small center incerts
02-15-2014, 10:58 PM
#1
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Join Date: 05-28-2008
Location: Schenectady New York
Posts: 43
Not Baby Moons but small center incerts
I originally posted this on September 2009 so the raw hubcap will probably not be available but the principal is the same … I made these for my steel wheel which I use in the winter time. I started with a set of plastic hubcaps from Kmart. It really does not matter what hub cap you start with as long as there is enough center plastic to suit your needs and the molded in plastic lug nuts are 110 mm apart which is what the KMart ones are.
Once you have the hub caps the process just takes a lot of time. Oh a word of caution. If you do not have factory hub caps (i.e. you have factory chrome wheels) making these hub caps costs a little money in that, since I had the chrome wheels I had to buy factory hub caps to get the removable plastic lug nuts and also buy double threaded lug nuts. Ok back to the hub caps.... there is a picture in photobucket album which shows the full size hub cap with the tape on it which is the first step. Here is the picture
I made a template (from a file folder but cardboard would work) which I placed on the taped area and traced a circle equal to the size of the hub cap you want to end up with. Obviously it has to be centered so the lug nuts wind up in the proper location. Basically I kept all of the usable center and just removed the spokes. Then taking a dremel tool with a cutting wheel I cut about a half inch from the line all the way around leaving more plastic then necessary. Then using the sand paper drummed fitting I worked my way into the line by going around and around closing in on the line. Since it was plastic the heat makes it a combination sanding/melting to the proper circumference. The plastic breaks away nicely where it has been heated and bunches up into clunkers. It is an effort of trimming and checking and trimming some more.
Once the hub caps are cut down to size then I took a drill bit and drilled out the plastic lug nuts which are molded into the KMart one. Then taking the drummed fitting on the dremmel tool I again worked my way around the hole making it bigger until just a little of the plastic dimple remains. You have to keep checking the hole with the plastic lug nuts from the factory hub cap until they slid into the hole but you cant take to much away as there would be no lip to hold the hub caps on when you tightened them down onto the double treaded lug nuts. Hope this is clear.
Good luck its time consuming - labor of love, but it is worth it.
John
Once you have the hub caps the process just takes a lot of time. Oh a word of caution. If you do not have factory hub caps (i.e. you have factory chrome wheels) making these hub caps costs a little money in that, since I had the chrome wheels I had to buy factory hub caps to get the removable plastic lug nuts and also buy double threaded lug nuts. Ok back to the hub caps.... there is a picture in photobucket album which shows the full size hub cap with the tape on it which is the first step. Here is the picture
I made a template (from a file folder but cardboard would work) which I placed on the taped area and traced a circle equal to the size of the hub cap you want to end up with. Obviously it has to be centered so the lug nuts wind up in the proper location. Basically I kept all of the usable center and just removed the spokes. Then taking a dremel tool with a cutting wheel I cut about a half inch from the line all the way around leaving more plastic then necessary. Then using the sand paper drummed fitting I worked my way into the line by going around and around closing in on the line. Since it was plastic the heat makes it a combination sanding/melting to the proper circumference. The plastic breaks away nicely where it has been heated and bunches up into clunkers. It is an effort of trimming and checking and trimming some more.
Once the hub caps are cut down to size then I took a drill bit and drilled out the plastic lug nuts which are molded into the KMart one. Then taking the drummed fitting on the dremmel tool I again worked my way around the hole making it bigger until just a little of the plastic dimple remains. You have to keep checking the hole with the plastic lug nuts from the factory hub cap until they slid into the hole but you cant take to much away as there would be no lip to hold the hub caps on when you tightened them down onto the double treaded lug nuts. Hope this is clear.
Good luck its time consuming - labor of love, but it is worth it.
John
06-15-2014, 07:26 AM
#4
Join Date: 05-13-2014
Location: Newport Rhode Island
Posts: 5
I don't mean to hijack this thread, but does anyone know of an option similar to what the OP did, but without having to mod a set of hubcaps?
What i am rocking on my 09 is the 16" factory black stars, with chrome beauty rings and the lug covers (painted black) from the factory hubcaps. What i want is something to cover the centers like a cap, i have seen some on ebay but from what i read on here the lug pattern isn't too common to other chevys? I guess i could paint the dirty/rusty centers but would love To somehow pretty it up?
Thanks
What i am rocking on my 09 is the 16" factory black stars, with chrome beauty rings and the lug covers (painted black) from the factory hubcaps. What i want is something to cover the centers like a cap, i have seen some on ebay but from what i read on here the lug pattern isn't too common to other chevys? I guess i could paint the dirty/rusty centers but would love To somehow pretty it up?
Thanks
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