Wheels / Tires: How do I keep wheel covers from spinning on wheels with radial tires

[alanmende]

Hi everybody,

I have the recurring problem of spinning wheel covers on the front of our '54 Commander Starliner. I have late model wheels (from Bob Helm) with radials mounted on them. I have tried (repeatedly) using silicone seal to keep the wheel covers from spinning, but when I arrived at the Strausstown (PA) car show today, the right front wheel cover had bent the valve stem almost flat. Does anybody have a different solution to this problem?

[thunderations]

Steel valve stems might stop the rotation.

[SN-60]

I agree, if the silicone trick doesn't work, steel valve stems may be the way to go.

[TWChamp]

I only have hubcaps on my 1950, but the previous owner did install steel valve stems when he installed the radials.

[64V-K7]

On my 55 President, I used to keep a tube of Marine grade "Goop" in the trunk. 4 dots around the circumference of the wheel, then press the hubcap on. They never moved again..

[JoeHall]

Steel valve stems are the only lasting solution I have found.

[bensherb]

This is not an uncommon problem. Many manufacturers solved the problem by welding a small piece of metal to the rim so the cover fingers would run into it and stop the rotation. On my Crown Vic wheels I used JB Weld to glue a small (1/8" thick x 1/4"wide x 5/8" long) piece of aluminum to the rim, 3/4" from the center of the valve stem. It stopped mine from rotating.

[56GH]

Hi everybody,

I have the recurring problem of spinning wheel covers on the front of our '54 Commander Starliner. I have late model wheels (from Bob Helm) with radials mounted on them. I have tried (repeatedly) using silicone seal to keep the wheel covers from spinning, but when I arrived at the Strausstown (PA) car show today, the right front wheel cover had bent the valve stem almost flat. Does anybody have a different solution to this problem?

See posting #8, http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...e-1962-GT-Hawk

[karterfred88]

Many ways to "slow down" the process, many forum discussions in the past. Due to our poor "finder" they are hard to come up with. I have seen some very clever ways of holding onto the covers, including adding tie wraps from inside the wheel to hold onto them. If you're main concern is not cutting your valve stems, the metal ones seem to be your best bet. If you are also worried about losing one, you'll need to get creative. Although some bottom line cars still use "wheel covers", most are now plastic and retained by fancy lug nut covers so they don't have to deal with the natural spinning forces and flexing of the wheels independent of each other. Best solution is a set of very expensive aluminum wheels

[studegary]

For many years, I used chrome plated metal valve stems on my 1953 Commander Starliner. This eliminates wheelcover rotation and the chrome stems look better with the stainless wheelcovers than black rubber stems do.

[rstrasser]

When I had the new Ford type wheels installed on my Avanti. I asked for the steel stems as I had on the original wheels and was told they only have the steel stems for the larger hole. The new wheel had a smaller hole for the tire valve. Are smaller in diameter steel stems available.
Ron

[53commander]

This is not an uncommon problem. Many manufacturers solved the problem by welding a small piece of metal to the rim so the cover fingers would run into it and stop the rotation. On my Crown Vic wheels I used JB Weld to glue a small (1/8" thick x 1/4"wide x 5/8" long) piece of aluminum to the rim, 3/4" from the center of the valve stem. It stopped mine from rotating.

That sounds like a good trick. I wonder since Alan already has rubber stems if simply applying a stick on wheel weight in the spot mentioned would work?

[56GH]

When I had the new Ford type wheels installed on my Avanti. I asked for the steel stems as I had on the original wheels and was told they only have the steel stems for the larger hole. The new wheel had a smaller hole for the tire valve. Are smaller in diameter steel stems available.
Ron

I don't know what size you need, but the NAPA 90-416 Tubeless Clamp-in Tire Valves come with seals to fit 0.453" and 0.625" diameter holes.


I've got these installed on my 1962 GT Hawk with used 6-½" wide FoMoCo rims and 215R/75-15 radials.

[rstrasser]

56GH
Thanks; that is what I was looking for.
Ron

[Hawklover]

The wheel covers on my Mopar wheeled '64 Avanti would walk around the rim and cut into the rubber valve............I installed nickle plated steel valves p/n TR 416L. Purchasd from Island Rubber on Long Island.

End of wheel cover walk!