Anyone have the problem of your center wheel caps falling off? I had two fall off while ive been driving and was lucky enough to hear them fall off and find them in the ditch. I made sure that they were on tight enough but yet they still come off. Any suggestions on how to keep them on????

 

Try bending in the tabs that hold them on to the lugs. How easily do they come off? Can you pull them loose or do you need to pry them off? You should have to pry them off if the clips are holding tight enough.

 

On our old 86', I had to wrap a strip of duct tape around the edge of the cap. They never fell off again.....and the tape couldn't be seen. Bending the edges slightly should work as well.

 

What trim level is your truck, and do you have steel or aluminum rims? Stock or aftermarket?

Fronts or rears comin' off?

Pop

 

well they come off pretty easliy doesnt take much to take them off by hand.. I also have the stock rims on my truck and both front and rear comes off... Its only two tires that the center caps come off of. I will have to try the duct tape technique and see if that works.

 

That's just your truck telling you that it want's to go off-road.

 

Do I understand you to say you have stock rims and it's the stock caps that keep coming off? My duct tape fix will only work on caps for aftermarket rims. These caps are inserted from the back of the rim.

If you're talking about the stock caps that "grab"onto the stock lug nuts, then the only thing I can think of is the inside of the cap at each lug, the plastic is worn out from removal & reinstallation. Are you sure they're completely on by using a plastic mallet?

Maybe someone else will have a solution. I don't have a good fix except perhaps "rebending" the plastic "grabbers" inside the stock caps.

 

yea im sure that they are completley on.. I even bought a new/used one from ebay im lost suggestions mite just have to by OEM new ones.

 

Are your lug nuts worn down or not factory? I'm pulling at straws now.

 

it very well cud be that my lug nuts are worn... Ive done alot of pulling of my tires off due to always having brake problems. Can i order new lug nuts?

 

I have a 1999 6 cyl F150 and I lost one a while back as well. I replaced it with a factory one. I just lost another one as well. I've done the whole bending-the-tabs thing but that seems only temporary. I'm not sure of the bending-tab method either since these clips are mounted in plastic collars. One of the plastic collars of this most recent one I lost was cracked...Probably due to the bending-tab technique employed frequently due to numerous brake issues. The strange thing was I took a rubber mallet to that one and it really stuck on. I didn't think I had anything to worry about...

I will check the lug nuts to see if they are worn. Maybe that will fix the problem.

Are there aftermarket ones that work/designed better?

Come on Ford, these center hubs whether you like it or not need to be removed from time to time and should not be made for limited handling...Especially at $35 or more (crappy plastic at that) for each!

 

try wraping some of that anti skid tape on the lugs or inside the cap lug holes, then tap the covers back on, that should do the trick

 

Those black plastic cap or chrome cap that cover lugs?

They were BUGGER to remove on mine they ever had over 200K miles of many times removal it still tight that I need use 2 pry bar to pull cap off.

If it those whirl hubcap then metal tab bent from incorrect install.


Can you post pictures of lug nuts it sound it aftermarket. Cap had clamp squeeze on lug's lip.

 

I had that problem on my e99 but they didn't go around the lug nuts. I replaced them all and haven't had the problem. New style are around the lug nuts. They have to be pryed off. Chet

 

I'm having the same problem with my 2004 Harley Davidson F250 Fairly expensive to replace. Heard & found the first one, have no idea on this last one.