I recently lost one of my front wheel covers (the chrome over plastic trim piece covering the 8 lugs, with the center hole for access to the hubs) on my 2003 F-250. Presumably, the wheel/rim flexed slightly, and it popped off. No big deal, I thought...off to eBay. Not so fast...the OEM replacement (thanks eBay) wouldn't seat. One side of the cover would snap in, but the other would not, even with persuasion from a plastic mallet. It simply pulled off by hand with little effort. It appeared that the rim was not allowing the little teeth on the cover to fully seat in the groove in the lugs. The only conclusion I could come up with is that the rim is somehow bent slightly. I jacked up that side and took the weight off the wheel. Same thing, no go. I switched the new cover with the other side and it fit fine, so it isn't the cover, it's the rim, or something wheel-specific.

For grins, I put a 9/16" (grade 8) washer underneath the lug nuts on the affected side as a spacer, torqued the lugs down, and the cover seated fine. My question is, does the use of flat washers underneath the lug nuts cause any issues? I'll eventually have the wheel looked at, but I'm wondering if I'm introducing any risk by running this way for a while. The truck seems to drive fine at speeds up to 70 so far, and I figured I'd watch the lug tightness. I do tow a travel trailer and boat often during the summer, so I'm cautious about doing something stupid. I know I could run without it, but I hate the look without it. I ditched the factory ESOF for Mile Marker manuals a long time ago, not that it's relevant here. Sorry for the long post. Any comments or help would be appreciated.

 

I wouldn't trust having a flat washer on there. Did you try the cover on another wheel to see if it's actually the wheel that is the culprit or if the new cover is out of spec?

ETA. just reread and see that you switched sides to verify that it isn't the cover. If it was me I'd get a new rim.

 

Are you using the same lug nuts on both sides?

 

The seats on both nut and wheel are which complete the hold tight...do not use washers in between the two. Lug nuts as many like to call them on modern vehicles simply does not apply...they are simply known as wheel nuts. Lugs were used to hold rims, not wheels fast to hubs and or spokes. Rims are just that, a rim without a dish attached.