I've been noticing that one of my front hubcaps has been backing off slightly. I tap it back on and it's good for a while. But lately I'm noticing that I have to tap it back on more often.

I took it off today, thinking that I might need a new one. The part number on the inside is IC34-IA096-AB. It's on my 2003 Ford F250 4x4.

I pulled the opposite cover and tried it on the side I'm having trouble with and noticed the same thing. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the chrome plated trim piece that covers the steel rim has tabs that should be flat to the rim. I'm referring to the area where the trim piece ends, near the lug nuts. On the one that I'm not having trouble with, it's flush/flat all around. But on the one I'm having trouble with, some of the ends are not flush to the rim. That is why the hubcap is not seating in those areas. I can see the gap and I can also push down on that section. It's almost as if that trim piece is separating from the rim? I tried using a punch and giving it a couple of whacks with a hammer, but it doesn't press it back to being flush with the rim.

Why would the end of that trim piece that covers the whole wheel lift up on the ends? Is there a way to get it to sit flat?

 

I'm looking at this again today and wondering if there is something that should be holding that rim skin down? I don't know why that rim skin is lifting up on the ends, near to where the lug nuts are. Any thoughts?

 

Any pictures?

 

Yes:








In the first picture, you can see that the rim skin is flush with the rim. But in the second picture, it's raised up quite a bit.

It almost seems as though there should be something holding the rim strip down, either a ring under the lug nuts or a washer on each lug nut, I don't know.

Ignore the silicone around the lug nuts, I originally thought that the hub cap might have had a few cracked sections where it attaches, thinking that silicone would hold it on. That's when I noticed some of those sections of the rim strip were not flush with the rim.

 

Any ideas guys? I want to put the cap back on, but with those few tabs not sitting flush, it will only come off in time. How can I get those tabs to sit flush?

 

I never changed the lug nuts, but it almost appears as though there should be a ring holding down those tabs on the rim skin?

If not, how can I get them to sit flush and stay? I want to put this hub cap back on, but if I can't get the tabs to sit flush, it's going to come off. The tabs move with my finger, but immediately lift back up a bit when I let go. I tried using a punch and hammer to move them, but it does nothing.

 

I can't believe no one knows what needs to be done.

 

Me too, I think the post just slips away after a few days.

Any thoughts guys? I want to be able to put the hub cap back on, but I can't with some of the tabs not being flush. Somebody has had to see something like this before?

 

Maybe a call or visit to a Ford Truck dealer is in your future?

 

Cut the tabs back

 

Didn't think about that.

If I did cut the tabs back, what are the chances that the rim skin could further lift, causing it to get looser further up? Anybody ever see one of these rim skins come off? What holds them on from the factory?

Any ideas of how to cut them effectively?

Any other ideas?

 

They are glued to the wheel.

You could use an oscillating multi tool.

 

Has anybody else ever seen this? Any other suggestions?

I'd rather not cut anything, my concern is that it will lift at the cut point and just get worse.

 

I took these pictures from our shop truck at work. If your hub cap isn't staying on its because the cap itself, probably not the wheel. They snap in tight.

 

Thanks Chris.

I tried the opposite front hubcap and it did the same thing on the wheel in question. When I put that hub cap back on the other front wheel, it fits fine.

I did not try the hub cap in question on the other side. I'll try that tomorrow.

But from what I can tell, a few of the tabs on the rim skin are raised up enough to keep it from locking.

Chris, are all of the tabs on the rim skin, where it meets the rim by the lug nuts, flush or are any of them raised? They all look flush to the rim, as they should be.