New member- I need some help with my hubcaps! November 05, 2005, 06:47:13 PM Hi. I just signed up, for I have now started driving my first Fox-body Cougar! I have 3 Mark VII LSCs, and 2 Mustangs, and I frequent those sites, but I am glad to now have an 'official' reason to be on this board! Anyway, I just bought an 88' Cougar LS. I am spending the weekend getting it roadworthy, and cleaning it is obviously part of that. The 14" wire-spoke hubcaps are nasty with brake-dust and road grime. I see that the 2 layers of spokes are attached with a kind of melted rivet kinda thing. Does anybody know how I can put them back together after I have taken them apart for cleaning? Geez, why couldn't they just be screwed together, like the wires on my 79 Mk V?Thanks to anyone who may be able to help me,Kit Quote Selected
New member- I need some help with my hubcaps! Reply #1 – November 05, 2005, 08:31:00 PM sometimes an acidic wheel cleaner and a small brush will get into those tuff to reach areas Quote Selected
New member- I need some help with my hubcaps! Reply #2 – November 05, 2005, 09:11:59 PM Yeah, I have some really strong industrial wheel acid (can't get it retail!), but these puppy's are black from brake dust and abuse! I went ahead and bit the bullet: I popped all the rivets from the back of one of them and took it apart. Even with the layers seperate, it is extremely difficult to get all the nooks and crannies clean. I'll figure something out...I always do. Quote Selected
New member- I need some help with my hubcaps! Reply #3 – November 05, 2005, 09:28:09 PM I see you've made your way over here from LoL.Never have had to pop the rivets on those hubcaps, and I have eight of them sitting out front. As was said.. a good acidic wire wheel cleaner and a good brush and some elbow grease takes care of business just fine. You might have to do two or three runs the first time around, but it's probably easier than trying to reassemble something that wasn't meant to be disassembled in the first place.As for your problem, since it seems you went ahead and did it anyway: Sounds like you're going to have to bolt or rivet them all back together. Maybe some QuikSteel or JB Weld if nothing else works. Hey, I'm sure there are a few people here who have rid themselves of those hubcaps.. you might be able to buy from them and just stick the Cougar center caps on them.A little suggestion while you have those wheels off to monkey around with them: A cheap can of gloss black does wonders for the appearance of those hubcaps, when you give the wheels behind them a little touch-up. I picked the Dupli-Color 500 degree gloss black, and it made a noticeable difference in the clean look of the wheels when all was said and done. No prep work was done, nothing. Just carefully sprayed them down. Quote Selected
New member- I need some help with my hubcaps! Reply #4 – November 06, 2005, 01:03:55 PM Yep! I drilled tiny holes in the tops of the broken-off stude and used small self-tappers to reattach everything. Worked perfectly! Funny you metioned it: I removed all 4 wheels and cleaned the tires and rims on both sides. Shot the wheels with some fresh gloss black(like you said!), put them all back on. I put the two clean and shiny hubcaps on one side...looks great! I will leave the other two off until I get them clean and reassembled. It's coming along! Quote Selected
New member- I need some help with my hubcaps! Reply #5 – November 07, 2005, 09:01:11 AM PICS!!!! hehe. we are pic addicts around here... some come quick with em! Quote Selected
New member- I need some help with my hubcaps! Reply #6 – November 07, 2005, 10:31:03 AM Yeah, I gotta get a digi-camera soon. Quote Selected
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