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Bugeye wire wheel dust caps

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59_SebringSprite

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I've recently had the front end rebuilt on my 59 Bugeye with wire wheel hubs. A few questions this novice would appreciate help with. I purchased new dust caps but they are smaller diameter than the ID of the hub. Is this common? Do we need to flare the rim of the dust cap somehow? If yes, what is best way to flare the rim? Once the diameter issue is resolved, how do you seat them properly? Just push them in until they stop?

Any and all comments, guidance, wisdom appreciated.
 
Which 'dust cap' did you order? The standard bugeye dust cap is for a regular car. Since you have wire wheels from a latter spridget, you need to order a dust cap for a wire wheel car. The two dust caps are not interchangable.
 
You don't have an original Sebring Sprite? Nah, can't be. The original Sebring hubs were Girling not Lockheed.
The wire wheel dust cap fits deep inside the hub and has threaded post in the middle of it to facilitate removal.

Kurt.
 
The dust caps with the 5/16" stud in them get tight farther in as there's a taper inside the hub.

Peter C
 
PeterC said:
The dust caps with the 5/16" stud in them get tight farther in as there's a taper inside the hub.

Peter C
Click to expand...


Thanks Peter. I need to revisit these. Moss basically told me the same thing. I just don't feel like the caps ever want to seat. The "sloppiness" you feel at the outer part of the hub never really goes away as you slide the caps in. Now, having said that, the wire wheel conversion was done by the original owner back in 1974. So, I'll upgrade hubs and all next winter when we totally tear the old girl apart. I bought the Sprite last August from a gentleman who had stored it for 10 years. Needless to say, we had to replace everything rubber on the car and I went ahead and had my mechanic rebuild the entire front end as well. Last piece . . . the dust caps. Just trying to get a fair amount of miles on her this season to check all the mechanicals and make a list for the restore.
 
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