I've been looking into hubcap design myself lately. Right now I have "pizza pan" wheel covers on my truck. The look alright (painted/clear coated mine with brake caliper paint), but they make a racket whenever I hit a pothole.
I have mine attatched via 1 hole directly in the middle of the pan, and a drilled and tapped center cap. Some silicone around the bead has quited them down, but I'm not sure they are a permenant solution.
When I get moved next month and I have the shop set up I'm going to look into making a nicer, sturdier, and better attatched set up. Most commercial sets have a "ring" around the inside that holds the hubcap to the wheel. I'd like to emulate this by cutting grooved "ring holder" (super technical, I know lol) out of ABS plastic, and pop rivit them to a formed hubcap face. I would think 4 points of contact 90* from eachother would be easier then what the commercial guys use (12 or so contact points).
I guess I'll see if I ever get them done...pbly not since the pizza pans are working right now.
It would be awesome if I could save all the effort and just buy commercial plastic caps that are smooth! You would think some manufacturer somewhere would read one of these posts and set up shop for them. I'd be willing to pay $30-$35 for el-cheapo plastic caps, hell, I'd probably buy 2-3 sets since it would save me the effort of making my own.
Please hear our cries oh mighty hubcap manufacturers! We need you to help out us lowly ecomodders and our lack of mass production ability! Amen
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