How do you keep wheel covers from flying off!

[Jim S]

In the last 50 years I have owned several Studebakers.  Besides leaking, they have one thing in common. The wheel covers won't stay on the wheels.  Today my Avanti threw a cover on the freeway and I watched it get squashed by a truck behind me.  I have modern 6" wheels to accomadate radial tires. I even bent out the tabs on the covers to keep them good and snug on the wheels.  But the flexing of the front wheels and tires seems to still push them off.  Has anyone found a good way to keep them from coming off?

[mfg]

4 hours ago, Jim S said:

In the last 50 years I have owned several Studebakers.  Besides leaking, they have one thing in common. The wheel covers won't stay on the wheels.  Today my Avanti threw a cover on the freeway and I watched it get squashed by a truck behind me.  I have modern 6" wheels to accomadate radial tires. I even bent out the tabs on the covers to keep them good and snug on the wheels.  But the flexing of the front wheels and tires seems to still push them off.  Has anyone found a good way to keep them from coming off?

Try a dab of silicone caulking on every fourth tab and slam the covers on… Don’t drive car for several hours until silicone sets up….

This has worked for me for years… Wheel covers still can be removed when necessary… then just pull off old silicone residue and re apply.

 

[Jim S]

11 hours ago, mfg said:

Try a dab of silicone caulking on every fourth tab and slam the covers on… Don’t drive car for several hours until silicone sets up….

This has worked for me for years… Wheel covers still can be removed when necessary… then just pull off old silicone residue and re apply.

 

Thank-you!  I actually did that years ago on a Hawk I had. But I sold it shortly after and never knew how long they would stick on. So I thought I would get a second opinion before I tried it again. 

[jccatwb]

Probably no fix since wheel covers and wheels aren't made for one another. I have never lost a wheel cover in 60 years of Studebaker driving. But I have no brand X  wheels or repo wheel covers. My daughter has a 66 Mustang and the reproduction wheel covers kept flying off in the road ditch requiring stopping and retrieval. Finally She got mag type (correct accessory) wheels. I do believe the Chinese repo wheel covers are at fault; Val's were Taiwanese. 

[mfg]

2 hours ago, jccatwb said:

Probably no fix since wheel covers and wheels aren't made for one another. I have never lost a wheel cover in 60 years of Studebaker driving. But I have no brand X  wheels or repo wheel covers. My daughter has a 66 Mustang and the reproduction wheel covers kept flying off in the road ditch requiring stopping and retrieval. Finally She got mag type (correct accessory) wheels. I do believe the Chinese repo wheel covers are at fault; Val's were Taiwanese. 

Factory wheel covers can still become frisbees…. (don’t ask how I know!!)