Repop Centercaps
 

What is the quality of the repop centercaps versus original GM? Are the repop red PMD center medallions correct vs original (color, detail)?

Also, in PYs Firebird catalog, page 102, it lists the repop centercaps and says quote: "PMD CAPS CAN NOT BE USED WITH 15" RALLY II WHEELS". Anyone know what is up with that? Does that also apply to JW, KN, KR wheels with the 14" centers?

Any help appreciated, thanks....

The one's I've seen look nice. Never took an original and held them side by side though...I've lost so many of those from theft over the years I cannot even keep count..One night all four..."twist and run"..

It may have to do with the clearance between the dust cap on disc brakes and the repops that have the plate and stud on the back. Quality is actually quit comparable.

Yep, that's where I had trouble. I had to smash in the dust cap and hammer in the center of the flat washer that mounts the center cap to the wheel in order to get it to fit.

Same here. I just switched back to the factory style with clips for this very reason.

Were these center caps that you switched back to NOS or a different repro that have clips as opposed to the washer mount?

You can use the repros with the factory clips. That is what I did in the front of my car.

As Jeff said (3tas4me), I used the new repros that originally had the studs, but replaced that part with some original clip plates off of some original caps.

I just ran into this problem as well. Bought a set of the "center cap locks" (which are the same mounting system that come with the repro center caps when you buy them), and they sure don't look like there's a way to get them to clear the dust caps. I pulled the dust cap, held the wheel in place, and pushed the center cap (without the rear retainer plate) onto the wheel, and the stud on the cap goes all the way to the spindle. So I don't see that even flattening the cap and deforming the cap mounting plate could create sufficient clearance.

That's a bummer. Looks like it's back to the factory retaining clips for the front wheels....

I too recently ran into the same thing. in giving it a quick glance, I thought about taking a hole-saw and drilling out the center (of the mounting plate) to clear the dust caps up front??? I'd prefer to do any mods on the cap side, rather than destroy or otherwise modify the factory original dust caps in order to make them work....:smash:

A video on this years ago. Not sure if this applies to your vintage firebird or not but it worked great on mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shAkEOxtNfU[/url]

Here is the link working..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shAkEOxtNfU
I have done this Mod or similar to 16 Rally Wheel center caps now. I use different screws and washers and there isn't much clearance, but they do work. Have had to do a tiny amount of clearance work on the wheels for the tiny screws in some cases, Never seen. Balance was good on a "LugCentric" balancing too.

Can't damage thoae factory dust covers.

You could always stash away your factory dust caps and buy some reproductions. I've held these up next to NOS ones and they are correct shape and no wording on the top.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-1982-Co...p2047675.l2557

Chad

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Only mod is a tiny round file to a couple of the "slotted" area of the wheels for screw clearance, and a very small amount, never visible when done. Nothing to caps.
You can leave the caps on to balance if you get a Lug-Centric Balancing like should be used with the rubber cone Honeycombs.

Interesting video. This is the same general idea that came to me after an hour or so in the garage staring at the parts and thinking, but I haven't done anything yet because it seems like a fair amount of work and fiddling to get everything to work (at least for the first one... then the other should go quicker).

One thing that's key is the lowest possible profile dust cap. The ones on mine right now are big fat things that won't allow enough clearance for this mod. It looks like the Dorman aftermarket dust cap at my local discount auto parts store has a smaller dome which will help.

It would be nice if whoever is making these repro center cap retainer kits would make something that actually fits on all four wheels. The catalog supplier I got mine from made no mention that they wouldn't work on the fronts. Is this problem unique to the '70 - '72 Rally wheels somehow, or same issue with any Rally II and front disc brakes?

Just an update. I made the changes to the center cap retainers to get them to work on the front hubs.
I used a 1.5" hole saw to drill out both plates. While it's only necessary on the plate that goes on the back side of the wheel, I figured the weight reduction would minimize the loads on the screws. The 1.5" hole saw left the hole ever so slightly small, and I ended up doing a bit of filing to get clearance. 1-5/8" might work better.

Some pics below that show how it turned out.
Pic 1: The difference in dust caps; the one on the left is what my car had on it (very big, and would never have enabled the retainer mods to work), and the cap on the right is what I switched to
Pic 2: Close up of the dust caps I used - available at any discount auto chain (at least the ones around me)
Pic 3: The center cap retainer plates before and after the modifications
Pic 4: Outer plate mounted to the cap
Pic 5: Cap mounted to the wheel

There's not a whole lot of margin for where to place the three new screw holes... too far inboard and they don't clear the dust cap, too far outboard and it's very hard to get the nuts on them. The sweet spot is about halfway between the inner and outer edge of the retaining rings, after I cut the hole.

Beautiful work, so simple, after the work at least!

[QUOTE=keith k;5762880]Just an update. I made the changes to the center cap retainers to get them to work on the front hubs.

Looks to be exactly what was done in the video, even down the the 1 5/8 hole saw recomendation. Damn that oldsmob455 puts out some good stuff.

Have to ask...why not just use stock?

I have been using my stock ones for years and no problems?