Hubcap repair

[Young Ed]

I had one P15 hubcap with lots of dents and a solid back. The other had a very decent chrome skin with only 1 scratch and a couple dings but a very rusted back. Today I got them both taken apart. Now I need to try and smooth the dents out of the good back. I have most of the small dings knocked out of the good skin. Need to find something the right shape to try the one ding by the ship emblem.

 

To get them apart I took a smaller screw driver to gently pry the side. Once I got it started I just pulled the blade towards me until I had gone all the way around. Then I went to a little bigger blade and did it again. Third run with an even slightly bigger screwdriver and the skin came off.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 25, 2013 by Young Ed

[41/53dodges]

Have any more pics of the process and maybe a completed product? I've been wanting to do this to my truck caps, but never really thought about this way

[Young Ed]

Have any more pics of the process and maybe a completed product? I've been wanting to do this to my truck caps, but never really thought about this way

 

Not yet this is as far as I've gotten! I'm not sure that I will be able to get that lumpy one back to a smooth enough surface to support the skin. I may need to look through my collection for another donor cap.

[pflaming]

I would guess the skins are pressed on so that the edge is super tight. How do you plan to get it back on that tight or are you going to puse some sort of glue?

[Young Ed]

I would guess the skins are pressed on so that the edge is super tight. How do you plan to get it back on that tight or are you going to puse some sort of glue?

 

I'm going to recess the cap and add a ball bearing so the skin is always upright!

[BobT-47P15]

t think ed s talking in some foreign language here........or it might be risque

[BHondle'40]

Ed, I am in the process of doing precisely what your thread had depicted, to one (and perhaps two) of my hubcaps for my '40 P-9.  I successfully removed the skin in the manner that you described, although it was not easy for me.  However, my dents were fairly substantial - to the point that the skin was broken through in several places.  But, now I am thinking that I may have made an error and that is why I am resurrecting this thread.  First, I soldered the torn skin, but the solder did not flow properly (it simply "balled up" and rolled off).  I sanded through the chrome plating to the brass-looking surface below that, thinking that this was the reason the solder failed to stick.  But that didn't really seem to help the situation.  So I used some soldering rod that I purchased from Muggy Weld that is used for pot metal repair.  That seems to have held adequately.  But, now my concern is that the plating may not adhere to the repairs spot.  Did you need to repair yours (other than tap-out the dents)?  If so, what did you use?

 

Last, how did you affix the skin back on to the backing.  I realize the question was asked but you replied with a funny.  So I was hopeful that you could apprise me as to how the installation of the skin back on to the cap went.  It appears that your edges on the skin after your removal were very uniform, but mine are not (as I mentioned, it was not easy for me to get the skin off and I occasionally mucked-up the edge).  Did you merely gently tap the edges of the skin back down over the edge of the cap?  Did you use some sort of adhesive as a precautionary measure as one gentlemen asked?

 

I truly thank you in advance for your anticipated courtesy. 

 

Bruce

Edited May 16, 2022 by BHondle'40