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Posted by: Jeff Bowlsby Jan 17 2014, 11:38 AM

Original factory center caps...can these be restored to perfection? If so, who can do them? Post before/after photos of others you have done.


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Posted by: Jeff Bowlsby Jan 17 2014, 02:23 PM

I had thought I had seen an inside tooled steel piece, used for removal from the wheel, that when used with a hydraulic press could restore the flatness. The distortion is just on the outer surface due to tire monkeys beating on them.

I don't want to have to toss these, there must be a solution

Posted by: 76-914 Jan 17 2014, 02:48 PM

I don't think they can't be flat again. The metal has stretched. Hope I'm wrong but here is another thought. I can ask my neighbor if he can smooth them out. He has a dentless repair business that services most of the dealerships around here. LMK, Kent

Posted by: r_towle Jan 17 2014, 03:28 PM

hammer, dolly and a pick....

Use a wood dolly or dowel and tap with a flat head hammer or pick....from the back.

Cover the dolly with a rag so it wont scratch.

Rich

Posted by: 914_teener Jan 17 2014, 04:57 PM

Jeff,

The pick used with a dolly as Rich mentions will shrink the metal first. Once that is accomplished you may be able to flatten it with a press brake or hydraulic press with some sort of flattening die.

Once they are flat you may have to do some surface finishing and blending.

I wouldn't throw those out.

Posted by: 914_teener Jan 17 2014, 05:02 PM

Jeff,

PM me....I think I can do it.

Rob

Posted by: sixnotfour Jan 17 2014, 05:38 PM

I have a die set and have done a bunch... these were worse than yours
Rich D. has a set


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Posted by: Andyrew Jan 17 2014, 05:54 PM

They can be repaired with a little bit of heat and a good metal worker.

Are the OE's polished or chrome?

Posted by: sixnotfour Jan 17 2014, 09:17 PM

uh ya, they are more complicated than that, flat is stretched and the stamped ring has been pulled inwards..
If they were chrome it would be easy=hammer, rechrome.
They are stainless steel polished...have at it..

Posted by: jmalone Jan 18 2014, 02:10 PM

Nice repair sixnotfour, I agree that kind of result cannot be easy to achieve.

Posted by: 914_teener Jan 18 2014, 06:27 PM

QUOTE(sixnotfour @ Jan 17 2014, 07:17 PM)

Posted by: sixnotfour Jan 18 2014, 06:58 PM

Posted by: rdauenhauer Jan 19 2014, 01:22 AM

Yup they look *almost* as good as new.
Jeff save those since they are the old style with the wide lip.
You can still get new OE ones (same part #) but they are different.

Posted by: Johny Blackstain Jan 19 2014, 08:38 AM

Caps are made of stainless steel, polished & very delicate. They can be pounded back into shape, but must be babied like hell- no metal on metal contact @ all. Might even want to cover your wood blocks & hammers w/ thick tape & hammer through a rag or a towel. The metal is very easy to stretch & scratch. Also, when it comes to polishing these repaired caps, power tools will be required because you just can't get the speed needed to get these mirror glassy by hand.

Someone here on the forums was making billet aluminium replacements if I remember right & as far as I know OEM caps are NLA. Best way for removing the caps from the wheel is to pound from behind using a piece of pvc pipe that barely fits the wheel hole & a rubber mallet, making sure that cap has a place for a nice soft landing when it flies out.

These are what I consider failures in my repair learning process.


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Posted by: Jeff Bowlsby Jan 19 2014, 09:09 AM

I am sending mine to 6-not-4 to work his magic and make 'em purdy again!

Posted by: Johny Blackstain Jan 19 2014, 09:31 AM

Jeff, use this in the future & again make sure the cap has a soft landing zone
PVC pipe is so wide it barely fits the wheel hole & works on the lip of the cap & does no damage to anything.


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Posted by: Johny Blackstain Jan 19 2014, 09:43 AM

This one took me hours/days to get like it is


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