Front bearing dust cap., Is there a secret? Options

[vitamin914]

I want to replace the bearing dust caps on the front rotors. The lugs on the OEM part stick out too far for the wheel center cap to be inserted into the aftermarket rims.


To remove the caps, I have read to use glancing blows with a hammer. No luck with that. The only way I found how to take them off is using a flat screw driver against the rotor to pry them off.

On the right is a new VW replacement part (from CIP1.com). Same VW part number 111-405-692-B as on the 914 drawings (-691-B has a speedometer hole for the VW beetle). Both new and old measure 48mm on the ID. They seem identical except for the lugs on the OEM cap. Not sure if the lugs were for a removal tool or what. They don't seem to serve a purpose and I don't want them...

The OEM cap is not easy to put on, but a few whacks with a leather faced hammer seats it. No such luck with the aftermarket parts. Just goes crooked and nothing more. I am afraid to hammer too hard. What is too hard? - I don't want to damage anything or peel off a metal sliver off the cap that will get into the bearing. I can see where the rotor is cutting into the cap on the one I tried to put on.

Is there some secret trick to installing this? Sand and polish the new cap? magic anti seize lubricant?