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St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Here is a pic of the cap from Corvette Central's catalog:
They are not cheap ($199/ea). But they seem to look original.
Might be a good idea to buy one and then install it on one of your refurbished wheels to see how they match up.
If it does then see if the refurb company can make the other 3 match. I don't think they have to machine your present ones - just Velcro them to a non-dual action buffer and run them against a grey schotch brite pad. Or - they could come up with their own method
Or you could buy 1 or more caps from a corvette salvage yard and let them experiment on those instead. I like www.vette2vette.com but there are others out there.
Good luck!
Here is a pic of the cap from Corvette Central's catalog:
They are not cheap ($199/ea). But they seem to look original.
Might be a good idea to buy one and then install it on one of your refurbished wheels to see how they match up.
If it does then see if the refurb company can make the other 3 match. I don't think they have to machine your present ones - just Velcro them to a non-dual action buffer and run them against a grey schotch brite pad. Or - they could come up with their own method
Or you could buy 1 or more caps from a corvette salvage yard and let them experiment on those instead. I like www.vette2vette.com but there are others out there.
Good luck!
Does anyone know if the factory cap is a sold piece of Aluminum or if it's 2 pieces (a base and a wrapped skin)? AWRS seems to think it's a wrapped skin and they may be correct? Originally and just at first glance it looks like a solid disk that is machined? I have an extra cap and could tell but it would be destructive to the cap to find out. Anyone know???
I have had three midyears and all had Western Wheel KO's. I never had a problem with any of the wheels even being loose. However, It was always in the back of my mind.
So, that is why a couple of years ago I bought a set of bolt on KOs. They are a great wheel and took very little weight to balance. The new wheels with Diamond Back Michelin tires made a big difference.
To answer your questions: I tighten the spinners the same way; snug then one or two notches. The center caps should not be loose. I think I remember something about using silicone if you have that issue. Mine did not need any.
I just addressed this same issue last week with my '89 coupe. My car's center caps had mild corrosion so I stripped off the clear coat and sanded/polished out the corrosion but the caps didn't match the clear coated machined finish on the rims. I also took the caps to the wheel refinisher who said they couldn't do the caps separately but could remachine them attached to the rims and get a uniform finish. Since my wheels are fine I elected to do the following: I have a drill press, so I cut a block of wood to fit within the back of the cap and drilled a center hole for a long bolt that could be inserted into the press chuck. I recessed the bolt head and mounted the cap with wood screws thru the 2 emblem holes in the cap. Using a slow speed, I simply used a 3M Scotch pad ( green ) and held it to the face of the cap as it spun on the drill press. It took less than a minute to produce a satin, machined finish that I think closely matches the factory finished. I did experiment using 800, 1500, 2000 and 3000 grit wet/dry paper (dry) but the Scotch green pad produced the best results. I didn't use metal polish to avoid a too bright look. If you don't have access to a drill press you may be able to use a corded hand drill instead. I may get the caps clear coated to protect the finish and improve the match. Good luck.
09-08-2016, 12:31 AM
