IML: keeping 1966 (and other) wheel covers on your wheels. Fool-proof.

[Kenyon Wills <imperialist1960@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have not discussed the wheelcover solution here yet
(forgot about it - I drive PROPERLY engineered
Imperials with correct tires for the rims - (1960!,
bias ply)).  

Am still working out the patent and licencing rights
on this idea.  Please mail your royalty checks to me
direct in the meantime.




But seriously:  

Get "SAFETY WIRE" and a pair of safety wire pliers.  I
got mine from the local sports-motorcycle shop:

http://cyclegear.com/dept.cfm

This is stainless steel wire.  When I was pit crewing
for the Lotus formula car, sensitive parts that were
prone to vibrating loose had a small hole drilled in
them and this wire was passed through.  The pliers
then lock on the wire and you use them to spin the
wire and tie it onto another solid part.  

This was mandated by the rules for the events and was
part of Tech inspection.  You have no idea the chaos
that happens when a part falls off a race car or
motorcycle at speed, even if it's just a nut or bolt. 

- this tool/solution addresses this neatly.  If you
buy the tool, try to get the seller to demonstrate it.
 It is very cool but will defy most casual attempts to
use it on the first try with no instructions - it just
does not follow any other tool's logic path.

This tool's utility is just behind the pry-bar,
crescent wrench, and big hammer once you figure out
how it works.  Heard the term "held together with
bailing wire"?  Guess which tool that came from?  

-1001 uses!

So now you have the wire and the tool.  Hubcap off
car.  Wheel on car.  Car jacked up and inside of wheel
nearest drum is cleaned with solvent to allow adhesive
tape to go there.  

Cut 3 5-foot lengths (shorter?  You try..) of safety
wire.  Loop the ends of one wire through adjacent
ventilation slots on the wheel cover.

thread the two ends of the wire through 2 adjacent
holes in the steel car wheel.  Line up valve stem
first and make certain that you don't need to remove
the cover to air- get extensions if your valve stems
need them.  

Feed through to the inside of the rim where you can
grab them with your hand from the engine side of the
wheel.  Repeat at least 2 other times, spacing the
wires equally around the rim.  You can do 4 or 5 if
you really want to be dead certain you'll never lose a
cover, but 3 should be good enough.

You now have a cover that should be slapped onto the
wheel.  Do so without having the wires fall out.

Take the safety wire pliers and go to the backside of
the wheel where you have 3 (or more) pairs of safety
wire.  Clamp the matched pair of wires together with
the tool.  start twizzling them together, being sure
not to over tighten, and break the wire.  Do it snug
but not torqued, as the cover will do the work of
keeping itself on, not the wire.

Trim excess wire and duct tape wire onto your (cleaned
off) wheel so that it does not drag and slap on the
drum or running gear.

Put a pair of dykes or other cutting tool into your
glovebox against the day that you need to remove the
wheel-cover when you're away from your tool box.  You
have been warned on that one.


Good luck, chuck.  Let us know how it goes.

-Kenyon 

Kenyon Wills
 
 






















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