Cheap HF dust caps

[EZ]

The first time took my trailer on the road it lost a dust cap going about 45MPH. I heard it go but the weeds were too thick and the search was aborted. It was gone. The next day I pulled the camper to work. During lunch I went to HF and picked up another cap. On the way home from work I lost the other one.


When I installed the new one it seemed to fit much tighter than the original. (Unfortunately on the last hit with the rubber hammer I dented it....) I will be going for a second replacement today hoping that one fits tight as well. Does this happen a lot and is there a way to prevent it? Locktite?

Ed

[Joseph]

Does this happen a lot and is there a way to prevent it?

I've never had it happen to me (knocking wood), but IIRC it did happen to Ross on his first trip with his first teardrop. Like you he lost his completely. He just covered the hub with duct tape and soldiered on up to... Mystic? Where was that gathering, Ross? Anyway, one heckuva long ways to the gathering and back to NC.

As to prevention, I don't have a clue aside from making sure the thing is on tight to begin with.

Duct tape - don't leave home without it!

Joseph

[Dale M.]

That is why there is soda cans and duct tape.....

Dale

[madjack]

2 suggestions Ed....you can lightly "peen" out the outer edge to make it tighter or put a bead of some kinda sealant on the shoulder of the cap when installing...and yes, dust cap loss is fairly common...they are cheap, get a couple of spares if nothing else....
madjack

[SmokeyBob]

EZ
When I built my trailer the first attempt at putting on the dust caps, one cap was so tight I couldn't get it on. the other side was so loose I could put it on with just my hand.

So I switched sides. Now the tight side would fit and the loose side had a better fit but was still not tight enough. So I peened around the inside edge of the cap with a center punch to put these little dents on it. That made it fit a lot better.

On my first trip I lost one of the caps. As it turned out, the cap that had the best fit, (the one without the peened dents), was the one that came off.

To temporarily cover the hub I used duct tape and one of these Styrofoam coffee cups that you get at one of these self service gas stations, the small coffee cup worked pretty good. Once I got to my destination I found that one of these small plastic yogurt cups worked better.

Make sure you eat the yogurt first.

I now keep a couple of these in the camper just in case I loose another cap.

Check out page 9 of my album to see a home made tool you can use to put on dust caps without denting them. The one in the picture is a short piece of 2" plumbing pipe with a pipe cap on one end. I would take your dust cap to the hardware store to check the pipe diameter if you want to make one these. Just hit the end of the pipe with a hammer and your dust cap is on without any dents.

[dhazard]

Under the spare tire in my car I keep a dust cap in a zip lock bag all loaded with a set of greased bearings and a new cotter key for my boat trailer. ( I should have done that years ago but that’s a long story for a campfire. )

[bledsoe3]

Under the spare tire in my car I keep a dust cap in a zip lock bag all loaded with a set of greased bearings and a new cotter key for my boat trailer. ( I should have done that years ago but that’s a long story for a campfire. )

Maybe you should keep a spare tranny in the trunk for your next trip up to Dougs.

[doug hodder]

Good one Jim....but alas...I don't really work anyone's tranny over...don't need to...all the owners seem to do the job pretty well on their own...Man...I sure hope this thing dies soon!!!! Doug

[bledsoe3]

Sorry Doug. I couldn't resist.

[madjack]

Good one Jim....but alas...I don't really work anyone's tranny over...don't need to...all the owners seem to do the job pretty well on their own...Man...I sure hope this thing dies soon!!!! Doug

...hate to tell ya Doug but institutional memory is looooooooooooooooog......................

[Gerdo]

Tap the cap on the side with a hammer with it sitting on concrete and make it slightly out of round. This will keep it on.

[Gerdo]

Unless you bashed the cap in deep a small dent won't hurt a thing. If it is dented too bad it could rub on the spindle nut/cotter pin.