Fitting the hub caps on to protect the bearings

[Kody]

I made a special tool a long time ago to enable the seating of the protective caps that fit into the wheel hubs. Unfortunately, I have lost it and now I have to make a new one. The tool I made slips over the cap and seats onto the expanded lip thus protecting the end of the cap when it is driven into the hub. It won't take me long to knock up a new one and it is the only way I know of to seat the caps without damaging them.
How do you guys seat these caps into the hubs without damaging the end of them. Thumping them with a hammer squashes the end and it then rubs on the axle, have seen that done many times.


Kody

[pete42]

I don't know about them rubbing on axle since it turns with the hub but
I use a block of wood and a hammer place the wood block on the rib and tap gently with the hammer.
I also have used a pipe coupling that fit over the end and rested on the rib but like you I don't have a clue
where that is somewhere in the bowels of my rear garage.

or you could just smack them on with a 2X4 bend in the ends that way the make a wavy pattern when driving down the road.........

1 more day yea!

I went to Christmas lunch yesterday, brother and his wife, nephew and Niece , 3 grandNieces & their husbands, 10 greatgrandNieces 3 greatgrandnephews. my brother started a family at 17 and the Tradition carries on........

pete

[Shadow Catcher]

A large rubber hammer works fine for ours.

[Dale M.]

Piece of PVC pipe about 2-3 inches long that goes over end of cap and engage lip of cap .... And a hammer...

Dale

[les45]

+1 for the large rubber mallet. I've used it for years on the old rounded caps on my HF trailers and the newer flat style with the grease fitting in the middle on my NT trailer. Never any damage or problems.

[eamarquardt]

I made a steel sleeve that fits against the flange and then use a hammer on the sleeve. I thought I had a picture of it but didn't see it in my album. Here is a picture of another tool I made that has a similar shape. Just remove the tabs and you've got the idea.



Cheers,

Gus

[48Rob]

I use an old bearing race.

Rob

[lancew]

Thumping them with a hammer squashes the end and it then rubs on the axle, have seen that done many times.


wow someone used a mighty big hammer or they so frustrated they beat the cover to hard. lol. anger management lol

[Bogo]

I usually just pushed them on by hand, then given them a strong whack with the palm of my hand or kick em with bottom of the sole of my shoe. A few times I tapped around the lip with a hammer if it didn't look like it fully seated.