DUST SEAL CAP RETAINER

Submitted: Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 01:12

ThreadID: 123365 Views:5272 Replies:7 FollowUps:5

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Fosssil

Hello folk,

Just thought I would add this great idea for those interested.

I have permission from the designer to post this.

I was visiting Keith and Joan at Forest Glen the other day and he showed me a simple but effective device he has made to stop the dust caps from dislodging or popping off on rough roads or any road as they can do...

The device is just a piece of flat aluminium bar about 1/8" th thick by about 1" or so wide (I did not measure it)and as long as it needs to be so as a hole can be drilled in to take the wheel nut stud at each end after bending it...Keith could probably give the correct measurements

Anyway, as Keith had it mounted it does not compromise the integrity of the wheel mounting system at all...and to the studs in the pictures you would just add two nuts to tighten the retainer to the wheel on each side...

Its a great idea I thought...and cheap and easy to do and certainly a lot cheaper than replacing the dust cap or even worse, needing to replace the damaged bearing...
Congrats Keith

fosss

PLEASE CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR A LARGER IMAGE.....

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Reply By: Kenso - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 03:03

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 03:03

Now that's a good idea! another way someone with a small off road camper suggested was to tightly wind silver duct tape around the hub, which I did after loosing a cap. None has moved since!

Kenso

AnswerID: 570726

Reply By: Bushtracker - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 03:14

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 03:14

Fosss,
Thank you for that... I have known about this method for quite some time, but not posted it... The reason is that if the bearing cap is cleaned quite well, the Sikaflex seal all around with half inch gaps in a few places for gas flux, works so well as to really minimize lost dust caps down to near nil.... Like very few lost. But this system works well too... We still send them out, but more for poor talent mechanics doing the punch in screw driver technique to remove the dust caps, than for lost ones on tracks....

I just thought it might be a bit unsightly? And preferred to see the black Sika in action...? But not sure, it definitely will work and a cheap way to solve the problem... Other than questionable looks, it certainly does the job well. Sort of like the ugly mug on the lone Ranger.... Ha!

Regards, Ranger

"The Last Stand In Open Country"

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AnswerID: 570727

Follow Up By: OnTheRoad - Monday, Mar 05, 2007 at 21:02

Monday, Mar 05, 2007 at 21:02

Ranger
What is the correct way to remove dust caps?
Thanks
OnTheRoad

FollowupID: 847289

Follow Up By: Bushtracker - Tuesday, Mar 06, 2007 at 00:17

Tuesday, Mar 06, 2007 at 00:17

Hello OnTheRoad,

Look if you are low grade Bush Mechanic and get frustrated, thinking they are a $2 item available up the street, you can take a hammer and punch holes in it with a screwdriver and pry it off... Ha! (Don't do it)... They are an odd sized large bearing cap..

The way to do it is scrape away the sika flex on the joint all the way around. Then try and pry it off with a wide blade screwdriver, between the bearing hub face and the ridge in the bearing cap, with a leverage twist...

If this does not work, you have to try something like taking a rubber mallet and tap it off while you are prying.. Tap the rubber mallet gently, while you are applying an outward force on the bearing cap...

Some will fall off in your hand... My suggestion is have a couple of spares on hand, before you begin.. If you are unlucky and get the odd stiff one.... If all else fails you may need to take a pair of channel locks and kind of rock it perpendicular to the bearing face as you pry it off... 19 out of 20, will come off without going to these extremes...

Regards, Ranger....

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Reply By: Silver and Tinks - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 03:14

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 03:14

Why not just buy the chrome or white centre caps that are made for the wheels they are about 12 bucks each and will catch the dust cap if it falls off.

Hey they look good to.

Scott

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AnswerID: 570728

Reply By: Black Cobra - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 12:02

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 12:02

Scott,

Thinking of doing similar but with the F250 plastic hub caps that are on the truck to cover the centre hub area. As I have put wider wheels on the F250 and the new ones come with their own centre hub covers I was going to put the original covers onto the BT.

I know there has to be heat and gas dispersion but if needed small holes can be drilled into the covers to allow more heat to disperse but I cannot see why as they are used on wheels as standard, Steve might have other ideas about this topic.

For owners of other type vehicles I am pretty sure you would be able to buy factory centre hub covers to match there particular wheel, but as usual I can imaging what the dealers want for these as parts.

The only down side of this is that you cannot check how hot the hubs might be with your hand as you would have to rmove the covers by undoing all the nuts.

Stewart

AnswerID: 570729

Follow Up By: Bushtracker - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 18:54

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 18:54

Yea Guys,
Sorry, but da lone Ranger no like a dat idea.... No wheel centres if you are asking me..

Not only could you not do your walk around and feel the hubs. But you could be running a long time in the bull dust with the dust cap off... And how you going to know? Yea, wheel centers look cool.... IN THE CITY.... But I am afraid they are going to work against you in the Bush....

You would have to be going around knocking them off to check things? No, don't think so... Most of them have to have the wheel removed to take them off.. Not on Bushtracker running in the Outback, you want to visually and physically be able to access these bearing caps and hubs. There is a limit to how much you want to risk just to look good and this is definitely over the line...

Regards, Ranger

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Reply By: Noosa Fox - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 22:20

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 22:20

Just a word of WARNING with the aluminium strip over the dust cap.

It is my belief that placing an aluminium plate over the stud then screwing the nut on, may allow the nut to come loose in transit and fall off, thus putting more stress on the other studs and a greater risk of loosing a wheel. The cheap Aluminuim strip is a far softer metal than what the rims are made from.

If the wheel rim and nuts are counter sunk then this is another problem.

As Steve has said, there are other ways.

We have travelled over 140,000 km and lots of that have been on rough roads. The original seal would have been done with stikaflex at BTi but the later bearing inspections and adjustments have not had any additives, and we are still using the original caps as we haven't lost any.

Brian

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AnswerID: 570730

Follow Up By: Motley - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 23:01

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 23:01

Brian,

From the blow up photos it looks to me like the wheel nuts are all tightened and then the aluminium strip is put on and held in place with a second wheel nut on the stud.

Motley

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Reply By: Keith & Joan - Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 23:43

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 at 23:43

That's right Brian, you got it in one. And the secondary nut is secured with Loctite just as a precaution. I can see when a hub is loose, and I can feel the temp as I do my walk around. But I will never lose a dust cap, it cannot come free and actually fall off the vehicle. I don't really care what it looks like, pretty or not pretty, my intention is to NOT have to change a wheel bearing because a dust cap worked itself loose.

Noosa Fox.... The wheel is held on with all the original nuts, and then the extra nuts are on the top of those. So no loss of integrity as far as the wheel security is concerned.

Kind regards, Keith & Joan.

AnswerID: 570731