Tire wobble caused by center caps

[scmoose]

Installed new tires and wheels and noticed quite a bit of wheel wobble. Pulled the wheels and noticed the center caps stuck out past the mounting surface a bit on the wheels. Removed the center caps and the wobble has been drastically reduced. Now to figure out how to be able to run the center caps without all of the wobble. May try to run the plastic caps on a belt sander so that they sit closer to flush on the back of the wheel. I would have to take quite a bit of material off the caps as the dado on the back of the wheel is reel small.

[Mooncarter]

I doubt the caps are causing wobble. Re-check that your lug nuts are tight.

[scmoose]

All four wheels had wobble after pulling and installing all of the wheels several times. Removed all four center caps and wobble is gone. These are the center caps that push through from the back of the rim and are sandwiched between the rim and brake drum on the rear and spindle in the front, not hub caps.

[Swan]

I would look for different center caps

[scmoose]

The rear drums have a raised area that fits into the center hole of the rim. With the center cap it sits on that raised area preventing the rim for sitting flush against the brake drum.

[scmoose]

Update, I took a dremel and belt sander to the center caps. I had to bevel the inside of the rear caps so they would fit over this raised area on the brake drums, and sand the tabs down so they would fit flush with the back side of the rims. Reinstalled the wheels with center caps and the wobble is gone.

[jongottschalk]

Originally Posted by scmoose

Update, I took a dremel and belt sander to the center caps. I had to bevel the inside of the rear caps so they would fit over this raised area on the brake drums, and sand the tabs down so they would fit flush with the back side of the rims. Reinstalled the wheels with center caps and the wobble is gone.

Thanks....I had the same problem with Steeleng wheels......wheels dead straight without center caps.