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Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:15 am

how easy is it without the proper rivet tool ?

Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:22 am

mushroom wrote: how easy is it without the proper rivet tool ?

I used machine screws and lock nuts from home depot on my 65 westy... it's really easy. I had drilled out all the old rivets before I got the wheels powdercoated... that's the trickiest part.
Hubcaps are overrated... i didn't bother putting them on any other buses.

It is really easy with the correct tool to install hubcap clips with rivets. campingbox is big on riveting hubcap clips on. AFAIK the correct tools are a hammer and a certain shaped chunk of metal (modified from a VW part )

Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:38 am

I use pop rivets from home depot. Real Easy to install!!

Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:13 am

I used the VW rivets without the tool. I put the tire on the ground - face down. Found a bolt that would wedge between the rivet and the ground, and set it there. Then, WHACK! with a hammer. A few whacks later, rivets are in.

Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:28 am

I made a tool before the good tool was put into production years ago...I made it out of a long bolt....I ground the head so it would fit in the area of the rim and drilled a hole so the rivet fit snugly in place, the concrete floor supports the bolt and custom nut on the other end....I flip the rim over and give the backside of the rivet a good smack with a punch and a 3lb hammer...I have had very good results without bending the rim area were the rivet and clip goes.....I think the tool they make now is a good investment as it is cheaper than it would cost to make what I have. Buy the good rivets and clips as you will be wasting your time as the cheapo's do not have the right angle to correctly support the hubcap.....oh yeah wear eye protection as metal in the eye is no fun!!!

Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:33 am

I used the screw and nut trick. Now the other trick is finding clips that work properly. :wink:

Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:34 am

I've got the wolfsburg west ones http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=111601131GR

hopefully they'll be ok

thanks for the advice

Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:36 am

mushroom wrote: I've got the wolfsburg west ones http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=111601131GR

hopefully they'll be ok

thanks for the advice

I have those too and 3 of the 4 wheels hold find and one well I will have to remove it before I travel or I will be less one hubcap.

Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:38 am

Last time I looked Ronnie in Havasu had a bunch of Original German units which are the ones to use.......you will have to use a very small bolt and nut to work as the rim has a small indent on the backside of the rim for the rivet to fit into...this area does not mate against the drum...so if your nut is small enough not to rest against the drum it will work....buy junk bug rims and grind the head of the rivet off and center punch the the rest out and you will have a good original clip to re-use...now you will need the right rivets...good luck!!

Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:39 am

I heard he had some but he never got back to me so I assumed that he ran out. :wink:

Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:51 am

DubStyle wrote: I heard he had some but he never got back to me so I assumed that he ran out. :wink:

I just got another 500 before BYOB, have a couple hundred left. Real German made from original VW tooling. My rivets are also Genuine VW, but from Brazil. It's always best to call me

Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:53 am

LOL maybe I didn't PM the right guy. :P I'll try calling you when I get back home in a couple of weeks. :wink:

Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:45 pm

... dont use the wolfsburg west clips - they are useless... I countersunk the rivet hole on the back of the wheel and used a small c/sunk bolt and nut to secure each clip. If the clip does snap (on 1 wheel of mine 3 out of the 5 did the first time i tried removing the hubcap) its easier to replace with a nut and bolt...

Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:25 pm

I used 'closed-end' pop rivets, they work like a charm.

Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:30 pm

I like the tool.

More:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=89572
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=59984
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=70118

Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:12 pm

Just a metal block on the inside of the drum, and a blunt air chisel on the clip side of the rivet. Three or four hits with the air gun and you're set.

Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:38 pm

Here is my version of the often told story.....
"The Hubcap Clip Installation"

When I bought my current project, the wheels were already painted but without any hubcap clips. All it really takes to install them without damaging the wheels are the proper tools, a good work area, and a steady hand. The series of photos that follow take you step by step thru the process. It's a quick job and one wheel can be done to a very high standard in about 20 minutes. To avoid problems use original VW clips and rivets.

The tools I used for the job were, 5lb sledge, a large punch with fattened end, rivet mandrel, a right angle grinder, and eye protection. The rivet mandrel was purchased from ebay and the clips/rivets from Ronnie (splitpile).

This frame shows how the mandrel holds the rivet and clip in place.

The tricky part is to get the wheel level at the correct height where you can work on the rivet accurately and with some precision. I found a very stable way to hold it using a large vise mounted on a work bench. I could put the mandrel on the flat part of the vise and used a 2x4 in the vise to hold the wheel. You can adjust the wood to level the tire and wheel.

With a little practice you will figure out exactly where the mandrel should be placed all ready to go with the rivet and clip in place. You can now gently lower the wheel into place.

Here is a view from the bottom showing the proper placement of the mandrel, rivet, and clip.

IMPORTANT: Use eye protection from this point on.
Now comes the fun part. I used the sledge for the first couple of whacks before it gets down to the level of the rim. After the first hit, take the wheel off and make sure the clip is at the proper angle.

I use the punch to adjust the clip after the first hit. If you wait till the end, the rivet holds the clip so tight it's very difficult to make any adjustments.

After about 4 hits with the sledge it's time to get out the punch. I custom ground the bottom of the punch to have a flat surface. Give it a few more hits to really set the rivet.

After examining an original wheel I noticed the rivet height was very low, lower than the surrounding wheel surface that mounts up to the brake drum. You can see in this photo the square dimple made by the powerful rivet tool the Germans used in the past. At this point I take the rivet down a bit with the grinder, not a lot, just enough to make it easier to get the rivet to the proper height.

After grinding, I finish it off with a few more shots with the punch. The punch smoothes out the grind marks and takes it down to the finished height. If you work carefully there is no damage to the finish of the wheel.

Double checking the height. I don't want any marks on my drums from high rivets.

The finished product, a nice tight clip ready to accept a beautiful hubcap. As you can see from the date stamp, this is the perfect wheel for my project.

New clips all around. Now I only have four more wheels to do! Thanks for checking this out. The End.... Finally!

Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:34 pm

LHG, thank you for the demonstration. Very good job and very informative :wink:

Fri Feb 16, 2007 1:19 am

And if you are wondering about the difference between German and Brazilian clips, I did a destructive test to determine the value of each. Read it here:
http://nutsusers.proboards84.com/index.cgi?board=v...1163004987

Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:37 pm

Riff Raff wrote: And if you are wondering about the difference between German and Brazilian clips, I did a destructive test to determine the value of each. Read it here:
http://nutsusers.proboards84.com/index.cgi?board=v...1163004987

sometimes you people scare me.. :shock: