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Sun May 27, 2018 11:14 am

I'd like to bring this up from the dead.
For those of you that have used SS screws/nuts to mount these clips on a 5 lug rim........Would you mind sharing the screw size you bought?

It would save me from buying 10 different sizes, or taking the whole rim to home depot to find the right screw :)

I think I want to try this method. Especially since you can't see it, no one will never know they are not installed using rivets.

Sun May 27, 2018 11:25 am

crankbait09 wrote: I'd like to bring this up from the dead.
For those of you that have used SS screws/nuts to mount these clips on a 5 lug rim........Would you mind sharing the screw size you bought?

It would save me from buying 10 different sizes, or taking the whole rim to home depot to find the right screw :)

I think I want to try this method. Especially since you can't see it, no one will never know they are not installed using rivets.

I will go out to my shop in a little bit and find the boxes of screws and nuts I have used for this. I will post up if nobody beats me to it.

Sun May 27, 2018 1:40 pm

glideking wrote: I got new hubcap clips from WW today. They are correct! They even have the little bulge at the end. Others are claiming original German made clips at $10 per wheel. WW had these perfect reproductions for $4 Per wheel. Bad news they are out of stock. I just got the last set. Hope they have some more made soon.

The short clips commonly available tend to get stuck behind the caps and break off.

left is a "short" clip sold by WW from years ago. Middle is what they sell now. Right is a broken original 1960 clip.

in regards to the photo above, I recently purchased some hubcap clips from JBUGS, and they look like the clips on the far left of the picture above.

I have tried all the links in this thread and all of the clips are not available. Which I assumed due to the thread being so old.

Before I send these clips back, has anyone used the clips from JBUGS with good results? I was squeezing them and they flexed rather easily. So I assume they are not strong.

I see the ones the WW sells, but just by looking, I can't tell if the quality is any better

WW: http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=111601131WW

JBUGS: https://www.jbugs.com/product/111-115C.html

opinions?

Sun May 27, 2018 1:51 pm

The WW clips are correct, I've installed them both with rivets and machine screws and nuts. The screws are the way to go.

Sun May 27, 2018 2:12 pm

cdennisg wrote: crankbait09 wrote: I'd like to bring this up from the dead.
For those of you that have used SS screws/nuts to mount these clips on a 5 lug rim........Would you mind sharing the screw size you bought?

It would save me from buying 10 different sizes, or taking the whole rim to home depot to find the right screw :)

I think I want to try this method. Especially since you can't see it, no one will never know they are not installed using rivets.

I will go out to my shop in a little bit and find the boxes of screws and nuts I have used for this. I will post up if nobody beats me to it.

Here you go... 6-32 x 3/8" bolts with nylock nuts.

Sun May 27, 2018 2:33 pm

beautiful, thank you for that!

no washers needed?

Sun May 27, 2018 2:40 pm

crankbait09 wrote: beautiful, thank you for that!

no washers needed?

No washers. There really is very little pressure or load on these things. I have probably assembled a dozen wheels with this setup with good luck each time. The main thing to to be careful removing the old rivets so you don't oversize the hole. Easy to do if you drill out the old rivets and are not careful to keep the hole centered perfectly.

Once that hole is clear, the screw comes through from the backside of the wheel, and sits nicely in the little countersunk depression in the wheel, and will not interfere with the wheel face sitting flat on the drum face.

Sun May 27, 2018 2:44 pm

cdennisg wrote: crankbait09 wrote: beautiful, thank you for that!

no washers needed?

No washers. There really is very little pressure or load on these things. I have probably assembled a dozen wheels with this setup with good luck each time. The main thing to to be careful removing the old rivets so you don't oversize the hole. Easy to do if you drill out the old rivets and are not careful to keep the hole centered perfectly.

Once that hole is clear, the screw comes through from the backside of the wheel, and sits nicely in the little countersunk depression in the wheel, and will not interfere with the wheel face sitting flat on the drum face.

im gonna start drilling out the old rivets in the next day or so.

from reading above, as well as other threads. It looks like i drill through the top of the rivet (button side, down through the back side. Sounds like you don't drill a small hole, but almost the same diameter as the rivet itself. right?

Some people have used a grinder to remove the head. Is their an easy way between the two? or what's easiest?

Sun May 27, 2018 2:57 pm

crankbait09 wrote: cdennisg wrote: crankbait09 wrote: beautiful, thank you for that!

no washers needed?

No washers. There really is very little pressure or load on these things. I have probably assembled a dozen wheels with this setup with good luck each time. The main thing to to be careful removing the old rivets so you don't oversize the hole. Easy to do if you drill out the old rivets and are not careful to keep the hole centered perfectly.

Once that hole is clear, the screw comes through from the backside of the wheel, and sits nicely in the little countersunk depression in the wheel, and will not interfere with the wheel face sitting flat on the drum face.

im gonna start drilling out the old rivets in the next day or so.

from reading above, as well as other threads. It looks like i drill through the top of the rivet (button side, down through the back side. Sounds like you don't drill a small hole, but almost the same diameter as the rivet itself. right?

Some people have used a grinder to remove the head. Is their an easy way between the two? or what's easiest?

I grind, carefully and slowly, from the backside of the wheel to removed the peened side of the rivet, not the domed side. Often, if careful, you can actually grind off the peen and just pop the rest of the rivet though the hole with a punch and without drilling at all.

I like using Razor Blade cutoff wheels for stuff like this, but I am sure other types will work just fine. These aren't meant for grinding, just cutting, so use the edge as if you were cutting through the rivet, not grinding at an angle.

Sun May 27, 2018 3:12 pm

I have a dremel tool, was going to use a grinding tip of some sort to grind down that rivet head.

Those rivet heads are rather small, not sure how easy it is to actually use a wheel to cut them off, without hitting anything else.

Sun May 27, 2018 4:08 pm

crankbait09 wrote: I have a dremel tool, was going to use a grinding tip of some sort to grind down that rivet head.

Those rivet heads are rather small, not sure how easy it is to actually use a wheel to cut them off, without hitting anything else.

A dremel tool will work great. A 4 1/2" grinding wheel is less delicate, but it will reach in there just fine if you are careful.

Sun May 27, 2018 5:14 pm

crankbait09 wrote: I have a dremel tool, was going to use a grinding tip of some sort to grind down that rivet head.

Those rivet heads are rather small, not sure how easy it is to actually use a wheel to cut them off, without hitting anything else.
No need to do any grinding at all. Simply use a sharp center punch on the backside of the wheel, use care to get it on the center of the peened rivet backside. Using a small sharp drill bit or a center drill, drill it about 1/8" deep at the most. You don't need or want to go very deep at all.

Next go to a larger drill (maybe 3/16") and go about 1/16" deep, pretty much just enough to release the rivet from the peened portion. Hit it again with the punch and the rivet comes out quite easily.

The entire operation takes maybe a minute or two.

Sun May 27, 2018 5:19 pm

ok thanks for the help

Sun May 27, 2018 5:31 pm

b-man wrote:

The entire operation takes maybe a minute or two.

Same for grinding it out. Either way works, just depends on the tools at hand.

Tue May 29, 2018 8:08 am

Just curious as to why you aren't replacing the rivet and using a screw and nut instead?

Thu May 31, 2018 1:24 pm

Couple things.

1. I am deciding to go with the grinding method since I have all the tools needed. What complications could I possibly run in to by grinding/cutting the head/mushroom of the rivet down to a point where I can hammer the rivet through the back side? I looked at the backside of the rivet and I'm not comfortable with taking a grinder to it, while avoiding nicking the rim in the process.

2. I just got the clips from WW. They are definitely stronger and look like the pictures you guys posted. so I am satisfied with the quality........except for one thing. I bought 5 bags, enough to do all four tires, plus a few extra clips. Upon looking over the first pack, along with the rest, ALL the clips seem to have surface rust on them. I was not expecting this. I was thinking I'd get black, happy, shiny clips that look NEW. The rivets are brand new, but not the clips. So before I send them back, I got to thinking........Are these clips possibly OE clips that WW has obtained? Would one expect them to be BRAND SPANKIN' NEW? thoughts? Here's a picture of one bag. Hard to get a good picture, hopefully this will show the detail of what I see

Thu May 31, 2018 1:38 pm

whats with all the grinders ,screws and headaches , knock the rivets out from the back with a pointed punch, usually takes 3 whacks, re install new clips and rivets with the rivet tool,i use a 4x4 block to set opposite side of rim on and support the rivet tool on cement, smash back side of rivet with a minisledge and a flat punch , about 5 mins per wheel all 5 clips

Thu May 31, 2018 1:56 pm

Those clips are new. They don't come plated/ coated. You guys are putting way more effort than necessary with grinders, drills, etc. You can knock the clips right off the face with a cold chisel/ heavy hammer. Then punch the rest of the rivet through the hole.

I usually clean up the wheel, and bottom of the clip, and paint those mating surfaces before paint/ powdercoat so rust doesn't leach out later on

Thu May 31, 2018 5:21 pm

ok, all original rivets are out. Man, I certainly built that project up bigger than what it actually was :oops: I drilled a shallow hole, then hit out. The rivets popped right out.

Now that I have them all out of all 4 wheels, there are (4) of the holes that have an oblong hole.A couple were due to me not being as straight, and centered as I thought. The others were done by the PO.

So, if I am going the screw and nut route, I assume I can use a washer to make up for the non perfect hole? If I assume wrong, what can I do to make sure these clips are tight using the screw/nut method?

Thu May 31, 2018 6:48 pm

crankbait09 wrote: ok, all original rivets are out. Man, I certainly built that project up bigger than what it actually was :oops: I drilled a shallow hole, then hit out. The rivets popped right out.

Now that I have them all out of all 4 wheels, there are (4) of the holes that have an oblong hole.A couple were due to me not being as straight, and centered as I thought. The others were done by the PO.

So, if I am going the screw and nut route, I assume I can use a washer to make up for the non perfect hole? If I assume wrong, what can I do to make sure these clips are tight using the screw/nut method?

Many ways to skin this cat, as you can see from all the responses sharing their methods. All of them work.

I have had problems drilling, and ending up with an oblong hole like you did.

Punching straight through works, but not always, and I have ended up grinding the rivet a little to get it to pop through.

I have tried the cold chisel, and that worked but I managed to slip a couple of times and gouge the wheel where I didn't want that kind of damage.

Personally, I have found that grinding the rivet off works best, with the least risk of damage. Others find other methods work better for them. Grinding doesn't take any longer than the others, really. Just care in the process.

The oblong hole makes it difficult to use the nut/screw combo, as the countersunk hole fits that screw head perfectly. It cannot sit above the surface of the wheel, or it will contact the drum and cause and interference issue. You might need to rivet the oblong or oversized holes.

I know guys that weld these into place, too. I don't think that's best, but it works.

Also, as has been mentioned, those new clips are raw steel, not painted. You need to paint them before install, or they get a coat of paint/powdercoat after assembly.