new tires

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bill crommett

Post by bill crommett »

A question about the dimpled lugnut caps; Are they supposed to come of by themselves before removeng nut # 2( in Bill's pictrue) or are they supposed to come off with thenut underneath attached ? I tried to remove a couple of the dimpled nut covers and I found it almost impossible. I go to get new tires Monday afternoon and I don't want the tire jockeys messing up my wheel covers, so I will remove them before I go to the tire shop. By
"them " I mean the dimpled nut covers, with or without the nut underneath.
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whemme
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Post by whemme »

Bill Crommett,

The two functional nuts on each of the Dicor wheel liners (covers) that are dimpled should be able to be removed by a wrench socket of the correct size (but I don't remember what that size is). Those two chrome covered nuts should have been installed with a minimum of torque as their only purpose is to hold the liner to the wheel. You should be able to remove the nuts with the dimpled chrome covers left over them. If it takes a lot of CCW (counter clockwise) torque to remove these nuts, then they were tightened down with too much when installed the last time.
Last edited by whemme on Sun May 31, 2009 4:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
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Mel Wilbur
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Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 2:39 pm

Post by Mel Wilbur »

Bill, the easy way to remove and also re-install the lug nut covers is with the attached tool. They can be found at most truck stops as well as online.
Attachments
lug nut tool .jpg
lug nut tool .jpg (22.5 KiB) Viewed 12108 times
Mel & Connie
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Dallas Baillio
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Post by Dallas Baillio »

On my wheel covers the chrome nut cover is separate from the nut. To remove the chrone cover I use a pair of slip joint pliers and cover the chrome with a cloth to avoid scratching, No turning just pulling and working the nut cover up and down to remove. I have a special tool that came with my BF (My BF was purchased used so I don't know if it was original equipment supplied by Born Free) that is used to unscrew the two nuts that secure the wheel cover. I've lost chrome nut covers when they loosened and spun off while traveling. When I was looking for replacements I did find the type that the cover and nut are one piece. They would not fit my wheel covers.
Dallas Baillio
2001 26RSB
Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Member
bill crommett

Post by bill crommett »

I tried and tried to get behind the edge of the nut covers an even manufactured a grabber out of an old screwdriver. It didn't work, so I got out my 1/2 in. drive ratchet set and a 1 3/16 socket and my long bar. No budge. So I got out my trusty Jepson impact wrench. The first one deformed the nut cover and it came off leaving the nut in place. The second one took off the nut with the cover intact, as did the third one. On th fourth one the socket was too thick to let it seat, and then the mosquitoes came out. So I will try again tomorrow afternoon.

Now for the tire jockey lesson of the month: How many of you know what a TORQUE STICK is ? It is a socket wrench extension made out of spring steel that is calibrated to GIVE when the torque is at the proper tightness.
Because the tire jockeys don't like to use them because it slows down the job a little, I tried to buy one for the 140 lb.ft. Ford specifies. Well, none of the parts people in the two chain Auto Parts store here in town had ever heard of such a thing. Monday morning will be busy.
Thanks for you responses and you good help.
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Mel Wilbur
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Post by Mel Wilbur »

Bill, the Torque Stick has been around quite a while. I believe they only come in sets and probably sold to mechanics by tool distributors, in most cases by salesmen in traveling box trucks that call on all the major garages and car and truck dealerships. I prefer a regular adjustable torque wrench, which I keep in the coach for when needed and also for our everyday vehicles. Having the wrench came in handy when I had a tire blow out on the coach and my roadside service (my former roadside service) sent me a new tire in the trunk of a car.
Mel & Connie
Robert D. Grant

Post by Robert D. Grant »

I have an adjustable, click style torque wrench which I purchased at Sears (Craftsman) about 10 years ago when we purchased our Born Free. I consider this is a must have as it is always good practice to check lug nut torque periodically, especially after wheels have been removed and reinstalled. We had a front wheel almost come off our tow vehicle one time because the mechanic that replaced the disc brakes left the lug nuts finger tight on the left front. The brake job was done in Shreveport, Louisiana and we drove the car around there for a few days and then towed it out to Fredericksburg, Texas. When we left the RV Park in the toad the next morning it felt like we had a flat tire so I pulled into a tire shop that happened to be right there. The wheel was hanging on by one nut and that one was about to come off!!
jasper2222

dummy lug nuts

Post by jasper2222 »

I just leave the dummy lug nuts off. The nuts that hold the liner on are good looking and you really do not notice that the dummy nuts are not there. Maybe I will put them on some time, but-----. I figure they will just fall off or some dummy at a tire shop will just wring them off anyway.
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whemme
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Post by whemme »

As I indicated in an earlier post of mine on May 7, 2009 at the following direct clickable link, the chrome nut covers can be purchased directly from Dicor at a cost of $3.95 each: http://www.bornfreervclub.org/bulletin_ ... =9302#9302
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
bill crommett

Post by bill crommett »

I got six new tires today and in the process some of the chrome covers came loose. What suggestions do you have for re-attaching the chrome covers to the nut ?

Another question :: What is metric Name of the rating for lb. ft. /
Robert D. Grant

Post by Robert D. Grant »

The metric equivalent of pound feet (or foot pounds) is newton meters.
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whemme
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Post by whemme »

Bill Crommett,

I have experienced the same problem. If those nuts with dimpled chrome covers are tightened on with too much torque, the cover becomes deformed and no longer will fit tightly over the nut.

What I have done in that case is coat all six inside surfaces of the chrome nut cover with either clear or white RTV and push the cover back onto the nut. After the RTV cures in a few hours the cover will stay attached to the nut.

This problem can be avoided if these nuts with covers were not removed and installed by tire jocks using impact wrenches.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
dsfriday

Post by dsfriday »

Boy, those chrome nut covers sure were not one of Ford's better ideas. On my 2007, I just pull the covers off just like hubcaps on a car, no problem. They (Ford) must of discontinued the nut covers in the latter model E350's or is their something I'm missing?
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whemme
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Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:05 pm

Post by whemme »

dsfriday,

Evidently your 2007 E350 coach did not come equipped with the standard issue Dicor VeraLiner wheel covers because if it did and the two mounting nuts (and associated chrome nut covers) are missing, there would be nothing to hold the wheel cover to the wheel. These covers are not a friction fit to the wheel rim. So your coach must have been equipped with a different type of wheel cover.

And Sam is correct, I don't think Ford delivers these cutoff van chassis to the motorhome completion centers with any wheel covers installed. I believe the completion centers such as Born Free choose and install secondary market wheel covers of their choice and in the case of Born Free, I always thought they used the Dicor product.

A photo of what the Dicor VersaLiner wheel covers should look like is included below.
Attachments
Dicor VersaLiner Wheel Covers.jpg
Dicor VersaLiner Wheel Covers.jpg (8.46 KiB) Viewed 12461 times
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
dsfriday

Post by dsfriday »

Bill, the wheel covers for my 2008 coach on a 2007 E350 Ford has the little spikes on the circumference of the cover that holds the cover to the wheel rim.
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