Tank5
SILVER Star
I have considered various options to get a 17 inch steel wheel that I can put the early acorn style hub caps on. I have decided the most economical way to do this it to find a way to attach hub cap clips to the OEM FJ Cruiser 17” steel rims. I bought some clips and one rim to play with to try and figure out how to accomplish it consistently, so I don’t have any balance issues.
I know some where on this site another member welded clips on a steel wheel to accomplish it but I can’t find that thread. I think they may have used a 16” rim.
I am phishing for ideas if anyone has some. This is the 17 rim I am starting with.
For comparison this is an OEM rim.
This is the 17 inch rim with a hubcap ring I cut the top off of the use as a guide for clip placement. It may be hard to see in the picture but the rim surface under the hubcap sits farther in on the 17” rim which also doesn’t have the raised ridges the clips mount on - on the OEM rim. There is a significant gap I have to make up to get the clips to mount in a functional position to retain the hub cap.
I put the clip picture on the bottom in a vice and bent it to make up for some of the gap. It still left about a half inch distance from clip mounting surface to the rim surface.
The best idea I have at the moment is to weld the clip to the acorn nut pictured which spaces it perfectly from the rim. I would drill a hole and run a bolt from the back side to mount the clip. I am also considering just doing three clips per wheel.
I am not in a hurry to get this done, so figured I would solicit ideas to see if there is a better way accomplish this for the DIY crowd.
I am willing to bet someone has already done this and if so please post up your details or a link.
I know some where on this site another member welded clips on a steel wheel to accomplish it but I can’t find that thread. I think they may have used a 16” rim.
I am phishing for ideas if anyone has some. This is the 17 rim I am starting with.
For comparison this is an OEM rim.
This is the 17 inch rim with a hubcap ring I cut the top off of the use as a guide for clip placement. It may be hard to see in the picture but the rim surface under the hubcap sits farther in on the 17” rim which also doesn’t have the raised ridges the clips mount on - on the OEM rim. There is a significant gap I have to make up to get the clips to mount in a functional position to retain the hub cap.
I put the clip picture on the bottom in a vice and bent it to make up for some of the gap. It still left about a half inch distance from clip mounting surface to the rim surface.
The best idea I have at the moment is to weld the clip to the acorn nut pictured which spaces it perfectly from the rim. I would drill a hole and run a bolt from the back side to mount the clip. I am also considering just doing three clips per wheel.
I am not in a hurry to get this done, so figured I would solicit ideas to see if there is a better way accomplish this for the DIY crowd.
I am willing to bet someone has already done this and if so please post up your details or a link.