Vintage Minor Register

Is there a technique for removing the small hubcaps from the early type wheel centres. I want to get some wheels re-built and need to remove the hubcaps so that the centres can be sandblasted. So far I've tried fiddling around with a hammer and a large screw driver with little success - anybody got any better ideas?

I have managed to collect a variety of old hub caps over the years, some bearing the motif 'Morris' the others (earlier) reading 'Morris Minor'. They all have one thing in common and that is they have all been bashed about in an attempt to remove them from the wheel centre. From memory there is not much of a lip under which to manouver the blade of a screw driver, and if you do succeeed in doing that you will damage the paint on the hub. I think they must have been inserted with the short circular flange at 90 degrees and then this was 'bent over' by inserting a tool of some description from the rear. Not the best piece of design on the car.
I have been trying to source a replacement for these for a couple of years. Harry Edwards used to get these made but his stock ran out some time ago. I did get a quote from Belcher Engineering to remanufacture a batch of 100 (20 sets) - as per the Harry Edwards pattern, but the cost was £15 plus VAT each. Unsurprisingly there was not a lot of interest.
If anybody is interested at this price (£88.10 per set) please let me know and I will draw up a batch list.
Chris
Edited to add: I found that the easiest way to remove the cap was to cut 6 inches from a broomhandle, insert the newly cut piece into the hub and clout it with a substantial hammer a few times. It works, but not without damaging the cap!

My caps have a bolt and nut with a large brass square washer on the inside, all you have to do is undo the nut and off you go! This sounds like a modification but perhaps a sensible one!

cheers
Jeremy

Jeremy,
They are the Harry Edwards type - sensible and practicle!

In my youth, when I couldn't afford anything better, I fitted ordinary engine core plugs to the wheel centres of DF 9053. These had a small bolt welded to the back and secured with a short bar and nut. They polished up very well and looked the part although of course they were not engraved. When I had her for the second time, I treated her to a set of the Edward's caps...essentially exactly the same design,sitting on the surface of the hub, but chrome plated, engraved and dammed expensive. For my money, the first solution was probably the best !

Hi Paul, I believe these wheel centres were put in with some sort of press and I have, over the years, found some in steel and some in brass. I have them on my 1930 Morris Oxford 6. Over the years I tried to get some to replace them as they were badly dented, I think people have propped the wheels up and they fall onto the wheel centre. I turned up a couple of jigs in hardwood to try and drift them out but without success. Last year I made a pattern and had a cast made then had some cast in brass. I then made some large discs with two holes. These were offered to the rear of the cast centres and the centres drilled and tapped. They were then fitted to the wheel. I used two screws as one central one could spin off. I know it is not original but they can be removed if need be. I will try and get a photo of one to put on Forum. Mine only have Morris on them I believe the type you want have Morris Minor on them. Regards, Mike.

I 'invented' the Harry Edwards type of hub fixing with soldered on stud nut and keep-plate in the 1960s when I removed my hubs using a large wooden dowel and hammer (as Chris did) and then carefully knocked out the dents. I then filed the outter face smooth and had them polished and crhome plated. This way I have managed to retain the original caps with relatively little effort. The embossed Morris Minor logo is deep enough for this procedure to be successful as long as the dents are knocked out sufficiently well. I commend the method to one and all!
Ken

Mike has asked me to post the following two images. I'll let him provide the explanation.

My 1960s 'design' is simpler for the home workshop. Just silver-solder or braze one suitable size bolt (for which you have a nut) to the inside centre of the cap. The keep plate need only be a narrow strip of steel with a hole in the centre. The length of the bolt from memory needs to be about 1inch but this should be checked. Use a spring washer to ensure that the nut stays securely tight. The redundant unner edges of the cap may need to be trimmed back. I could take a wheel off and photograph one if this is unclear.
Ken

Many thanks for everyones thoughts on this topic - I never expected so many replies. They have obviously been a problem for lots of people. I tried a variation on Chris's broom handle extraction method but used a fly press instead of a hammer. It worked really well and I think I can probably re-use the hubcaps ok although a set of the modified removable ones is a something to think about.

Word of warning. I have just removed two such hubcaps from a pair of recently acquired old wheels. I used my tried and trusted method and the first cap came away as I expected after 5 or 6 hefty clouts with a club hammer. The second responded immediatly to the first such clout. I was suspicous and took a look as to why. Unfortunately, this cap was chromed brass (not steel, as was the first) and my heave on the hammer simply 'tore' the top from the rim. Lesson learnt - check the material first, before swinging the hammer!
Chris

I did say in my earlier comments some were brass some were steel. I have found with the brass ones if you have a wide ended screw driver or a lever of the right width it is possible to ease the retention rim back gently so as the hub cap will just fall out. If you can get them out cleanly another way of refitting the would be to file away the retention rim, stand a bolt in the rear dished side and fill with plumbers metal. This would make them solid and cut the risk of further dents. mike

Mike,
You did point out that there were the two types - unfortunately I made an assumption as both wheels were from the same old car, that both hub caps would be steel. Wrong!!
Chris

I had a batch of caps made many years ago and have a set of these on my Semi-sports. I had a special tool made up to dish flat disks of brass - I still have the tool - you insert a flat diak of brass and simply wind the tool together in a vice. I had them engraved first, then dished them in the tool then silver soldered countersunk head setscrews on the back. Then I had more, slightly larger brass disks cut and drilled to take the setscrew as a backplate. Then plated the caps. The backplates needed two flats tasking off - one each side - to clear the inner ends of the wheel spokes. They worked well, but I supplied a set to Terry Dickie for his tourer and he over-tighntened them when fitting, thereby flattening the domed caps!

Welcome back Ian............!!