The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Hubcaps again??

Here's a real new guy question - My full wheel cover original 56 hubcaps would not stay on the original 15X5 wheels. I just bought new Coker "smoothie" 15X6 wheels to fit new wider Coker tires, and the hubcaps won't stay on these wheels either. Does anybody know if these hubcaps had spring clips on the retainer ring that helped hold them on? There are two indentations on the retainer ring (back side of the hubcap) that look like they may have held clips, but there are none there now. Nobody I have talked to knows if these caps ever had spring clips, while they all agree it sure looks like it. Its the only thing I can think of that would explain why they won't stay on --- anybody know???

Dale

sounds likely, I can't imagine they'd take the clips off of a standard set of wheels to install optional covers

Bill

Not sure about the full wheel covers but the OEM trim rings for use with the dog dish caps require four spring clips per trim ring. This just may be the case for the full covers also. I do have a few of them available if you need a pic, (email me [email protected]), and I have inquired and found them available at a couple of the parts suppliers but never purchased any.

You may not have the original stock wheels. On a 56 car the wheels have small nubs on the inside portion of the wheel. The nubs hold the full size cap on. I believe this is the case with your truck also as they use the same cap. The 57-58 Cameo used clips to hold the beauty ring on but they are completly different. Your stock wheels could be from a later model and the aftermarket wheels also won't have the nubs.
Fred

Fred - you may be right!- Bruce mentioned clips on the trim rings that hold them on - and possibly those might work. From what I have learned the full wheel covers were available for 55 Cameos, but discontinued for 56 going to wheel caps and trim rings. Your observation sounds closer to the heart of this mystery because that is what my initial thoughts (the nubs on the wheels themselves) were, but I discounted that because of the indentations, holes, markings I observed on the back of the hubcap. I wonder now if those 55 (and probably early 56) issued full wheel covers covered only the "nub" variation wheel. Makes sense. Thanks Fred, that's good food for thought and further investigation. I love/hate mysteries. Dale

Well Fred - you are most likely right about the wheels. I have been trying to locate any vendor out there who might have them in a 15X6 and nobody will fess up so far, to ever even having seen one. Bruce, in his earlier post on this topic suggested clips that he had, and he very graciously sent me very detailed pictures of them to look at. As I looked I could tell they would not work - so I will have to keep looking. Clearly those wheels were common to any car or truck that came with those hubcaps wouldn't you think? I'm ready to try junkyards ---, unless somebody has sourcing suggestions other than the usual suspects I've already tried. . Thanks again, everybody, for all the help!
Dale

Dale,
Be aware that the 56 car is 5 lug and the truck is 6 lug. The only thing common is that they used the same full size hub cap for the Bel Air and the Cameo that year.
Fred

Hi, I have (1) 15 X 5 1/2" wide 6 lug wheel that has 3 clips for small hubcap retention and it also has 4 hubcap nubs to retain a full size wheel cover. I believe that has to be for a Cameo pickup that used full wheel covers. I'm going to look for any markings or wheel codes on it to verify what year it came off of. Runningiron

I did eventual solve the full wheel cover dilemma in two ways. 1) I located a fellow (through a number of sources) in Ca. whose dad had once had a cameo and had stored a set of the original wheels, and he was willing to see if he could find them and sell them to me. He found a full set of five! He blasted, primed, boxed, and sent them to me. What a guy!! In the meantime I had purchased Coker tires and smoothy wheels to accommodate a slightly larger radial tire. So I could use the full caps, I had a rod shop weld small nub beads, 4 on each of the smoothies, and they have worked just fine ever since. I still have the original "nubbed" wheels in boxes, in storage for future use if and when I decide to use them. This was all a long time ago. I am now well-informed, and well stocked with solutions to what was once a mystery. But thanks for sharing runningiron. I'm sure someone would be interested to know those rare types of wheels are still around somewhere. I know They are hard to find.

Dale

Dale,

Thanks for the info. I don't have a Cameo, just found the wheel in some wheels that I was selling. I suspected it was a Cameo wheel because of the the 3 clips and hubcap nubs. I'm going to clean it up and put it out there to see if anyone needs one of these rare dudes for a spare. Thanks again.

Robert aka: Runningiron