The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Hub Cap Clips For Artillery Wheels **

** Can anyone with 16 inch artillery wheels let me know what hub cap clips you used so orig. type hub caps {53 3100} will fit orig. {40's} artillery wheels? Recently ordered clips from one of the often used repro vendors but they will not work. I see Jim Carter mentions in his catalog that his clips will not work on artillery wheels. ** Thanks for your help. **

The Wheel Smith has a hub cap adapter for artillery wheels. That may get you started. Also I think they can modify your caps. Are you saying your artillery wheels don't have any clips?

** When I acquired the set of artillery wheels most of the hub cap clips were missing or broken. I removed the remainder of the clips before sending to sand blasting & powder coating shop. Did not discover my repo clips would not work until after the fact. ** I was hoping someone had crossed this bridge before & could enlighten me on the corrective action that would be needed ln order to use the orig. type hub caps..

I have 8 lug wheels with still different clips.
The only aftermarket clips I've found work on some (not all) 1/2 ton wheels.

I contacted a few spring manufacturers about making replacement clips and this one sounded most promising.
http://www.generalwirespring.com/

I sent them some pictures, measurements, and info and they replied they can make them and would like a sample.
They also said they could make them in stainless steel, so I wouldn't have to paint or powder coat them.
I haven't sent a sample yet... found some used clips.

I too had a set of wheels blasted and coated recently and removed all the clips for a better job. Had the clips blasted and coated with the wheels (not installed).
My plan for reattaching is either stainless solid rivets, same as the original "universal head" steel rivets were set. Or install 10-32 x 3/16" Helicoils and use 10-32 x 1/4" stainless button head Allen screws. In my estimation a #10 screw looks like the right size except the old rivet holes in wheels are to large to tap, a Helicoil fixes that.

** I imagine the equipment needed & the set-up for a shop to reproduce the clips would make the clips price prohibitive. If no one comes up with a past experience that worked for them I will see if there is any way to get the repos to work.

The available clips aren't expensive, so having some made may not be expensive.
At some quantity I'm sure it's cost effective. I had considered contacting one of the usual Stovebolt restoration parts vendors and asking if they would be interested in the clips as a way to get high enough quantity to be worthwhile.
Without asking the spring manufacturer you can only guess at the price, if you're serious about it send them a sample and ask.

Another option is make them yourself.
You can buy annealed spring steel sheet from sources like McMaster Carr. Then shear it it to width, bend to shape and drill a hole. Send it out for heat treating, or heat treat yourself.
It's not hard to bend them one at a time to match the existing.

I'm sure Chevs of the 40s has them, also many years of caps will fit.
I also use their clips on my 8 lug (Ford Econoline) rims for my 3/4 ton, had to use some stick on rubber strips between cap and wheel but they are still on there.

https://www.chevsofthe40s.com/shop/...=All&year=1947&Deptfilter=Wheels

Those clips look OK but they're about 3/8" shorter than the clips on the 8 lug 19.5" wheels I have, which are same clips on original AD 17" single wheels, and other old 8 lug wheels.
Here's one of Denny's pictures that nicely illustrates the issue.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/117149892

Back to the original question, clips for even older artillery wheels, are you suggesting the available clips from Chevsofthe40s are correct for these wheels?

When I added clips to my new 8 lug rims I used what original clips I had in combination with some of the shorter ones and it did the job. Takes some patience plus trial and error to find the best spot to locate the shorter clips but until someone finds a cashe of nos clips we'll just have to make do.