The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Restoring 1954-55 Chevy 3600 3800 Hub Caps

In all the years I've been messing with these trucks, I've never tried to separate the outer skin from from an original hub cap. I've got a pile of very solid 54-55 Chevy 3600 3800 hub caps that have no rust, but lots of repairable dents and dings. These caps will likely never be reproduced and so I think they should be repaired if possible. I'd love to tackle the chore myself. I'm just wondering if anyone has come up with a good method for separating the skins so that they'll go back together. My intention as of now is that these will be painted caps. I don't know if they could be ironed out to the degree necessary to plate them.

Since the caps are going to be painted, maybe a stud welder and a slide hammer could be used to help remove the dents.

Just a thought.

Interesting thought. I don't own a stud welder and honestly if possible, I'd like to do the metal work with traditional metal bumping techniques if possible. My main concern is whether or not it'd be smarter to surgically remove the entire swaged over rim of the outer skin by carefully cutting it off and then maybe having it carefully welded back on after metal work is complete, or if cutting a number of slices in the rim, oriented toward the center and then peeling them up just enough to free the skin would be better. That way maybe it could be stitched back together with less damage? I suppose I could test my ideas on a couple beater sacrificial caps to see what works. I just need to come up with a couple sacrificial caps!

Removing the outer skin by the methods you suggest would likely be the best approach. Either way, the metal will need to be dressed up quite a bit, as bending the rim open and then bumping it back shut would likely result in it not going back exactly like it was, and may actually crack the rim. I kind of like just grinding off the rim to free the cover then carefully welding the two pieces back together.
Another approach might be to cut out the center of the liner, leaving the rim intact, do your dent repair and welding the liner back in or even leaving it out completely. There's no telling what you're going to find between the layers, and if you're worried about structural integrity and/or warping from welding, you could clean between the two parts and use JB weld to stick the them back together.

I haven't tried the stud welder approach yet, but that may be the least destructive approach. I plan on using it on a few dents on my cab where the back side is not accessible.

Kevin, you make a lot of good points... I'm now thinking that my first idea about cutting the rim free would be the best way to go. Maybe if I can get a really clean cut, I could get the rim tig welded back on so that the heat could be controlled really well in order to avoid excess damage/warping. I'm wondering if I might be able to find someone with a lathe that could chuck up one of these caps. I'm thinking a good sharp bit could turn the rim free more cleanly than any other method.

I doubt if a stamped steel hubcap is concentric enough to run true enough in a lathe to get a nice even cut. I like Kevin’s idea of cutting out the center liner leaving the rim intact. That would give you the best shot at not distorting the hubcap. Using a thin cut-off wheel in an angle grinder should give you a clean and thin gap to Enable you to TIG (or MIG) back together.

I think it could be done with a 4-jaw chuck. You'd want to use a dial indicator to get them close enough to slice the covers off.
Either method (cutting off in a lathe or cutting the liner out) would probably take 1 or 2 tries to get it correct.

I hammered these out from the back, sanded, rust treated, bondo and then paint. One even had a rust hole that i filled with JBweld. At least three years outdoors and they still look good. I went with all black but they could be painted factory colors and still look good

I'm confident they can be chucked up with a 4 Jaw. It's pretty common for NAPCO guys to chuck the OE caps up to cut holes for locking hubs with no issues.



I like your truck, 66flea! Your caps look pretty nice from what I can see! Are you saying you did your body work without separating the inner from the outer cap? You wouldn't happen to have any more nice 55.1 3600's laying around would you? I'm in need of a pair.

I didn't separate the inner from the outer. I looked for a long time to find the five that I have (I have one in my garage as an extra because the spare tire cap is from 3100) They're very hard to find. but just keep trying. I got two from the stovebolt swap meet and three from ebay. A good driver quality cap might go for $50 and up. I'm cheap so i waited to find rusty dented ones for $25. And finished them as I described. Good luck

When I was rummaging around in Jim Carter's basement last spring, they had one or two 3/4 ton hub caps there. You might give them a call. I was looking for 3100 hub caps.

All of the above will work, once you carefully get the skins off the dents can be hammered out. I had to do this on my 42' Deluxe coup. I was only 16 and Dad got it off. Used his body dowels and a leather hammer to pound out lightly two hundred taps are much better than three hits. Today ya'll need to try Pegatanke, I have been a JB Weld guy for 50 years JB didn't hold on the pot metal of my 46' Cad. carb. It is stronger than anything I have ever used, comes in clear,black & white. Used it on the accelerator stub out on a Rochester AFB a year ago, still going. I believe Dad boiled the cap first and used welding gloves. You cannot use flame or dry heat because the zinc fumes are very toxic. I will ask my older brother and get back ASAP, he may know. Doc

I said I would get back with you this a.m. I asked my brother about removing the skins he said you can't get the skins off. He said to look in the very old tool box for curved and edged hammer dowel's. Have not looked in Dads tool box in years, still a little concerned he will come back and chew me out. Low and behold it was full of old body dowels I think he used them on his 48' Buick. Anyway enough of that I tried one that is shaped like an airplane wing, used a copper hammer and tapped for an hour and a half. It works! The zinc back was no problem, found a guy in Orlando (used him many times), that will put some type of electro plate on them for $48;00 each. Mine are for a 42 Chevy car. But give it a try, there are plenty of auto body shops in this old town but the old timers are gone, you may be able to ask and find some for scrap price. Or you can send them to me only cost would be shipping, I love to do this kind of stuff, I'm getting closer to 80 and it will keep my mind off women. Doc

Where are the stove bolt swap meets? I'm not THAT close to 80 but it keeps the women from looking, my dear wife appreciates it. Oh by the way you want to by some dry land in Florida? Always dry in my pastures until it rains.Doc

Cutting a circular hole in the center is entirely different than cutting off the outer rim of a stamped hub cap. You could have a .100” runout at the rim and still cut a perfect hole in the center only it would not be perfectly centered. Chucking a stamped hub cap and getting it to run true enough to slice the outer cap from the inner is a horse of a different color. True, a four jaw is the way to do this as you can bring up some of the low spots to get it to run somewhat true. Some of the issues you may encounter are:

1) You need to apply enough pressure from the jaws to keep it from spinning or worse, being ripped out of the chuck. Trust me, you don’t want it to be ripped out from the chuck. If your lucky enough not to get hurt, it usually destroys the part. You may not be able to apply enough pressure to keep it from spinning without distorting it. Remember its only stamped steel, more than likely no more than 18 gauge (.048”). Let me explain. As you put more outward pressure on the jaws, you will be pulling in the portion of the cap between the jaws creating new low spots making it more difficult to get it to run true. If I was cutting just the center for a hub, I would not be concerned with temporarily distorting the rim of the cap. More then likely it will return back to it’s original shape.

2) Assuming you do get it to run somewhat true, say for example <.010” at the rim, the inner and outer cap might be in contact with each other especially where its rolled over. By the time you cut thru the low side of the outer cap you could be cutting into the high side of the inner cap.

3) When you are finishing cutting thru the outer cap, it will not cut thru evenly. It will break thru the high spots first, followed by the average, then thru the low spots. At the point it is ready to fall off, the tool bit might grab the cap and rip it out of the chuck. This is especially true if you have only one low spot. I would stop before this happens and finish it with a Dremel and a thin cut-off wheel.

One more caution: Turn the cap slowly. If it does get ripped out of the chuck, the slower you go, the less damage it will do.

I’m not saying it’s impossible but as a career machinist with over 27 years in a shop, I’m saying it will not be easy and could be down right dangerous.

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I definitely see your points and will proceed with extreme caution!