Removing Hub Caps (a.k.a "Wheel Embellishers")

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Written by Malcolm Eades

This little tip is not really about a special tool in the workshop manual sense, but since this section was otherwise empty, I thought I'd slip it in here! It comes from John White via Trevor Jones, who passed it on to me.

How do you get those pesky hub caps off without damaging your nice newly silver-painted wheels? They're too stiff to use just your fingers. If you have an original wheelbrace, it should have a purpose made flat end that tucks under the cap but it relies on the paintwork for a pivot. If not, you may be using a big screwdriver or some other tool. The problem is that the tool needs to bear on something to get leverage but if it's on the paint, it may chip it. John's tip is to keep something like an old credit card with the wheel brace, so that you can tuck it under the pivot point and protect the wheel paint. A credit card is good because it is a handy size for the job and has enough inherent strength to resist the leverage. Cardboard etc won't last as long.