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I have completed dozens of chores on my my DeSoto over the winter, the latest being a new rear shelf and new windlace on the front doors. Now that the car may soon leave the garage I need to figure out how to keep those wheel covers on. These fit like none I have ever encountered before, by gripping on the very outermost edge of the rim where the balance weights are sitting. I don't know how to have both at once. The weights won't let the cover seat. How can I have both at once?
When I received the car it had aftermarket covers that fit into the deeper recess on the rim. The seller delivered the car to me in NY from North Carolina and managed to lose one cover. He got very lucky that the cover shift from radial tire rim flex didn't shear off a valve. The three covers that remained had all ridden over the valve and bent it behind the cover.
I have three Chinese repro '57 Lancer style covers but acquired many of the correct covers for 1960 that I want to use. Will I get them to fit securely even with the weights in place?
Thanks for any ideas,
Justin
John,
I sell new cars for a living. In most of the new vehicles that come in, the balancing weights are inside the wheel, instead of the more common wheel weight that fit on the outside of the rim.
See if you can find someone that would balance the wheel with these type of weights and I think that it would seat properly. I have not tried it on my DeSoto, but it might be worth a try.
Kevin Luzader
One of the accessories available for the earlier Chrysler products was the valve stem cover. I see them occasionally for sale on EBay. Basically what they did was you took off the valve cap, slid these sleeves over the stem then replaced the cap. The hole on the wheel cover was large enough to let the stem and cover fit through and these prevented the cover from spinning. I have a set on my Imperial and had them on my 51 DeSoto as well and the covers never moved.
Chris
That is a very interesting suggestion. I have been concocting valve stem covers out of lamp parts and finish washers to do the same thing.
J
As mentioned, put the weights on the inside of the wheel and you should be good to go.
Ron
Back in the day there was such a thing as off-set wheel weights. There was the usual clamp that went over and locked onto the wheels edge and the lead weight. But there's approximately 3/4" of space with a flat area between the two. An old time garage may have some on the back shelf if you find the guy that knows about them.
