Dust cap help

[Bags]

I hate to be such a moron but does anyone have any tricks on getting the dut cap off the fron hubs so I can finish changing rotors etc.???? I've hit, tapped, wrenched. I can't twist cause the rotor twists. THANK YOU
Mike

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

You'll never twist it off. It needs to come straight out from the hub, and the standard way of doing it is alternate pry-pry-pry-pry maneuvers with a big screwdriver or a cold chisel, using the hub as a fulcrum to put outward pressure on the cap. It requires going around and around the thing, getting it out a micrometer at a time here and there and everywhere, until finally it comes loose. You can't bang it and hope to make it come off with one mighty blow, you can't twist it, it's a cumulative process. One thing that might help you get a grip on it is to clamp a hoseclamp around it really tight, to give your screwdriver some extra purchase. If all else fails, try a good penetrant and heat on the hub, to make it expand away from the cap.

Stephan

[Bags]

Thanks Stephan I'm on my way back out to the garage!!!!
Mike

[Noel]

My preferred method is to use the claw side of a hammer and pry a section using a lug as the fulcrum point. Then rotate the rotor about a half turn and do it again. The cap usually moves about 1mm per pry motion. Do this and be patient and it WILL come off.

Noel

[catuck]

I clamp vice grips onto the cover and wiggle as I pull outward. Works like a charm.

[Wil Ferch]

A 2" *muffler clamp* is the perfect size to fit the cirumferential groove..use this as a fulcrum point and work it around slowly ...

930/Turbo (nuclear) dust caps have their own problems...

---Wil Ferch

[toolman]

I couldn't get mine off either so I heated it up the hub with an oxy-acetylene torch and it came right off.

[Decolliber]

This has come up before. Do a search and you find a lot of creative solutions. The one that worked for me was a pair of large channel lock pliers. Grip the cap at a 90 degree angle and rock the pliers up and down.

[jbripps]

Took us over an hour and a half our first time. I think the muffler clamp idea is the best. I found this out AFTER my first removal, but will use it in the future.

regards,

[JeremyD]

I tried all three and the one that worked THE BEST for me was two hammers - put one end of the claw under the ridge of the dust cap, hit the hammer on the head with hammer #2 - worked like a charm for me - and much easier than option a or option b

[Bags]

I went back out and tried the patient tapping. Also had a muffler clamp and channel locks. No luck so far. I placed penetrating spray to sit overnight and will try heating it tomottow. Will butane get it hot enough?
Mike

[toolman]

I don't know if butane is going to get you enough heat, you need to heat the hub to get it to expand enough for some clearance. You will also have to regrease you bearings and replace the seals.

[Gunter]

Bags: Go with the above: Use large channel locks and rock up and down. Or muffler clamp. Spraying penetrating oil on it is o.k. I would not use heat.