Three Prong Hub Caps
 

I've got the older style wheels that use the three-prong small wheel caps, and they keep getting stolen.

Does anybody have any good ideas for keeping the bare-hand theft from happening?

I'm thinking of trying silicone, but not sure if its strong enough. Any other ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Don't use center caps. A lot of the R Gruppe style cars run without them, saves weight and rotating mass.

Install a set screw - drill & tap. Tack weld them on. Use low strength locktite. Usually, it can be heated to 275 degees and the stuff will break down. Part of the design. Check out mcmaster carr and review their locktite products. The last of three is probably the one I'd recommend.

Thanks guys...
I'm not racing, and I don't care for the missing center cap look too much.

I like the idea of the set screw, and I've thought about that, but it looks like a pain, there's no groove to grab the screw if I tap the inside lip of the cap, and it looks like a pain to drill and tap the spring steel prongs.

Tack welding doesn't sound like a good idea, if I go get my tires replaced, they would need to come off to get spin balanced.

Locktite sounds pretty good, but also a ***** to get off. But, I think you're right, I think I'm looking at a silicone or locktite solution. I was just wondering if anybody came up with other creative solutions on their own.

A friend of mine bought some non P wheels that had the centercaps glued on with a lot of RTV. We tried to get them off, it was very difficult.
The older wheels have an increase in dia where the three tangs of the center cap grips. If you filled that with RTV, you won't be losing any more centercaps. The downside is that those lowlife crackheads will mark up your wheels trying to pry them off.

saves weight and rotating mass.

- it's negligible & just cosmetic for any of us

You can buy ones that are non-removable - but again the meatballs who steal them may do add'l damage to your wheels

Randy I realize that, however nill it may be, it does indeed save weight and rotating mass. I'll take any advantage I can get, and it's cheap and easy to take them off (apparently too easy).

I should mention it's basically just a rationalization for removing them or running w/o them, but hey at least there's a reason.

OK - it's a rationalization for the cosmetics - there's nothing (nuthin' rong wit dat) wrong with that
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I just want to warn everybody that I am collecting examples for a Rgruppe article tentaively titled "Stuff that is NOT important"

Subtitled "Do the Math!"