Community Forums

mikebreeze · 07-27-2013, 11:11 AM

Both of my front wheel hub caps are misaligned such that I can't get an air pressure gauge or a compressor air nozzle to successfully fit over the valve. How do you remove or turn these types of hub caps? Are they just like car hub caps, only bigger? Do I need a special tool to turn them and/or remove them or will a heavy duty crow bar do? I could wait until I take my rig in for an oil change this fall but I need to learn how to check the air pressure in the front tires. Pictures below. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

davismills · 07-27-2013, 11:27 AM

I hope I'm reading your question correctly. Six of the hub nuts are not real nuts. The remaining two are real and can be removed, allowing the complete hub cap to be removed. My coach came with a large nut driver to allow the removal of the two "real" nuts. There should be enough play to allow access to your valve. If not, I'd try swapping the hub caps with the one on the other side and see if that works. The "real" nuts have a dimple punched into them for easy identification.

96 Wideglide · 07-27-2013, 11:29 AM

If thats your valve stem showing, thats as close as your gona get. May have to cut away the opening to give yourself more space. Dont pry on the hubcap, two of those fake nut's will be real nut's that need to be removed for the cap to come off.

Selah · 07-27-2013, 12:30 PM

The two real nuts will have a slight indentation on one of the flats.

mikebreeze · 07-27-2013, 02:21 PM

Good thing that I didn't try to pry it off. Thank you all very much. This forum rocks!

TdogKing · 07-27-2013, 09:15 PM

Something is amiss, once you remove the 2 real lugs and the cover you can figure out why it rotated. It's not supposed to rotate. I found out its a problem with some caps as years ago it did it to me on another coach. You need to figure out why because unless you have steel stems it will eventually cause a failure in a rubber stem.

Chuck48 · 07-28-2013, 04:56 AM

Had the same problem with my last motorhome. You will not be able to rotate the wheel cover enough to make any difference. Go to a truck stop and buy a couple two inch metal valve extensions. Problem solved. Good luck.

Wayne M · 07-28-2013, 10:06 AM

Get the brass valve extensions as they can be bent slightly to accommodate the offset. I use a 90 degree off of the original stem. When checking or filling I use my Leatherman needle nose pliers to hold the stem while I push the chuck on.

vsheetz · 07-28-2013, 11:04 AM

I use a adjustable crescent wrench to remove mine. Just takes a few seconds. I have TPS sensors that are a tight fit to remove with the wheel cover in place. On the rare occasion I need to add air I just take off the wheel covers.

Walter5555 · 07-28-2013, 11:34 PM

I just checked my air presser a week ago and I did remove the hubcaps on the front two wheels.

As the earlier threads said you have two bolt covers that have a small indentation in the side of them (there are only two of these on the hubcap).

A small wrench will remove them, then you have to remove the nuts under the caps in order to take the wheel cover off.

The nuts are not to tight so take your time.

Just a thought.

spritz · 07-29-2013, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebreeze

Both of my front wheel hub caps are misaligned such that I can't get an air pressure gauge or a compressor air nozzle to successfully fit over the valve. How do you remove or turn these types of hub caps? Are they just like car hub caps, only bigger? Do I need a special tool to turn them and/or remove them or will a heavy duty crow bar do? I could wait until I take my rig in for an oil change this fall but I need to learn how to check the air pressure in the front tires. Pictures below. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

I see by your pic your running on Kelly Tires? How do you like them?

Don and Barb · 07-31-2013, 05:04 PM

My caps look exactly like these. Mine just pop off with a small pry-bar and go back on with a rubber mallet. I had the same problem when I first bought my MH and I popped off the cap, no more problem. I also have a problem on my rear. Who ever changed the tires didn't make sure you could get to the inside valve stem. Since I'm going to need new tires soon, I found that if I take of the hub cap the holes in the rim are a lot bigger than the holes in the hub cap and I can reach my whole arm in between the tires to put air in.

Max Hubrich · 08-02-2013, 06:40 AM

I had a similiar problem on the rear wheels some years ago. On the front wheels, as mentioned, I used a 2" extension.

Don and Barb · 08-06-2013, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Hubrich

I had a similiar problem on the rear wheels some years ago. On the front wheels, as mentioned, I used a 2" extension.

I have extensions but I haven't used them yet. My friend has them and he was told that it's not a good idea to attach them to the hub cap without making sure the hub cap is secured. If the you hit a hard bump and the hub cap pops off you will have an open hose attached to your tire and it will bleed out in no time. They have extensions that cut off the air flow if this happens but they are expensive.