Firstgenfanatic

Ok, I went to all my local wheel/tire stores and asked about generic chrome hub caps to put on my Alcoa wheels (previously off of a Ford). Every place I went had nothing that fit. The hub opening was just a tad too small for the 3/4-1 ton chrome caps. All these tire shops gave me the "give it up kid, these wheels ain't gonna work with hubcaps" attitude. Now it makes sense why these Alcoa's always go "hubcap-less" on rigs all the time. I have only 2 options it seems like:

1. Machine the hub opening slightly larger to accept generic hubcaps

2. Use small lugnuts and retain the Ford factory hubcaps (not something I wanna do)

Anybody have a better suggestion?

Mopar Kid

Beat to fit? hehe

Just how much bigger does the opening need to be? If it's only needing to very slightly be enlarged you could use a Dremel tool with a small grinding head and knock off a little for enough clearence. I had a set of old wheels I had to do that with. It was just the unfinished surface inside the lip where your talking about that was snagging a hugcap. Smoothed it up sorta like port and polish...only on wheels and worked great

Billut

call Alcoa 1 888 mywheel and they'll walk you thru the different depths of hub caps available for rear wheels. The front wheel hub cap for 4x4, is one of a kind and it's deep, something like 4.5". Other info, the bore dia. is 4.88" on those Alcoas, so you can check prestigewheels.com, they have a center cap page in there, if I recall.
Good luck

Tuckerdee

I had to get my Ford Alcoas machined to fit the Alcoa hubcaps. That's the only way I know to do it. Cost me around $75. Made just you get a 45* chamfer machined on the backside. This allows for the o-ring and lip of the cap to fit into.

MoparMarv

Alcoa has them out there. try soutwest wheel. My set came with some that just say alcoa so they do make them. and they still make that wheel today.

Tuckerdee

That's what I have. But the Ford style Alcoa wheels have a smaller center then the others. There's also four little notches for the tangs on the Ford hubcap to clip into. The only way to get the Alcoa caps to fit is to have the centers machined out a bit.

Firstgenfanatic

I think your right about having to machine the factory FORD Alcoa's. It seems to me that there is a difference between the FORD alcoa's and the ones you get directly from Alcoa/Southwest Wheel/etc. The FORD alcoa's have notches in the hub for the factory hubcap, therefore these wheels were never designed to run the hubcap that pushes from behind the wheel face. The ones brand-new from Alcoa/Southwest Wheel have no notches and are probably machined a bit larger so that you can use the Alcoa wheel hubcap assessories they sell. I will probably take these wheels to the machinist vocation program down at the college I attend. A fellow instructor said this is "cake-work" for modifying these wheels to fit "traditional" chrome push behind hubcaps. I am wondering what degree they will need to bevel the backside for the proper seating of the hubcap? (maybe 45*?) Hopefully I can figure this all out.........these wheels are really worth the trouble, superior product!

scottmn1

There is several center caps for Alcoa wheels listed in the NAPA Balkamp catalog. I have seen the photos of them in there. Not sure if they will fit, but worth checking out at your local NAPA store if you have one.

woodrat

This is why I just ran them with no hubcaps at all. Much simpler!

PapeCAT

on ebay and such you can buy generic hubcaps, they are the same as the ford hubcaps, but don't say "ford" on them. Also you can take the 2nd gen hubcaps with the shouldered lug nuts and fit those on there, but you'll need to remove a bit of the material on the hubcaps so they'll mount.

Firstgenfanatic

I called the local machinist shop down at my technical school today. Looks like possibly the guy can enlarge the hub opening slightly for the "generic" chrome hubcaps I bought at the local wheel/tire store. All this seems like a lot of trouble, but these wheels are way cooler to me than any aftermarket wheel. The big thing is that they are made by a quality brand and have a high load rating. I will post pics if this "machining" process goes through.

Firstgenfanatic

Looks like this might be the easiest route to go for hubcaps. I do have the stock FORD ones for the front.........but need the ones for the rear wheels. Does anyone know of a company or hubcap place that sells the stock rear FORD Alcoa hubcaps? Need the plain ones without the writing on them.

bgilbert

I wish I could come across a set of these wheels. I prefer the hubcap-less old style hub sticking out look. Let's everyone know it's a 'real' truck.

JPR Ram

I wouldn't even worry about hub caps. Run without them. Paint the hubs nice and black, maybe get some cool looking lugnuts or lugnut covers AND be done with it. That's all I did on mine. I think being able to see that big hub says......."this IS a truck".

PapeCAT

yah I run hubcapless. I'd keep an eye out on craigslist Bill