Hub cap won't fit new wheel!

[youngb506]

I bought a wheel from ESM at the National Rally three years ago and just fitted it with a brand new tyre. It was one of their no need for a tube rims. All looked great until I tried to get the hub cap on. Even with the extra persuasion of a rubber mallet it's like the caps too small. I tried one of the other hub caps with the same outcome.

Has any one else had this problem and worked out what to do? All the hub caps are the standard M in the middle type. The whole car looks wrong with a missing hub cap.

[Rasputin]

I bought five of their wheels for my pickup ,and managed to get the hub caps on but they kept falling off as I drove along.After losing two hubcaps,I left them off.I asked ESM and they said nobody else had reported any problems.

[simmitc]

Moral of the story: Contact ESM. All the suppliers seem to claim "nobody else had the problem" (whatever it is); but in fairness, if nobody complains, then how will they know? Even after three years, the wheel has not changed dimensions, so ask them to supply a hubcap to fit. Please report back on the outcome. It could be poorly made wheels or caps, or even both.

[mike.perry]

In theory hub caps come in two sizes, small for Series MM/early Series II and large for the later cars. I have found a conciderable variation in sizes of what should be the same size hub caps, some fit with a couple of taps and others I have had to knock out of circular, push on and twist tight.
There are plenty of plastic hub caps (wheel trims) littering the roads but I neverr seem to find any chrome ones

[youngb506]

I phoned ESM who said they had a similar wheel on their wall with a hub cap on and suggested I measure the size of my caps which were all exactly the size specified. Strange. The next morning I went out and managed to bash it on with a club hammer and a piece of 2x4. Hope it stays on.

[bmcecosse]

Hope you can get it off when you get a flat tyre some dark and wet night..... Others have reported balance and concentricity problems with these wheels - are yours ok ?

[Boomlander]

Found the same problem with the ESM rims (apart from the rust bursting through the paint after a couple of weeks!)
Hubcaps had to be belted on with a hammer and wood block.
Finally ditched the "New" rims and refurbished a set of used originals - problem solved, caps just pushed on and held tight!