Bowling Ball Cap Installation (Easy!!!)

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Bowling Ball Cap Installation (Easy!!!)

Postby K.I.T.T. CREATOR on Tue May 15, 2007 11:42 am

After testing MANY different ways of installing these caps, this system was by far THE EASIEST . It literally took me about 12-15 minutes per wheel, including removing them from my car & re-mounting them back on! Give it a try & you'll never want to do it another way...GUARENTEED! :)

Step 1

Use 14" long, 35.56 centimeter zip ties available at any hardware store. Drill a small hole just large enough for your zip-tie to pass through on the same brackets as shown in the pic below.You can use larger size ties if you want, however remember the larger the holes, the less strength integrity you'll have. Remember these brackets are only plastic. Follow this same exact drilling pattern as pictured below.

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Step 2

Once your wheel is removed from your car, lean it up against something on a 45 degree angle.

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Step 3

Place your cap on the wheel & fit it into it's flush, mounting position.

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Step 4

While holding the cap on the wheel, slightly lift the edge of the cap off a bit to see where your zip-tie mounting holes are located. As you locate each drilled bracket, use red lipstick (yes...lipstick :D) to mark with a small red dot the rearest fin to that drilled bracket that you'll be wrapping the zip-tie around. I used red lipstick because it's much easier to remove than say a marker, pencil/pen or tape.

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Step 5

Once you have these 4 points marked on the fins, take a zip-tie & bend it exactly in half as pictured blow. Pass it through the marked fin from the back of the wheel through the front so that the 2 pointy edges of the zip-tie are facing you (as in the 2nd pic). Pass the edges through the hole in the bracket & connect it. Only pull/tighten it about 2.5 inches, then do the same for the other 3. Once you have all 4 ties loosely attached, make sure that all the tiny square locking parts of the zip ties are facing out the back of the wheels (as in the last 2 pics). This will make it much easier to tighten all 4 in the next step.

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Step 6

Now your cap should be attached at all 4 points with a few inches of slack on each tie. Fit your cap back into a flush position on the wheel. This may take some finagling as some of the slack from the ties may be in the way, but you'll eventually get it flat. Once the cap is in position, hold the front of the cap with your left hand & with your right slowly tighten each zip tie from inside the back of the wheel. As you tighten each tie, make sure that your ties are not twisted. If so, cut & re-tie them. The twist in the tie will weaken it's strength & may even break at some point. When all have been tightened, cut-off any slack but leave about a 1/2 inch piece in case you ever need to re-tighten with needle-nose pliers.
Re-mount the wheels back on your car using a 4-way lug wrench & BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL not to drop a lug inside the wheel...it's no fun getting them out!
YOUR DONE...enjoy!

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Last edited by K.I.T.T. CREATOR on Tue May 15, 2007 12:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'll bet George Lucas drives one of these things!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2584798
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Postby damo on Tue May 15, 2007 12:08 pm

Nice one. I've seen this method before somewhere. I heard it's the best! Thanks for reminding me :)

Last thing I need is a 100 dollar cap rolling down the road next to my TA only to realise that it's mine...
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Postby KentuckyKITT on Tue May 15, 2007 2:12 pm

I hate you man!! You have the tires I want! Nobody has them and their on a two month back order and there's even talk that BF Goodrich isn't going to make the 215 65 15s in that tire anymore. I had those tires on my last car and I walked right into the store and they had them in stock back then....now NO ONE has them. Arrrghhhh.

By the way good cap attaching method. That's pretty much how I do it.

Bryan
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Postby K.I.T.T. CREATOR on Tue May 15, 2007 2:28 pm

Bryan,
:-D That's strange? I had no problem getting these tires when I ordered them about 2 months ago? Got them in in 2 days! Try Town Fair Tire & have them do a locator if they have none in stock.
I'll bet George Lucas drives one of these things!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2584798
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Postby 80sKnight on Wed May 16, 2007 9:32 pm

Cool.

We did the same thing, but used 18 guage galvanized wire instead of zip ties. :D
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Postby THE HOFFABE on Thu May 17, 2007 10:57 am

Thanks for taking the time to do this. I had been wondering how it was done exactly...Think when i refinish mine i'll be going with this aproach cause i'm not trusting my clips too much anymore
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Re

Postby Forgetful on Fri May 25, 2007 11:12 am

Question,

Is it any easier or harder if I ziptie the caps onto the wheels before having tires mounted to them? Because my wheels are refinished and in boxes right now w/o tires on them.
"A man has to have a rag roof and at least 400 horses under him, or life is just...uh...regular."
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Postby knightdriver on Fri May 25, 2007 11:16 am

I'd wait until you had tires mounted, then istall the caps BEFORE you
mount it to the rim. You have a better chance of them being nice
and tight. I mounted mine this way as when I mounted and tied
the caps on the rim with the rims already on the car, I lost one as
it loosened up and disintigrated right off the rim, leaving only the tabs
from the cap tied into place.

You can use a 4 way lug wrench and install the rim on the car through
the holes in the cap. Just be careful not to slip or you could mess up
the cap.
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Postby K.I.T.T. CREATOR on Fri May 25, 2007 10:30 pm

Mount them on the tires first. Not only that, but considering how difficult it is to find a nice set of caps I wouldn't trust having the caps on the wheels while on the mounting machine or how they may be handled? Better safe than sorry! :D
I'll bet George Lucas drives one of these things!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2584798
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Postby GrandmasterA on Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:26 pm

@K.I.T.T. CREATOR: Do you still have the images from your posting?

If so could you upload them again and replace the links in your posting?


Thanks,
Andreas
1988 Firebird with T-Tops, V6 2.8 engine, 136 HPs, black
Tan interior, PMD-seats, 3rd/4th-season-dash with Jupiter electronics, 15" Turbo Cast Rims + hubcaps
http://www.myKITT.de/?lang=eng
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Postby luizel on Thu Dec 20, 2007 3:47 pm

is it just me or are these pics not loading for anybody else?


HELP!
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Postby GrandmasterA on Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:55 pm

K.I.T.T. CREATOR just gave me a link to the photos...

Hope it´s OK to post it here:
http://s179.photobucket.com/albums/w286 ... nd%20caps/

Very detailed description! Thank you very much @ K.I.T.T. CREATOR
1988 Firebird with T-Tops, V6 2.8 engine, 136 HPs, black
Tan interior, PMD-seats, 3rd/4th-season-dash with Jupiter electronics, 15" Turbo Cast Rims + hubcaps
http://www.myKITT.de/?lang=eng
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Postby tony westwood on Fri Feb 29, 2008 7:44 am

Hi K.I.T.T. CREATOR,

Have you possibly got a bigger version of the pic where you're drilling the holes please?

I don't know if it's old age taking my eyesight or what, but I'm having problems seeing EXACTLY where you're drilling the holes.

Thanks buddy,
Tony
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Postby stillgrowingup on Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:15 pm

For 4 years now. I've used clear silcone where the cap meets the rims. So far, I haven't seen any bowling balls pass me on the road :wink: But I think I like this method better. Thank you!

Giannakis
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Re: Bowling Ball Cap Installation (Easy!!!)

Postby sheltonw3 on Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:00 am

UMM!....all the images are gone!...why is this still a sticky? :roll:
Its not a question of how fast can it go?...its a question of how fast do you wish it to go?
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