Beautification in terms of axle covers and hub caps

When we purchased Miss Doozie, she had plastic chrome axle covers that were, uhm, challenging. They were difficult to get on so they would stay, but then they were also hard to get off! And, when they were on, we could not check the hub oil in the front and tag axles.

So, we had removed them and just went without any covers for a while. While at the farm, we decided to try to get the needed items ordered and installed.

For the front and tag axle, we wanted to have covers that would allow us access to the hub oil without having to remove a cap, so we looked for "hubdometer" covers. The front just needed a hub cap, but the duals and tag needed an axle cover.

front wheel

I should have taken a picture before we put the hubcaps on, but they are on the two front wheels, and we've put lug nut covers on also.

The duals look really spiffy with the domed axle cover, "beauty ring" around its base and behind the lug nuts (which keeps the domed cover on), and lug nut covers. We also have Crossfires on the duals to keep the pressure equal between the two tires, and to enable us to see the relative pressure with just a glance. Jimmy and Dwayne mounted the Crossfire indicator on the side of the axle cover and it looks really nice!

 For the tag axle, we don't yet have a happy story.

Sad tag axle with no cover ;-(

The front took a hub cap and the manufacturer made one with a hubdometer hole.

The duals don't need access for hub oil, so a two-piece axle cover (beauty ring + domed axle cover) was what we needed.

The two-piece axle cover with a hubdometer cap that the manufacturer had was short, for a front axle. They had a three-piece (beauty ring, stove-pipe looking thing, and dome cap) axle cover. So, we ordered the two-piece with hubdometer cap (made for a front axle) and the three piece, with the plan to replace the dome cap with the hubdometer cap.

Two problems:

• The dome caps both came dented (not too big a deal because we weren't planning to use them anyway, but we were hoping to try to sell them so wanted them in good shape).
• The "stove pipe" part was a lot longer than the length of the two-piece domed axle cover that we have on the dual - so it looked strange, and it would make it very difficult to check and fill the hub oil.

So, at this point, the manufacturer is supposed to be sending us a new set of the 3 piece axle covers (even though we only need the dome). Jimmy and Dwayne have taken the stove pipe to an automotive restoration and customization place and a fellow there is going to try to cut it down. We'll see if we can end up with a happy tag axle or not!

Beauty ring in the protective plastic

Three-piece axle cover with hubdometer cap on it - that's the stovepipe part that is too long.

I needed to take pictures of the domes to email to the company we purchased from so they could see how they were bent - it was challenging taking a picture of a shiny thing, but I got the idea of having them reflect the doors of Jimmy's shop where the dark vertical line would have an obvious kink in it.

from the inside

The other one wasn't bent as much, but it was still damaged.

So, this story will need to be continued when I know "the rest of the story"...