My new truck has rusty hubs

[John Kogel]

Our Ford Ranger was getting old so I sold it and bought this Ford Escape from a guy in his 80's who has kept it in a parking garage for 5 years. It is AWD, good on gas and a decent inspect-mobile. Sirius radio is a bonus. [:-party]

When I went to put winter rims on it I was a bit chagrined to see how rusty the axle ends are. The factory mags have center caps but they don't seal the hubs in any way.

How should I protect the threads? Paint was my 1st thought, might make the nuts hard to remove? Plus it is too cold and wet now.

Then grease but it will spray onto the rims, wipe with an oily rag? silcone, never-sieze? Shoe-goop?

Has anyone tried liquid tape?

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[Jim Katen]

Some good ideas here:

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/show ... p?t=498929

[John Dirks Jr]

For stuff like that, I use Permatex anti seize made for brakes. Thick enough to spread it on with a small brush. It will stay put and keep the threads in good shape.

http://www.permatex.com/products-2/prod ... ant-detail

[Chad Fabry]

John, I fixed thousands of cars and trucks from 1978 through 2005. If you must, a little grease or antiseize. But seriously, it'll come apart easily at the business end of an Ingersoll Rand 2135... with or without protection.

[John Kogel]

Thanks, I just don't find rusted threads very attractive or correct.

I'll grease them and seek out some little hubcaps.

The 50's Chrysler products had rear brake drums on tapered axles with a nut on the end. The trick to getting those drums off was to crack the nuts loose a turn, slip the cotter pins back in, and then go for a drive around the block. If that didn't pop the hubs loose, you went for a longer drive and hit a few potholes. []

But the hub caps fit tight and kept nuts and hubs relatively clean.

[Chad Fabry]

The 50's Chrysler products had rear brake drums on tapered axles with a nut on the end. The trick to getting those drums off was to crack the nuts loose a turn, slip the cotter pins back in, and then go for a drive around the block. If that didn't pop the hubs loose, you went for a longer drive and hit a few potholes.

AMC had the same thing through the seventies. I still have the hub puller.

[ghentjr]

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&node=1 ... u7o9iz0c_b

http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/c-8 ... -caps.aspx

[John Kogel]

When men were men, hubcaps were hubcaps.

Great ideas, Jim. Plumbing stack caps and a mallet. Might fit.

Chrome bearing buddy trailer caps? Hmmm.

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[ghentjr]

I agree, but if you got a rear tire flat on the way to the prom . . . . .

[John Kogel]

When men were men, hubcaps were hubcaps.

Great ideas, Jim. Plumbing stack caps and a mallet. Might fit.

Chrome bearing buddy trailer caps? Hmmm.

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I agree, but if you got a rear tire flat on the way to the prom . . . . .

Hydraulics and PosiTrac. So you drift along to the prom with one wheel up. Ladder in the trunk, big back seat, ..... yeh.