I bought a restored '56 Crown Victoria.  It has stock 15" wheels and stock full coverage hubcaps.  I don't think I have over 30 miles on it since I bought it.

I have had the hub caps fall off 4 times.  Three times for the left front and one time for the left rear.  I even bent out the tangs slightly on the LF hubcap and it still fell off again.

Any suggestions???

I've heard that radial tires cause flexing of the wheels. I don't know of a cure except to change to modern wheels or go to small hubcaps. Beautiful car, though!

Congratulations.. Damn nice vehicle , very jealous.  That should not be happening with the caps , I bought aftermarket ones a few years back from Tbirds when I was in Cali .. They are tight as !  They are pushed all the way on ?? I have to use a soft wood hold against the rim of it and hit it with my other hand to get mine on all the way.. 



"Came too close to dying to stop living now!"

I’ve heard that story about radials before. But I’d think you’d really have to lean on it to flex the wheels. Back in the day I remember bias plies howling and sliding and the caps stayed on. So I’d be looking at the caps, or maybe so many layers of paint on the wheels it’s the paint letting go. I know I’ve never had it happen with dog dish caps and trim rings on original wheels.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

I always put them on with a rubber mallet and had few come off. Sometimes you can bend the grip ring out a bit to tighten them up. 

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire

I have radials on my '55 T-bird on 15" rims, and not a problem.  In the past when I have had those hubcaps come off, the rim was bent, and was hard to detect the bend.  You will have to lift the tire off the ground and spin it with a dial indicator to find out if the rim runs true.  If the rims are true, then are they the correct rim for a hubcap?  Some folks have installed a later model 15" rim on these older cars, and the rims aren't designed for a full hubcap.  Joe-JDC

JDC

Yes, mine on my 55 are very tight.  I also need the rubber mallet to get them pushed in all the way around and all the way in.

Beautiful car! if you lose any hubcaps I have a nice set I won’t ever use.fender skirts too off a 55 crown Vic

I had the same problem with the same problem with the front right cap on my 56 64B, last time it came off was on interstate #95 at 65 MPH. I replaced it with a extra cap I had and never had the problem again.