Thank you for you kind words and complement. I'm glad to know some still find this thread useful.

My center cap emblems don't come off like yours do, and even if they did, it would look Really strange for fully chromed wheels and hubcaps to have that hole and sticker. But I can see how it would be fun for you to do the stickers.

How do you plan to make them stick seeing as the bearing cups are greasy?
(';')

 

I painted them! Just a test. I'll pick up some new shiny grease caps and maybe try a sticker or emblem later:



Looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. Here you can see the other side, unpainted:



Oh by the way, Gorilla lug nuts rock, 73187SMB. Full set of 20 for $60.



Padre

 

Look good to me. I'd stop right there.


When I got the lattice XJS wheels for my XJwuza 6, they came sans
caps. I rounded up 5 from various sources. Not new, but, decent.
Oh, after all was in place and a bit later, I noticed three are black and one is BRG!!!!


The extra is black. Will I pull that wheel off and swap the cap? Haven't done so and likely will not !!!


Carl

 

If they're the ones I'm thinking of, you can push the centre emblem off the mounting lugs with a small screwdriver or pin (they are glued on).
Then using a bit of wet and dry on a flat surface, sand off the colour on the back of the emblem leaving just the bits with the silver growler on. Then paint the backs in any colour you want (you can use plastic primer first), I matched them to my car body colour, and glue them back on to the mount.

Warning - Don't use thinners to clean them as it will craze the plastic.

 

Slick & thanks.


But, I think the wheel must be removed to push them out from the back of the wheel.


Unlike the Kents that came with the car. Easily removed on the
car. And, of metal, much more quality like than the plastic.


I even sought to conjure a way to securely mount them on the SJs wheels. None came up...


Carl

 

Been reading this thread and it brought memories of the FIrestone fiasco years ago, they had a run of bad sidewalls, I had 2 bad experiences with them and never bought a Firestone tire since then.

When the Michelins on my Jag finally bit the dust, I went to 16 inch wheels from a 1996 Jag XJ6 ,...no issues and perfect fit. Got rid of the chromed Kents.

Put a set of BF Goodrich on them, 225 60 16 .. I have had very positive experiences from BF Goodrich tires over the years, not super expensive, but I usually buy new tires when the tires on the car are a bit more than halfway used.

There is a "manufactured date" stamped onto the sidewall. So I do not get old tires that have not been mounted yet.

I had put the Michelins on the car and used them for 2 years, but never really liked them, however they were better than the Pirellis that came stock on the car. Years ago Pirelli Cinturatos were pretty good tires and I used them on a lot of cars I have owned, but things have changed.

Do I drive over a 100 MPH ? Hardly ever. But I do accelerate aggressively when merging on to the freeways, and I like a tire that has good siping for contending with wet rainy weather. One of the main reasons I get rid of tires when they are about 60% gone, is they don't seem to maintain the amount of traction I like in rainy weather.

The switch to 16 inch wheels was one of the best things I have done to the car in the wheel /tire department.

Spacers ? Never..

Air wrench to tighten lug nuts ? Never... especially with aluminum wheels - studs can / will twist in their bores and will be a bitch to remove once they lose their grip with the wheel material and just rotate until you can "catch up" with impact wrench,...but how to undo them at that point when they are freewheeling...

I usually get the tires mounted at the tire shop, load the wheels /tires into my van and put them on myself using a manual tire iron and torque wrench. So I know what is going on with studs ,..lug tightness etc. Not convenient but it works for me.

 

Thank you, Alyn, took a while to read, didn't it. I did the same myself when it surfaced again. WOW!! What we went through for a mere blowout! LOL
(';')

 

Padre, I replaced mine recently since the originals were crazing. Found these on eBay for almost no money. Yes, all the way from China, of course, but they are quite well made from thin aluminium, slightly domed and self adhesive. Fits perfectly into the seating recess of the hub cap. As they are surface mounted there are no clips to fit inside the recess. Might provide a solution for you?

Before and after:

 

Alyn:


After the Firestone/Bridgestone/Ford explorer disasters, one might expect that a lot of things changed at each company. for the better.
I think Ford increased wheel tread on its Explorer line. Although,
many feel that might have contributed, but was not a prime cause
of the "rollovers".


Point, those tires might be the safest of all. But, I sure can appreciate
any lack of confidence.


No stock in B. F. Goodrich. Wish I did !!! I am very pleased
with the "T" rated 215 x 70 x 15's on my car.


Carl

 

This car will end in my home in the near future.

I have bought this and waiting for my shipping agent to put it in RoRo to roll her to Africa for me.

Who among us here used to own this BIG CAT?

 

Congratulations, Mike, Nice car!
(';')