Creaking hub caps

[Bonnewagon]

I use Pontiac Rally II wheels on my Bonnewagon. In Winter I remove the chrome trim rings and center caps to preserve them. I slap on a set of 1972 Catalina hub caps. They are all noisy on occasion but one in particular creaks and groans incessantly. Sometimes only when I brake, sometimes all the time, sometimes not at all. No matter how I bend the tabs they still do it. I found some cracks around the edges and bent those open to no avail. What causes them to make such a racket? How do I make it stop? This is the style I am using.

 

[pontiacgp]

is it the tire rubbing the edge of the hucap?.

 

[Bonnewagon]

No. You know the creaking sound they make as you pry them off the wheel? That is the sound.

 

[pontiacgp]

steel wheels flex so maybe a little spray of wd 40 may help

 

[Bonnewagon]

Would that not wash away pretty quickly? But maybe a bit of grease?

 

[pontiacgp]

If the wd works then you know your on the right path, the grease is a bit harder to clean if lubrication doesn't work. Those hub caps on steel rims didn't make noise when new so I wonder what is causing them to make noise now. They look like the hub caps that were on my uncle's 78 Parisienne

 

[TURNA]

a dab of petroleum jelly

 

[spidereyes455]

Any chance the caps are flexing or are too close and rubbing the protruding center hub of the ralley II's ?

 

[Bonnewagon]

rubbing

No, I tried them on another car with plain steel rims and they still creaked. I guess they are flexing but then all of them would be too. Only one really is annoying.

 

[ssn696]

Not sure how loud we are talking here, but I have one tire on my truck that I can hear 'groan/squeak' at low speed when I have the windows town. You might check the central inserts are tight.