Ok, you would never think this question would come up....but here it is:

How do the plastic lug covers come off?

There a PLASTIC bolt cover that I can't seem to remove I tried pulling and twisting them. I don't want to pry them off or damage them, (they look new) with a scre driver. I assume the wheel lugs are under them. I even looked in the owner manual (fun reading BTW, almost comical with the terms used to describe features or construction) and they say nothing about them from what I saw.

They have to just snap on, right?

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1987 Fiero GT 2.8

Using the same lug nut wrench that you'll remove the lug nuts with, lightly turn the plastic covers counter-clockwise (same direction as anything that is screwed in). The lug nut covers are screwed onto the top of the lug nuts themselves.

quote Originally posted by broderp: They have to just snap on, right?

No.

Once in a while the owners manual has some good information:

quote Originally posted by raccoons: Using the same lug nut wrench that you'll remove the lug nuts with, lightly turn the plastic covers counter-clockwise (same direction as anything that is screwed in). The lug nut covers are screwed onto the top of the lug nuts themselves.

I'll add to that, under no circumstances let anyone use an impact wrench on the covers! You just never know.

Spoon

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Two yeast spent their entire life "about 2 days" discussing what the purpose of life could be and not once did they even come close to the fact that they were making champagne. Quoted by: Unknown

quote Originally posted by Spoon: I'll add to that, under no circumstances let anyone use an impact wrench on the covers! You just never know. Spoon

they are fine to take them off with an impact, just not to put them back on.

When reinstalling the caps, I use a deepwell socket and tighten the caps using only my thumb and 2 fingers so that I don't strip the threads on the caps.

BTW, good looking slick tail GT.

Alrighty then. .. that about covers it. Guess I didn't twist hard enough. Thanks.

(BTW, my owners manual is mising this page........ )

I'm surprised that there was a torque spec listed for the plastic caps; 2 Newton Meters (15 inch pounds).

edit: Page 3-9 and torque specs (page 6-3) are from an 88 owners manual.

[This message has been edited by spark1 (edited 07-26-2011).]

I always put the lug covers on with a socket BY HAND ONLY. Those plastic threads strip out ez as hell.

On a side note, I was in a tire shop and another customer was getting new tires. Mechanic had it up on the lift and used an impact on the lugs and they all just kept spinning and he couldnt figure it out...................................get ready..........................I pointed out that they were hubcaps with fake lug nuts.

wow.. some people are really.. uh.. special... i do enough newer gm trucks that i invested in a small electric impact driver max 25 ft lbs.. i just set it low and let em go alot faster than by hand and i havent stripped or damaged one yet

quote Originally posted by rogergarrison: Mechanic had it up on the lift and used an impact on the lugs and they all just kept spinning and he couldnt figure it out...................................get ready..........................I pointed out that they were hubcaps with fake lug nuts.

A tire shop did the same thing to my wife’s Lebaron. She came home and i was like, umm why is there a huge hole in your wheel cover?? They were the stock plastic fake rim looking things with chrome "lugs" and the genius at the shop obviously put the impact gun on it and tore it right off with a fist size chunk of the cover. I was more pi$$ed that they didn’t say anything and just put it back on. Went back and they ordered us 4 brand new ones for the “inconvenience”. Never went back there again after that.