VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1916-1922 - Model 490 Hub cap sizes

This is kind of weird to me, I would appreciate anyone's thoughts. As those who follow this forum know, I have two 1916 Four-Ninety touring cars.

I was not able to get any of my spare hubcaps on the rear axle of Car # 2. It seemed that the hub was too big, but I never really focused on it. So today I finally mic'ed it. The front hubs (and all four hubs of Car # 1) measure 2-1/8". This is the outside measurement of the thread that the hubcap screws onto. But the rear of Car # 2 measures 2-1/4", and it is a coarser thread. But everything else looks exactly the same - 6 lugs, the brakes are the same behind it, the diff and axles are the same, etc.

All I can figure is somebody at some point decided to switch to a different hub. But from what vehicle? As far as I remember, the later Chevy hubcaps went to 2-3/16" (?) though. This is also smaller than a Model T, I checked.

Maybe what I should be asking is, does anybody have any 2-1/8" rear outer hubs they want to sell.

Were both cars made at the same factory? I better measure the hubs on my 21 since my car for some reason has 1916 style blank center hubcaps. There was a guy at flint in the swap area with a nice set of hubcaps with blank centers. Don't know his name though. He had a bunch of sets of hubcaps in a case.

Hubcaps I've got. All the 1916 blank centers were the smaller 2-1/8".

Hey, Bob - if you've got the wrong wheel hubs, just send 'em to me and I'll install them properly on a 1916 car, then we can go looking for a set for your 1921!!!!) Seriously, it sounds like you've got the reverse problem I've got.

ChevyGuru,

The reason why you will have the larger diameter hubcaps on the rear is that the early rear hubs are prone to cracking in the keyways and are not available as replacements and originals are hard to find.
I have the same problem with my 1920 490 rear axle.
The 2 1/4 inch hubs are from 1922 , but i am unable to confirm at the moment as i am interstate for a while.

Don, There is some strange things on my car. It was made at the Ft Worth plant which only built 490s for a few months. I have a 5 blade fan and those blank hubcaps for starters. I realy want to find someone else who has a 21 490 made at Ft Worth and compare notes. I almost wonder if they used up spares at Ft Worth just so all the "strange cars" would be sold in the same area and would all be alike so no one would be the wiser. Anyone with a 1921 and has a "7" as the first number in the serial number of the car, now would be a good time to post!

Thanks, Jack, that is what I needed to know! I am considering if it would be feasible to remove those oversize rear hubs and turn them down a bit and re-thread with the finer thread so a proper '16 hubcap can be installed. Not too much meat on there for such a procedure though with only 1/8" difference (1/16" on each side). That would not quite even remove all of the old thread.

Bob - I know you think your car was built that way. But I've got to tell you, it's highly unlikely. The car is 90 years old. That means repairs / changes could have been made 88 or 85 years ago. Somebody lost the original hubcaps, or split one of them - and so they went and found 4 (early style) ones to replace them. Maybe they liked the look better, with the plain centers, who knows. Ditto with the fan. Maybe the original one broke, or got bent, and they found that one to put on there, and called it Good Enough. Maybe they had a junked 1917 out in the back yard at the time, who knows. Those parts are very easily changed out.

I have been doing a LOT of research on these cars, talking to lots of owners, studying original brochures and literature - and even that long ago, they were extremely consistent with what was being produced. They were pretty darn good at building cars. What you are seeing is simply things that were changed out on your car back in the day, for whatever reason. Now enough decades have gone by to give it that "original patina" and makes you think it grew there.

Speaking of hub caps,
I have 5 different 490 hub caps
1. 2 1/8th inch plain face fine thread aluminium
2. 2 1/8th inch aluminium fine thread with Chev logo
3. 2 1/4 inch aluminium course thread with Chev logo
4. 2 1/4 inch brass coures thread with Chev logo
5. Now this one is interesting. Its is 2 1/8th inch fine thread aluminium with a winged wheel logo on the end. My best guess is that is was a 1928 era update/replacement.
Anyone else seen one?
Chris

Your odd cap is an aftermarket cap for the 1928 Chevrolets. They were made to fit F&%D, Chev, and numerous other cars. About 1 year ago I wrote an article about that winged wheel that was in the G&D. The article also covered some other aftermarket caps.

I Just arrived home and i checked out my 1922 490 part books , and the 2 1/4" hubcaps are listed in there, while they are not listed in the 1920 parts book.
1923 superior B is listed in my 1924 parts book as having 2 3/8" hubcaps. and 1924 superior as 2 1/4" again.? go figure!

If you are going to go and match the rear hubs to the front , you might be able to machine off the old 2 1/4" thread and machine a recess into the hub to accept a section of 2 1/8" thread and silver braze or locktite in a complete new section of thread. Just another thought.

Ray
I know the story of the aftermarket winged wheel caps and have a nos one in my collection. However the one I mentioned in my post is an early fine thread 490 cap. I guess that they made them 490's as well.
Chris

Thanks for those thoughts, Jack, and good ones.


I am off on a "non-car-related" road trip for the next week or so, so will be absent in these forums. Family visits.

Hey Gents
The rear wheel hub is an easy one to fix just get some early Model T F#*d rear hubs with the fine spline and you can use them they are the same as the 490. Just the same as the axles and the ring and pinion will all fit into the 1916 -18 and maybe late rear endswithout any modifications. Even some of the bearings are Model T. So don't reinvent the wheel so to speak. Remember even the front wheel bearings will inter change with the early 490's.

Twin 4

Hi Twin4 , (Dave),

These rear T F##D hubs are available from snyders, new.
http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/4703