loose center cap?

[freponyryd]

While washing the car today and cleaning the wheels I noticed one of the center caps on the rear wheel is loose and spins freely in the center of the wheel. None of the others do this and seem firmly planted in place. I then checked all of the lug nuts/screws and none of them seemed to be very tight either so I tightened them to what I feel comfortable with, not wanting to loose a wheel while driving... Is the center cap just a pop in piece? I doesn't seem like it will come out, but it just bothers me that only one is this way and the car only has 600 miles.

 

[frogman]

I don't know what type of rims you have but the center of the wheel is just a cap. What holds your rim onto the axle is the lug nuts. Hopefully, you didn't tighten them too much & followed a criss-cross pattern to even out the load? If you tighten the lug nuts too much (beyond specs), you could warp your rotors in the long term.

 

[BarrieCommuter]

tighten to 89 ft lbs of torque (120 Nm)

 

[freponyryd]

I don't have a torque wrench, but I tightened them to what felt like a little more than 89 to the old palm. Either way I can promise you that the wheels are not going to fall off on the way to Mom's house tomorrow. I guess it is the perfectionist in me that is bothered by the cap being loose, but 3 out of 4 ain't bad I guess.

 

[BarrieCommuter]

double-sided tape would help here. red green would approve.

 

[TDI_Timmy]

double-sided tape would help here. red green would approve.

Only if it was double sided duct tape!



And look on the bright side...you have one center cap that is like a Bentley!

 

[11JTDI]

I don't have a torque wrench, but I tightened them to what felt like a little more than 89 to the old palm.

I bet if you tested break away torque on that wheel it would be at least 120 ft lbs...they make torque wrenches for a reason!!!