Cures for Wheel Trim Rattles?

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MW
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Cures for Wheel Trim Rattles?

Post by MW »

A silly one, I know, but with the sunroof season now fast approaching I'm looking for suggestions as to how I can quieten the plastic wheel trims on my 95 Xantia. They seem to make more noise every year.
For those who don't know this problem, a lot of older Xantias have the wheel bolts going straight through the wheel trims and into the hubs. In effect, it's only these four bolts that attach the wheel trims to the car - meaning that there's plenty of scope for them to flap about and rattle against the wheel rims. And they do, they do........
I've tried sticking Blu-Tack under the wheel trims - it works for about 300 miles before it gets thrown off by the centrifugal force of the wheel. Ditto with bits of sponge rubber (which can also make the trims wobble quite nicely).
Any better suggestions?
Thanks!
Jon

Post by Jon »

Lots of people seem to use cable ties to tie the wheel trim through the holes in the outside of the wheel.Usually a couple of ties per wheel.
Not very pretty, but helps cure rattles, wheel trims can't fall off, and harder to steal (unless the thief has some side cutters with him....)
G4EIY
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Post by G4EIY »

Hi,
If the design is similar to the early BX's, then the method that I have used that works for me is as follows.
Get some strong copper wire and wind it around the plastic projection where the wheel bolts go through, two turns, and then twist both ends, dont over tighten as this may break the plastic, Put some glue over the wire to hold it in place. I have only used 2 per wheel placed opposite each other to maintain the balance, but you could apply to all 4 if you so wish...
Hope this helps
Brian
cheesesliceking

Post by cheesesliceking »

Buy some alloys?[:D]
nick
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Post by nick »

A method I used on two of my old BX's with great success was to get some large rubber washers and put them onto the wheel bolts before fitting them. These fitted between the head of the bolt and the wheel trim and held them in place securely and quietly for years.
It meant that the bolts always had to be removed before removing the wheel trims though, which confused people in tyre fitting places a few times ! These wheel trims are really designed to be pulled off over the wheel bolts, but this is often how the plastic retaining lugs on the wheel trims get broken or weakened in the first place.
Nick
Richard Gallagher
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Post by Richard Gallagher »

Why not get an old sponge and break into suitable sizes to 'take up the slack' between the wheel trim and wheel, thereby pushing the wheel trim onto the bolt heads. Dirt cheap and it works!
nick
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Post by nick »

The problem with putting anything between the wheel and the wheel trim is that it would probably make the trim more likely to fall off eventually. The rattling is usually the first sign that you're about to lose a wheel trim in the next few thousand miles, and it usually happens on a long motorway journey in my experience.
Washers have the advantage of actually holding the trim in place, as well as silencing them.
David Goddard
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Post by David Goddard »

I made 5mm thick "washers" from the white plastic pipe used for water cystern overflows. The bolts properly secure the wheel and compresses these washers just enough to hold the trims tight in place. They can be re-used each time the wheels come off!
shaunthesheep
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Post by shaunthesheep »

david,
these "white overflow pipe washers" your spoke about,
where did you fit them?, before the bolts go on to the hub or after, so they are on the between the wheel trims.
dom
David Goddard
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Post by David Goddard »

I slip them on the bolts. The thing is, the dia, of "overflow pipe" is just right to steady the trims, but still enable the bolts to have proper, full metal to metal contact with the wheels.
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