Spare tire cover

[Ricosan]

Good morning Everybody,

I’ve run into a problem. The last time I had my car in
for some work, my mechanic took the cover off of the spare tire. I don’t know why.

Along with a friend I’ve tried to reinstall the pieces to the tire but it’s very loosey goosey. It looks and feels like it would fall off at the first bump in the road.

How do I reassemble this securely?

Richard

[T Scott]

I'm not sure what you have there. It looks like a piece of fender welt that was somehow inserted between the two cover pieces. The face cover, the piece with the stainless trim ring, has a formed groove or channel at its outer periphery. This channel accepts a rubber insert that prevents metal to metal contact between the two cover pieces and is available at most early ford parts vendors. Installing this insert can be a difficult and tedious process for two reasons. One, the profile of the rubber insert may be too big to easily fit in the groove and two, the groove or channel in a lot of cases is misshapen and deformed. In any case, once installed it is contained and not something you have to deal with every time the cover is removed.

[T Scott]

To Further elaborate on my prior post, the part number for " spare tire cover seal" is
B-18302-K at Early Ford V8 Sales. The piece of fender welt you show in your photo is not correct.

[koates]

The wheels and tires should be 5.50x17 inch on a 33-34 Ford and requires a matching size spare wheel metal cover. If you have 16 'inch wheels on your car ( like many seem to use) then the 17 'inch cover will be loose. Regards, Kevin.

[Ricosan]

T Scott, thanks for the reply. I checked out the part #B-18302-K and it looks similar to the piece of welting that I have. I re-examined the cover and neither piece has a groove (see pics). I think that I can hold the welting in place by using contact cement to attach the welting to the inside of the tire cover. It’s impossible to keep the welting in place while attempting to install the wheel cover.
I’m going to attempt it today. I’ll post how it works out.

Koates, yes it has 5.50 X 17 tires all around.

Richard

Sorry, photos not working.

[deuce lover]

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Looks like the old orig rubber insulation is still in that groove we're talking about.Its been painted over and the rubber is all cracked.

[Ricosan]

Hey Deuce Lover. I noticed the cracked looking paint too. I was thinking that they just sprayed multiple coats of paint on but didn’t bother to sand this area carefully between coats because it wouldn’t be seen.
I have a friend coming over after lunch so I will check that area to see what’s beneath the paint.
No, I can’t wait. I’m going out there right now.
OK, I’m back.
It looks like it could be a piece of thin rubber that is wrapped around the edge of the wheel cover. It wraps about 1/4” on either side. I don’t know why they painted over it. I think this wrap must be an important part for holding the wheel cover securely in place.
This may not be an original Ford wheel cover.

[deuce lover]

Your cover is an original.That rubber is to insulate the outer cover to the face plate.It is crimped in the slot at the edge of the face plate.The new seal is reproduced and most vendors have it.To reinstall that tire cover you will need someone to help you.On the sedans,coupes and roadsters the locking hubcap lower strap holds the face plate on with tension so the the tread cover can be put on over the tread.Here is a pic of the cover on a '33 sedan I had.


Here is the seal


SPARE TIRE COVER SEAL PASS 32-36 STATION WAG 32-48

[DavidG]

For what it is worth, given that your '33 station wagon looks to have the correct '33 tire cover used in U.S. production, they were originally pointed in only one color, black.