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Ford Model A Pickup Restoration February 2018

This month I found time to mount my new wheel covers.

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

The original wheel cover, painted with chrome spray, did not shine well and therefore all four are replaced now.

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

Here you can see the reason why a restoration of the old ones was not possible. They are too dented and torn in the area of the wheel nuts.

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

On this occasion, I also dismantle the brake drums to see if everything is alright inside. Since the installation in 2004, I have not removed them.

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

The front drums are easy to remove, simply unscrew the castle nut and the drum can be pulled off by hand. The brake linings are in a good shape.

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

At the same time I will refill all bearings with grease.

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

The rear drums need a bit more force to pull them off the cone. My Ford has different wheel hubs on the left and right side installed (very often on pickups) and therefore I also need different hub pullers. My first one is bought, but I have modified it on the lathe, so it fits here.

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

On the left hand side, I used this replica from K.R. Wilson

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

Inside, the back drums are looking good too and I can re-mount them after cleaning. The castle nuts are tightened with the correct torque and secured with a splint. For this I had to mount the wheels temporarily to be able to block the rear axle (see details below).

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

Now I can mount the wheels with the new wheel covers. I use this intermediate rings to protect the plate of the wheel cover - I do not want to make new ones again …

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

I have protected the middle part with foam, that I can't scratch it during assembly. Since the car is jacked up, the wheels can spin freely and it is somewhat difficult to tighten the wheel nuts with the necessary torque. I help myself by pressing a wedge between the ground and the wheel with one foot and now I have both hands free to operate the torque wrench.

Ford A Restaurierung Februar 2018

If you compare with the first photo, the shine with nickel-plated wheel covers is much brighter, especially since it now also fits to the wheel cover of the spare tire. Now I'll need some more time to polish that part too in the future.