Hub dustcovers?

Well I recently had some 20"s given to me and I like them. I did a test mount and they are hubcentric and even looked them up online to see what specs I could find on them. The only small issue I run into is the front with center caps, they pop the cap right out of the rim. Now as I see it there are few options:

1. Try a spacer (non studded)
- kinda sketchy from what I hear and would like to avoid spacers
2. Try an adapter (studded)
- Ok in the rear, but I have heard that this can cause the front wheel bearings to fail prematurely due to the added stress.
3. Modify Hub/Wheel Bearing Dust Cover
- not sure if I can just tap at it and hope or buy modified ones?
4. Sell them, take a loss, and spend more money on rims and tires
- not going to happen as I have no money to spend.

Needless to say in short I am unsure what I can do ultimately to get the caps to stay on, as I want to have them on so I don't look like I have a cheap set of rims with no center caps.

Here are the rims and specs:
http://www.sfxperformance.com/parts/KMCKM18728512315S.htm

Size: 20
Width: 8.5
Offset: +15mm
Backspacing: 5.34
Hub Bore: 72.60mm
Current Tires Installed: 265/55R/20

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Here is my opinion.

1: The wheels are not the right application for an Explorer even though the bolt patern is the same.

2: Sell the wheels and put the money in the bank since you don't have the money to spend on wheels in the first place.

 

[syn-]

I put the wrong link originally. I have corrected it, and it clearly states under fitment:

1992-2001 EXPLORER
93-2004 RANGER 2WD AND 4WD

 

[Dan Whitaker]

I put the wrong link originally. I have corrected it, and it clearly states under fitment:

1992-2001 EXPLORER
93-2004 RANGER 2WD AND 4WD

Call a wheel supplier and see if thay make a different center cap for Explorers. I don't see how they would fit a 1991-1994 Explorer unless it's 2wd only as the center hole doesn't look big enough to clear the 4wd hub.

 

[syn-]

Yea I had the same reservations but I own a 2wd truck so wasn't worried. Every wheel and tire shop and they said they just bang on the dust cover to get it to fit. Ordered lugs today and plan to jack up the truck and take some pictures. As for center caps I am researching a different one now, though the wheels are longer in production.

 

[Anime]

So the wheels fit fine over the hub without the center caps, the offset is fine so they don't rub at full lock when steering, and the only issue is the flush center caps they come with dont fit because the Explorer hub sticks out a bit into the center area?

I'd say you're fortunate you found rims with such a tight fit.

You're making it harder on yourself than you need to if you're considering wheel spacers, adapters, or getting rid of them over a silly thing like keeping the caps.

They look like flat, flush mount caps from the image. Nice, especially if you want to put a sticker on them, but that's probably the only reason they won't clear the Explorer hub.

Get a different set of center caps, probably something like this that will still click in, but with plenty of room behind it:

You can find them all over ebay, with all sorts of symbols and logos, either Ford ovals, plain black, plain chromed plastic, blank, whatever.

Problem solved.

 

[syn-]

Thank you once again for clarifying all this. Learning all of this seems foreign sometimes but its great when I finally understand it.