How to install the Base cast wheels / caps

[extrap]

Hate to start a new thread when I imagine there already is one, but I can't find it ... or maybe the answer is so easy no thread was even needed ... but here goes anyway: My silver GT came with the Base cast wheels, but they had ~2018 Goodyears on them and I wanted to try out the Bridgestones, so I bought a set of the forged Upgrade wheels with new Bridgestones, and the car arrived with the Upgrades/Bridgestones mounted, and with the Base wheels / Goodyears in the shipment with the car. Now I want to put the Base wheels on, and I don't know the process for installing the center caps, if there even is one. I seem to remember that different lug nuts are required, and I'm pretty sure those came along with all the stuff with the car. I admit I haven't even tried it yet, but that's because if a tool is required that I don't have I didn't wanna get stuck in between a set of installed wheels.

Thanks for a link, or any info you can offer ...

 

[PeteK]

Yes, new open end lug nuts are required. It pays to shop around, as some dealers want twice the price of others.

2 ways to put on the "spinners."
1. Screw them on gently with the palm of your hand until they bottom.
2. Compress and rotate the center cap counterclockwise to separate the center cap and the 3-winged outer part (like a twist-lock fitting). then you can screw the outer part on, and compress and twist-lock the center cap. To get them off, compress and un-twist lock the center cap, then use an appropriate tool to unscrew the outer part ( I use a piece of wood I carved to fit in the flutes under the cap).

It's awkward to describe in words, but after you see how they are put together, it makes sense.

 

[PeteK]

One other thing: someone here just installed the base wheels using the enclosed nuts from the forged wheels and just left off the spinners. That might be a temporary option for you too.

 

[extrap]

One other thing: someone here just installed the base wheels using the enclosed nuts from the forged wheels and just left off the spinners. That might be a temporary option for you too.

Thanks Pete ... I think I do have the set of open lug nuts in the "stuff" that arrived with the car.

 

[KJD]

Removing wheel covers on standard wheels

Hey guys, Sorry for feeling like a dingbat here, but I can’t seem to safely get the lug nut/wheel covers off the 06. It’s got a flat that I need to go get fixed. The silver plastic cover rotates about 1/4 turn, but I cannot find a way to get it off safely. And if the whole “knock off” piece...

www.fordgtforum.com

 

[extrap]

Ah! "Standard" ... I searched "base" and "cast". Thanks

 

[KJD]

Standard, base, cast - all the same to me.

I posted the link about removing that sometimes stubborn cap to highlight some of our members' knowledge and creativity. Dan S. sent me one of his custom removal tools and it makes the job simple. And I figured if you installed the base wheels one day you'll need to remove them.

I know the base wheels aren't the prototype wheels most of us like but to my eye the FGT looks best with them. Not as light nor as pricey as the forged or custom wheels but cosmetically they work.

 

[extrap]

This vid in the other thread is good so thought I'd add it here too in case someone else comes along: