Chasing threads on wire wheel adapters?

[zeitgeist57]

I just picked up a set of 15x7" wire wheels for my '79 Lincoln. The adapters are older, somewhat rusty steel, with real Dayton bullet knock-offs that look like they've been hammered on and off with a sledgehammer for the last 30 years.

 

The threads are all greased, and I did loosen up the adapters when they came on the wheels at the time I bought them. But I used some brake cleaner and wire wheels and I'm having a hell of a time trying to spin on 2 of the 4 knock-offs (yes, I have them oriented on the correct sides. ) The insides of the caps also look like they've been at the bottom of a closet; the grease is contaminated with gunk, grit and hair and no amount of wiping with an old rag seems to clean it all up.

 

The adapter threads do have some knicks on them and areas where the thread edges may have contacted a blunt object. The spinners are a soft metal (aluminum? brass?) and they look OK but I'm not sure.

 

These things are 3"+ in diameter...how can I chase the threads on both the adapters and spinner knock-offs? Screwdriver? Special hardened plumbing tool? Do I use a scribe and pull it through the threads to clean and straighten? Some sort of special file?

 

China adapters are $125 shipped...should I get all new threaded adapters and try again, or get new center caps? The wheels are in great shape with minimal wear on the mounting surfaces; it looks like someone got these Dayton adapters old and used and tried them on newer China wire wheels.

[gillbot]

Parts washer and wire wheel to get the gunk out? Or soak em in spirits?

[Richard Cranium]

Maybe hit the gunk with some steam, and then a pressure washer? No sense in grinding the gunk into the threads.

[zeitgeist57]

Thanks, guys...I’ll try using some solvents to get both the adapter and knockoff cleaned thoroughly first.

[Richard Cranium]

BTW, are the threads you need to chase inside or outside threads? With a diameter that big I'm not sure how I would attack them.

[zeitgeist57]

They are both inside and outside. I just did a 10-minute clean job on one of the adapters: paint brush and old brass brush with some lacquer thinner (just stuff I had lying around). Man, did a great job cleaning up. It's gross the dirt and sediment trapped in the grease. Thinner dissolved the mess with a paint brush easily.

 

The top threads do look flattened like someone torqued them the wrong way. I'd hate to scrap these just for a turn of threads...

 

Time to hit up Ronnie Nutter

[Richard Cranium]

They are both inside and outside. I just did a 10-minute clean job on one of the adapters: paint brush and old brass brush with some lacquer thinner (just stuff I had lying around). Man, did a great job cleaning up. It's gross the dirt and sediment trapped in the grease. Thinner dissolved the mess with a paint brush easily.

 

The top threads do look flattened like someone torqued them the wrong way. I'd hate to scrap these just for a turn of threads...

 

Time to hit up Ronnie Nutter

 

Could you grind off that first thread? There are cutters to chamfer the edge and shave that first thread down.

[DavidBaustert]

Thread file.

 

[POS VETT]

Could the flattened threads be captured in a photo?

[zeitgeist57]

I ended up finding a tap that perfectly matched the threads. Been manually hashing the threads this afternoon. Not sure if I can un-gall the top threads...