I can't get my dust caps off

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Accy cyclist

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
Don't know what you drive but quite common on BMW who use metal caps. I had to get them off a relative's BMW and then just replaced with some plastic ones.

From memory soaked them in WD and used vice grip type thingy.
Yes,they are BMW/Mini ones. I've thought about the WD40. I'll try it tomorrow/today.
 
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Accy cyclist

Accy cyclist

Legendary Member
Years ago I had a Lancia (remember them?) and the valve cap on one wheel corroded on. Snapped the whole thing off, with a resulting pfffft!, trying to force it. Take care!
I tried to pump them up the night before. That's when i found out the caps wouldn't move,so i took my pliers to the air pump last night and tried there. I didn't turn them too hard,as like you say,i thought the valves might snap off and i'd be half a mile from home with a flat tyre.
 

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
Something tells me this'll end with me taking it the local tyre centre,where they'll snap the valves trying to get the caps off,then discover 'my tyres aren't safe' and i end up buying 4 new tyres!:rolleyes:
Sometimes buddy you've just got to put your trust in others and let them sort it out..
 

Chislenko

Veteran
Yes,they are BMW/Mini ones. I've thought about the WD40. I'll try it tomorrow/today.

Yes it's something to do with two different metals, one on the thread of the valve and one on the thread of the cap and they fuse together. There is a name for it but I can't remember it.
If you Google something like tyre valve caps won't come off my BMW there are from memory quite a lot of articles about it.
 

johnnyb47

Guru
Location
Wales
I think it's called galvanic rust It's were two different types of metal are in contact with each other the moisture in between them creates a tiny electrical charge resulting in the two metals rusting up together. Old land-rovers used to suffer from it. The Aluminium skin would react to the mild steel that they can into contact with.
 
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