Lancia Kappa coupe center cap problems
And solutions!
Beautiful speedlines Lancia Kappa Coupe
If you own a Lancia Kappa Coupe, then it is almost certain that you have the following original beautiful rims with part number 46473235 or 60658759 or 60657814 on your car.
Like many Fiat and Lancia rims from the 1990s, they feature a center cap (part number 46473237) with an internal clamping system, and even a cam that allows them to be mounted in only one way. You may not know, but if your cam is still on, and your hood is mounted correctly, you can find the valve cap right above the Lancia logo! Clever!
So much for enjoying a beautiful design! In practice, the system with the cams is very error-prone. Many tire farmers and universal garages are unaware of this fragile design and ram the wheel centers on it with a bang. The slack cam breaks, and from that moment the wheel center can turn freely. And that is ugly, because the shape of the spokes continues in the design of the center cap….
In the years up to 2010, a center cap cost less than 10 euros and was easily available. So every now and then you bought a new one and you could go again. From 2015 it became more difficult, Lancia no longer supplied new caps…. It is now almost impossible to get a new cap for a normal price. So advice is; be very careful with it. Do not allow them to be mounted or disassembled by anyone who is unfamiliar with the design (I always took the caps off myself when I had to go to a tire shop and put them aside) and always disassemble them with care. If you have them in hand and the parts seem to be coming loose, quickly put a bit of caulk in between so you don’t lose anything. Cherish them!
The problems!
Despite our care with the caps, you increasingly see that not only the positioning cam breaks off, but other problems arise with the wheel centers as well.
A few example problems:
1. Broken positioning tab. Often caused by incorrect mounting of the hood.
2. Broken hub hole clamp(s) and missing spring. Often caused by improper removal of the hood.
3. Losing the Chrome center part of the center cap. often caused by age of the material causing the composite product to fall apart.
4. Losing or becoming unsightly of the Lancia logo in the Chrome center cap. Caused by the mediocre design of the hard plastic exterior, which means that moisture will eventually affect the vulnerable paint layer.
5. Completely lose the center cap. Often caused by continuing to drive with broken hub hole clamps.
The solutions!
So much for the possible problems. It seemed such a simple part… 
Fortunately, there are now solutions! Not all of them developed by us, by the way, but we do try to make them available to our customers via the webshop!
Solutions:
1. No suitable solution is yet known for this. Did you find something? Mail us! info@delenkorf.nl
2. A number of people have developed a solution for this. The solution requires some skill, but gives a durable end result and is invisible from the outside. The Chrome center cover must be removed by loosening the pins on the back. The remainder of the old lugs can then be ground away so that a flat back is created. The kits provide a plastic or metal rosette with new cams. By drilling a hole in the middle of the hood and using a special supplied clamping screw you place the new cams. The dimensions of the design take into account the correct depth of the lugs to compensate for a slightly thicker top of the rosette. Fortunately, the original design already has a recess where the screw head disappears. So after this operation the chrome cap can be glued or fused again with the two pins. Cams restored! Can be found here in the shop: LINK to product
3. If the Chrome part separates from the plastic part of the wheel center, it is often damaged or lost and can no longer be used. We have a solution for this in the form of a plastic center plate and a chrome gel dome sticker for the finish as much as possible in accordance with the original. Our solution makes the central part of the center cap flat instead of convex. Due to the chrome effect, this is hardly noticeable in practice, but the sticker only works optimally on a flat surface. It is actually very simple for assembly. Put 4 dots of sealant in the trench all around, sand the supplied flat plate a bit at the height of where the sealant will be placed and glue the plate in the center. This fits exactly in terms of diameter and is adjusted in terms of thickness in such a way that a good connection is created with the outer edge of the wheel centre. When the sealant is dry and you have ensured that the plate will not just fall out of the center, it is time to stick the sticker on the plate for the final finish. A beautiful end result. Should the sticker ever fade or become ugly, they are in stock and available in our shop. Can be found here in the shop: LINK to product
4. There are also cases where the chrome hood stays in place, but the Lancia logo falls out or becomes faded and ugly due to moisture penetration. We have also developed a simple solution for this. We have a separate gel dome sticker that can replace the old one. Remove the old logo (it is attached with a foam sticker, and can stick quite a bit) possibly by drilling a few holes in the middle of the logo so that you can put a small hook or Allen key behind it. When the logo is out, remove the remains of the foam sticker and place the new self-adhesive logo in the space created. Finished! Can be found here in the shop: LINK to product
5. There is not yet a good solution on the market for replacing a completely lost center cap. Did you come across something? Or do you have damaged wheel centers of this type in stock that can be used to make a good center again? Register with us! info@delenkorf.nl
Solutions after assembly
Here’s an overview of what the different solutions look like after they’re applied. We always keep the same numbering to keep it clear. Have you become interested in applying the solutions? Below is a link to each of the products in our webshop:
2. DN00100189
3. DN00100166
4. DN00100186
Preventive options
Handy center cap tools are available to prevent the tabs from breaking off.
Basically a hook that can be inserted into the recess of the hood to be able to pull the hood free from the back instead of using a screwdriver to deform the hood or damage the rim.
Unfortunately I no longer have them in stock. In the absence of an affordable supply, I want to have them produced and marketed again myself. Hopefully more about that later in this place!
Hopefully sharing this knowledge will help a number of Kappa riders keep their cherished possession in top condition!
