I am replacing my gold centercaps with the regular caps with the black acura emblem.
The dealer that I bought them from says that the best way to remove them is to take the wheel off and push them out from the back!
Is there a way to get them out without having to do that? I don't wanna scratch my rims from poking a screwdriver in there, but I really don't wanna have to take off 4 tires! Any ideas???


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2000 White Diamond Pearl

• Navigation
• Factory Spoiler
• Burlwood Shifter
• Gold Kit
• Viper 550ESP Remote Start
• K40 Undetectable Radar
• PIAA Plasma Hi-Beams

 

Take the wheel off and just push it off from behind with the handle of the screwdrive.. It comes right off.
Ed

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Acura-TL.com - Forum Moderator

'99 TL Satin Silver/Ebony, Non/Nav, Comptech Springs and Sways, CL Type S wheels wrapped with 225/45/17 Dunlop SP9000's, Comptech Air Filter Element, Inspire Tails, AEM Brake Pads all around, Comptech Axle Back Exhaust, "Guy Smiley" doll on the dash as my Co-driver...

Pics of my TL
Pics of my Miata! Wadya think?

 

Sorry, but the best way is to take off the wheels. It shouldn't take too long at all...If you have a hydraulic jack you can raise one side and do 2 at a time. You can roatate your tires too...That's what I did...

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2001 Acura TL Laguna Green Metallic
Stock for now...
Wood Grain kit/Wood Knob/Rear Spoiler/Inspire Lights/K&N Filter ...More to come very soon!
djalliance@acura-tl.com

 

unfortunately I don't have a hydraulic jack....so it would be one wheel at a time!
Fun, Fun

 

In order not to scratch the rims you need to take off the wheels. You could use this time to do other stuff too. Rotate tires, clean inside of the rims or brakes.

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Tom

2001 Nighthawk Black Pearl TL

Comptech springs,Comptech drop in filter (on order),Inspire tailights,Burlwood shift knob,Razo carbon fiber pedals,Inspire fog light switch (no fogs yet),BEL 870 radar detector

 

Of course, you can drill a hole in the middle of the center cap, and either use a small hook to pull it out, or just pry on it with a screw driver. So, it's your choice, take off the wheel or destroy the gold center cap.

P.

 

Dear god, don't do that. I took a block of wood the width of the opening in the back of the wheel and tapped on it gently until the cap popped out. If you press too hard on the middle of the center cap, you may damage it. You really want to put pressure on the tabs around the outside of the cap that hold it in.

You could also try the handle end of a wooden hammer and tap lightly on the cap to get it out.

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1999 Satin Silver Metallic 3.2 TL w/o Navigation

• 18x8 Racing Hart C2s with 225/40ZR18 Dunlop SP Sport 9000
• Comptech Springs, Sways, Exhaust, and Headers
• Red AEM CAI w/bypass valve
• A'PEXi Digital VTEC AFC
• Denso Iridium Plugs
• Custom Mugen Grill
• Inspire Tail Lights
• Factory Underbody Kit and Spoiler
• Clifford Intelliguard 9000 Alarm w/SmartWindows II
• Alpine 6 disk CD Changer
• BEL 945i Cordless Radar Detector
• Burlwood Shift Knob & Trunk Tray
• 20% tint

 

Just pry it off with your nails if they are strong enough. Work around the edges until they come off.

 

Maybe you could get a plastic butter knife or something like that? Maybe a popsicle stick??

 

Follow NSXNEXT's advice. That is the proper and easiest way. Also if you did have a hydraulic jack you should not work on a car supported that way. The jack is used to raise the car so that a stationary jack can be placed to support the car. Hydraulic jacks can rupture a seal without warning and drop. The jack that comes with the car is safer and you should know how to change a tire in an emergency. Now you have a chance to practice four times. Be sure to block your wheels.

 

Go down to NTB or Discount Tire and have your tires balanaced and rotated. When the guys pulls em off, quickly pop out the centercap and put the new one in. Your total walkout should not cost you much at all. Safe and easy

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-- Steve-o
'01 TL (non-nav) - Silver
'00 Lexus ES300 - Pearl White, 16" Wheels, Xeon

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm gonna try and pry one out with something that won't scratch the rim, and if that doesn't work I thought about bringing it over to Direct Tire and having them rotate\balance the tires, and I could change the centercaps when they have the tires off. Or I may just use the jack and remove each wheel at a time and clean the inside of the rim and change the center cap. By the way, the black chrome badges on WDP looks awesome! I left off the A-C-U-R-A for a bit of a cleaner look. Thanks for all the suggestions!

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2000 White Diamond Pearl

• Navigation
• Factory Spoiler
• Burlwood Shifter
• Gold Kit
• Viper 550ESP Remote Start
• K40 Undetectable Radar
• PIAA Plasma Hi-Beams

 

Hey guys I didn't see anyone suggesting this so I thought I'd give it a shot. I notice the center cap sort of resting there loosely, you can spin it. But I don't know how tight it is to push and pull out. But I was wondering if you can get a good suction cup. One slightly smaller than cap and suck that sucker out of there. You know those suction thing you use to pull the boards to lay network cables and stuff. Those sucker are strong. I'd give it a shot. I know my friend got his centercap stolen, if I see the theif I'll ask him how they did it

 

I was able to remove all four caps just now when I was out at lunch. Because I have the gold emblems, I was able to just get my fingernails underneath the gold emblem and pull the centercap out. I can see if you didn't have the gold emblem to grab onto, it would be hard to remove them without taking the wheels off. Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

I thought I was the only lazy bastard on AZ (have tools jack and stands). I've heard about the suction cup thing and if that doesn't work for me, I'm a drillin!

 

Holy old post Batman. Nice to see the search tool is still working.

 

lol I'm the lazy one. My friend had a 99 TL in the worst condition ever and it was going to the auction so I just took 2 of the centercaps that looked like they were in decent condition by using a screwdriver wrapped in tape and slowly prying it out.

 

oh man when i was reading this I didn't look at the date.

that was a looooonnnggg time ago

cars were brand spanking new back then!

 

^ my car wasnt even born yet

 

If the center cap is old, as mine were, a very easy way is to take a screw gun and a self tapping screw and tap the middle of the cap. Once you are in just a few threads, you can pull the cap right out. Took me less than 5 minutes to swap them out with new ones.
If you need to preserve the caps, this will not work

 

Quoted for relevance. Again.

 

Oh, and for a little bit of helpful info...

Gorilla Tape.

Clean the cap.
Tear off a piece of Gorilla Tape and fold it in the middle so it starts to stick to itself but don't fold it all the way. You should still have the ends free.
Now stick the ends to the cap and press it down real good.
Now you should have the tape firmly stuck to the cap and have a little tab of doubled over tape sticking out in the middle.
Grab that tab with your manly hands (or use a pair of pliers if you have dainty hands like me) and yank that sucker off like you're pulling a loose tooth.
Cap should pop right out.

 

By the time you found your gorilla tape I would have all 4 caps off from jacking the car up, taking off all 4 wheels and popping them out from the backside.

Takes me 5 minutes and I work slow.

 

You read slow too eh? 6 year old thread

 

Bruh, by the time you found this thread I would have found 4 other newly resurrected threads, written out arbitrarily tangential "cool story bro" responses, and posted the replies.

Takes me eleventy minutes and I derp slow.

 

Then here's the movie for you Speedy :