Dust cap too loose?

[xx88man]

So I'm putting the front back together on my Challenger. I replaced the wheel bearings as they were due.... my dust cap didn't seat perfectly before but it was tight. Now it only goes half way on and I can easily remove it by hand. I'm pretty sure it is making contact with the bearing cover plate (or whatever it's called)  I pulled the rotor back off and tried seating the bearing race again.... it is seated. So is the SKF bearing a little thicker than the original? Has anyone else run into this issue? 

[jimynick]

See where your cotter pin ends are placed. They may be over the channel the cap wants to go in and make sure the edge of the cap is nice and smooth and cylindrical too. Failing that, put a large socket over the centre and give 'er a good crack with a BFH. 

[Claudia]

I had a similar issue just recently . . . I heard a slight rattle coming from the front end at low speed . . . turns our my dust caps had both come off and were rattling around in my wheels center caps. My old caps would go back on but could be removed by hand.  After going through two different sets of dust caps, third set was the charm.  I had to make a tool to install the new set. 

[anlauto]

Great tool idea there 

[Claudia]

Worked really good!

[ratroaster]

Some of the replacement caps are not deep enough and will bottom out on the spindle shaft. Check that 1st.

[Claudia]

Again, and that is great advise that I wish I would have had from the start! 
Cap on the left is the new one that I installed and the cap on the right is what was on the car.
It is both deeper inside and also has a deeper lip for installation.

[Katfish]

So which Help PN worked?
PVC might also work for knocking them on

[Brads70]

Some of the replacement caps are not deep enough and will bottom out on the spindle shaft. Check that 1st.

I found some of the new caps were too deep and bottomed out on the bearing race before it bottomed out on the rotor?  I simply ground them down till they fit. Obviously there are different manufacturers out there or stack up tolerances are out of wack? LOL

[Claudia]

So which Help PN worked?
PVC might also work for knocking them on

Best practice . . . I ultimately ended up using calipers to measure the ID of my rotor wheel bearing hub and then matched that measurement to the dust cap ID / OD specs.  I ended up with the ones in my picture . . . Dorman Part #13996.

I thought about making a PVC tool as well but was afraid it would break. 

[HEMICUDA]

I bought this years ago, don't remember where I got it.

[Claudia]

I was originally looking at something like these but I didn't want to wait for it to arrive so I just went to my local hardware store and found something that would work and was way cheaper!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Pack-Grease-Dust-Cap-Driver-Tool-Sized-for-Trailer-Use-1-98-2-44-2-72-/370229610179?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

[xx88man]

I'm thinking mine is bottoming out on the bearing race. Original caps