56 wheel covers on a 54?

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Just wanted to know if '56 covers will fit on a '54 rim?

[Lexi]

If I read the MPL correctly, no. The '56 wheel covers or "Wheel Disc" as they are noted in the parts list, have a different part # than the '54. While that doesn't necessarily mean they won't fit, that may also be an issue. The '56 wheel disc is an extremely deep dish cover that may not penetrate far enough into your original 1954 rims to seat. It is like the '56 rim is inverted. Never tried it, so can't say for sure. Anyone out there with comments? We call the '56 wheel discs "salad bowls" due to their appearance and size. Think was a one off, like a lot of '56 Caddy parts. Can't get to my spare set to get some profile shots for you as they are blocked by car for winter storage. My '56 also has Sabres so cannot even reference them, as they are different. Clay/Lexi

[Nickl]

I have driven 57... 54... 56... and now 49 cadillac hubcaps on my 54 2 Dr... the 49 needed some welding and additional work to fit.... but all other have fitted without doing anything. I like the 49 sombreros... this are the nicest hub caps beside the 57 ones....

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Thanks guys for the info.

So it looks like they will fit then? That's good news. I never really cared for the hubcaps on the 54-55's besides for the Kelsey Hayes wire wheels which are super expensive but super lovely at the same time.

It does seem like a lot Cadillacs during certain years were "one offs" especially the '56's.

I really like the looks of the 56-57 wheel
covers a lot. The '57's are very expensive after looking around online for them, wow! I know why because they look very very cool with those raised fins/spears and the circular ridges, there's lot of detail on those covers.

Might go with a set of 56's, although the early sombreros covers from the late 40's-52,  are very nice as well. Again, way too expensive and I honestly don't want to have to weld anything or alter the rims on my '54.

[Lexi]

As I said earlier I am not 100% sure. If Nickl's rims were indeed '54s then his report is encouraging. Perhaps the MPL citing a different part number is strictly a notation that shows the part is incorrect as a model "trim" piece, without necessarily making a statement about fitment. I think Kelsey Hayes may have made your rims and somewhere on them is usually an identifying mark and perhaps even a date of manufacture. As far back as the 1970s when I first started buying old Cadillacs I had issues with miss matched rims as changed by previous owners. A reall PIA.  Attached below is a KH stamp on a '56 rim. Clay/Lexi

[64\/54Cadillacking]

As I said earlier I am not 100% sure. If Nickl's rims were indeed '54s then his report is encouraging. Perhaps the MPL citing a different part number is strictly a notation that shows the part is incorrect as a model "trim" piece, without necessarily making a statement about fitment. I think Kelsey Hayes may have made your rims and somewhere on them is usually an identifying mark and perhaps even a date of manufacture. As far back as the 1970s when I first started buying old Cadillacs I had issues with miss matched rims as changed by previous owners. A reall PIA.  Attached below is a KH stamp on a '56 rim. Clay/Lexi

I'm going to have to take a look at my wheels on the car to see what exact numbers are etched on them like the pic above Clay. Because like you said having mixed matches rims can indeed cause issues. After multiple different owners of my '54, who knows what else may have  been changed or swapped out.

[Lexi]

Can't remember but the marks depending on the year might be inside the rim, obscured by the mounted tire. Next time I am going through my parts will check a spare rim to see. Clay/Lexi

[Cadman-iac]

Can't remember but the marks depending on the year might be inside the rim, obscured by the mounted tire. Next time I am going through my parts will check a spare rim to see. Clay/Lexi

Yes, the stampings, date codes, makers mark are on the inside of the rim for the 50's and 60's wheels. I'm not sure when they switched to putting them on the outside near the valve stem.
 I think it was in the 70's, as that seems to be the norm for GM truck wheels.

 Rick

[64\/54Cadillacking]

Do you guys know if the 58-59 caps will work as well? They are a lot cheaper than the 57's and also looks really nice with the embossed "Cadillac Motor Car Division"
Logo on the outer center of the wheel cover.

If so, it's a coin toss between the 56's and 58-59's.

It also doesn't hurt to swap a different year set out if ever I get bored of looking at them. It's nice to have choices as wheels/hubcaps can really make or break on how a car looks.

[64\/54Cadillacking]

I have driven 57... 54... 56... and now 49 cadillac hubcaps on my 54 2 Dr... the 49 needed some welding and additional work to fit.... but all other have fitted without doing anything. I like the 49 sombreros... this are the nicest hub caps beside the 57 ones....

Hi Nickl

I just tried to install some 56 wheel covers on my 54 wheels and the deep dish style caps of the 56 covers won't fit on the 54 wheels. So how did you make them fit? It's impossible for them to fit so I'm curious to know how you did it.

Thanks.

[Lexi]

Hi Nickl

I just tried to install some 56 wheel covers on my 54 wheels and the deep dish style caps of the 56 covers won't fit on the 54 wheels. So how did you make them fit? It's impossible for them to fit so I'm curious to know how you did it.

Thanks.

Me to, as I thought the rim depth was different but was not 100% sure as I had not tried it myself. Hence my earlier caution about whether these vintage cars had retained their original rims or not. I first ran across this problem some 50 years ago with my '56 CDV and had to hunt down a set of original rims so I could put stock hub caps on the car to put it back to original. This problem pops up more frequenlty then we would like to see. Clay/Lexi

[Cadman-iac]

Do you guys know if the 58-59 caps will work as well? They are a lot cheaper than the 57's and also looks really nice with the embossed "Cadillac Motor Car Division"
Logo on the outer center of the wheel cover.

If so, it's a coin toss between the 56's and 58-59's.

It also doesn't hurt to swap a different year set out if ever I get bored of looking at them. It's nice to have choices as wheels/hubcaps can really make or break on how a car looks.

 I know that the wheels for later years, (59,60,61) have the same reversed center as the 56 does. I've got a few wheels from these that were mounted on various Cadillacs I've had, and when I was looking for a complete matching set for my 56 I went through all of them.
 The difference between the 56 wheels and the later ones is how the center is attached. The 56 wheels have rivets holding them in, and the later ones are welded in.
 I was trying to get a set of welded ones so I wouldn't have any air leaks, as the riveted wheels are known for this.
 I have tried my 56 hubcaps on these newer wheels and they fit just fine.
 I think that GM used this same wheel through 67 or 68, but I'm not positive. Of course the ones you want are easy to spot because of the reversed centers.
 Hope this is what you wanted to know.

 Rick

[64\/54Cadillacking]

I think Nickl's '54 had to have later style wheels on them, because the '56 and the 58-59 wheel covers fit perfectly on the '64 Caddy.

The '64 wheels do have a recess to them that allows the deep dish '56 covers to fit over them. The original'64 covers are deep dish as well, so it makes sense that these covers would fit.

The only small tiny issue is that the '56 covers don't completely cover up the entire wheel. There's a very small gap between the outer edge of the cover so some of the rim is exposed, but it's barely even noticeable from even 2 feet away.  BTW could I mount later style wheels to my '54? What about weight differences?

These covers look so beautiful on my '64!! They make the car pop even more!

[Lexi]

They do look nice. Clay/Lexi

[64\/54Cadillacking]

They do look nice. Clay/Lexi

Thanks Clay

[Lexi]

The '56 Caddy probably represented the most refined, elegant Cadillac styling for that period. That year the car was equipped with lots of "jewelry". The wheel discs being just one example. Even the Eldorado continued to evolve with the addition of the Seville model as well as the best selling all new 4 door hardtop Sedan de Ville. Many resdesigned items & new features right down to the crest like buttons and knobs that wound up looking like a Monarch's Crown. Optional and re-designed gold grille and gold Sabre wheels ensured a glitzy appearance that also made a statement. Cadillac seemed to mix much of the so-called "old man's car" styling with a flashy new detailing with subtle body line changes. Many firsts for that year of Cadillac which seemed to capture all the greatness from previous years models then add even more glamour. Hard not to love those wheel discs which just scream out "look at these". Clay/Lexi

[signart]

That '64 bare wheel is a strange bird. Looks like the center is in backwards.
I could kick myself for taking a pass on some bare wheels that looked like that at an auction last summer.
If I had known, I could be running '56 caps on my '66 Fleetside Chevy pick up provided they would work on disc brakes, which came from an '87 Silverado cross member that I mounted under it.
This made it 5"x5" pattern in front and the '72 Cheyenne posi rear made the lug pattern match.
I had some 8" wide truck Ralleys I just knew the '56 Cadillac caps would go down in, but found out that they would not retain them.
I could be the only kid on the block for sure with that set up. Hmmmm.

[Cadman-iac]

That '64 bare wheel is a strange bird. Looks like the center is in backwards.
I could kick myself for taking a pass on some bare wheels that looked like that at an auction last summer.
If I had known, I could be running '56 caps on my '66 Fleetside Chevy pick up provided they would work on disc brakes, which came from an '87 Silverado cross member that I mounted under it.
This made it 5"x5" pattern in front and the '72 Cheyenne posi rear made the lug pattern match.
I had some 8" wide truck Ralleys I just knew the '56 Cadillac caps would go down in, but found out that they would not retain them.
I could be the only kid on the block for sure with that set up. Hmmmm.

Art,
Those won't fit over the disc brake calipers, I've tried. The rim of the wheel is shaped wrong. They were designed only to fit over the drum brakes at the time.
Once the discs were used, they had to reshape the wheels to fit over them, and by then they weren't using those deeeeeep dish hubcaps.
Too bad really, I think the 56 caps are the best looking ones out there.

Rick

[Nickl]

Hi Nickl

I just tried to install some 56 wheel covers on my 54 wheels and the deep dish style caps of the 56 covers won't fit on the 54 wheels. So how did you make them fit? It's impossible for them to fit so I'm curious to know how you did it.

Thanks.

Will take pictures of my wheels when I'm at the Garage next time

[64\/54Cadillacking]

The '56 Caddy probably represented the most refined, elegant Cadillac styling for that period. That year the car was equipped with lots of "jewelry". The wheel discs being just one example. Even the Eldorado continued to evolve with the addition of the Seville model as well as the best selling all new 4 door hardtop Sedan de Ville. Many resdesigned items & new features right down to the crest like buttons and knobs that wound up looking like a Monarch's Crown. Optional and re-designed gold grille and gold Sabre wheels ensured a glitzy appearance that also made a statement. Cadillac seemed to mix much of the so-called "old man's car" styling with a flashy new detailing with subtle body line changes. Many firsts for that year of Cadillac which seemed to capture all the greatness from previous years models then add even more glamour. Hard not to love those wheel discs which just scream out "look at these". Clay/Lexi

Clay, you're right about the 56's being the most elegant and refined Cadillac of the 3 years that body style was produced.

Although I love the styling of my '54, I do like how Cadillac added little "jewelry" like details on the 56's such as the Cadillac script in the grill, the long rear stainless chrome piece that mounts on top of the quarter that connects to the chrome spear on the tail light, that was an beautiful touch. The massive chrome spears on the Fleetwoods that look like a daggers or a large sword, better styled interior trimmings and the likes. This is why I've added some parts of a '56 Cad, to my '54 to "spice" it up a bit. Although not correct, who cares, the car looks
better with them.

You can tell the 56's was an early sign of where Cadillacs flamboyant influence started from. Even more chrome, and trimming details on the inside and out. The 57-59 Cadillacs being the epitome of Cadillac flamboyance and exciting iconic looking cars.