Hello all. After swapping out my center grille badge with the updated "red background" version I really wanted to swap out the center caps of the wheels with the red ones to round it out. I found a really, really good knockoff set on Ebay for less than the cost of one OEM centercap from the dealership. Both made in Italy it seems.

OEM (right) next to red Ebay version (left)


In the XF, these center caps do not normally come out as easily as they do on some of the other models. There was not really a way to pry these out with my fingers or with a tool without possibly scratching the cap or wheel. The obvious solution is to jack the car up, take the wheels off and pop them out from the back. Unfortunately it is summer time here and hot as heck in my garage and the thought of watching the World Cup games in the AC was a lot more appealing than lugging my wheels off.

I did some research and saw a few people were successful using suction cups. I tried them and was not. The center caps are textured so I am not sure if any size will work well to get a good enough suction to hold onto it. Then a Youtube video came up that showed someone using sticky velcro tape to do it. I thought it was worth a shot to pick some up and try it before I committed to taking off my wheels. Instead of generic Velcro tape, I decided to pick up some Command picture hanging strips because
a) I am familiar with them
b) they come off cleanly by pulling the tab without leaving residue
c) they are pretty strong (hold up to 16 pounds on drywall).
d) If they didnt work, I use these a lot around our house to hang stuff so it wouldn't be a wasted purchase.

Here they are:


Per the video I watched (I won't take credit for these details), start by peeling back the center portion of the backing strip, being careful not to touch the sticky back:


Then pinch the center of the strip and stick it together on itself to create a piece that will jut out that you will be able to grab onto. There should be plenty of strip left on either side to stick to the actual center cap:


Stick the Command strip into the middle of the center cap, press down for about 15-30 seconds including in the middle and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes to cure:


Using a pair of pliers (or your fingers, I tried the last one without pliers and it worked fine) grab onto the tab you made and just pull straight out. They come out easier than you would think:



To remove the strip, just pull the tab straight down slowly (instructions on this are on the package if you have never done it before) and it peels right off without leaving residue, leaving marks or taking any paint off!


Install the new center caps by applying even pressure all the way around until they simply pop in. Make sure you line up the bottom of the growler "jaw" with the valve stem. Mind the dirty wheels, I just washed them last weekend and I need to do it again already ha!

There you go much better!


For about $4 you can save yourself some time and sweat in the garage. The whole swap took me maybe 20 minutes if you subtract the time I took taking pictures, with most of that time being to let the strips cure. Thanks for looking and hope this helps someone!

 

Thanks for the detailed write up. Got a link for the caps you purchased?

 

I don't have the issue, but this might also work for the dented growler on the airbag problem that many have posted about.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251551940568...84.m1439.l2649

Couple left at that price!

That is a great idea actually, the strips hold strong enough that you wouldn't have to pull hard to pull out a dent! I don't know how well those growler badges are held on there though so proceed with caution if anyone tries it.

 

+1
you are a genius

 

Yep, the velcro works great. Even did this with my aftermarket wheels, unfortunately the standard Jag caps and the ones I ordered didn't fit so had to find another alternative.