Advice Needed - central "lug"/logo thing on Elise wheel

[limpsfield]

Before I start, I am a complete mechanical-phobe so apologies if this ends up being a stupid question...

When I was cleaning my car today I noticed the central thing in the wheel was sticking out - and I was sure this had not been the case in the past. Here is the offending wheel



and this is what the others look like.



I managed after a bit of a struggle to pull the thing out, and I can put it back in so it looks like it is in the picture but how do I get it flush? Is it a case of whacking it with a hammer or is there something else.

Thanks in advance for your help

David

Edited by limpsfield on Saturday 16th May 19:18

[NeilC]

Did it look like this



In which case give it a whack.

If not, you've got an odd extra long one that you've never noticed before as some early cars did have ones that stick out like you've shown.

[NeilC]

Picture of extended one:

[limpsfield]

It is the extended one, thanks Neil.

That wheel was replaced last year, so it would seem like I have been particularly unobservant and that wheel has the extended one and the rest are flush.

Many thanks again for the info

[marshalla]

I have no idea about Elise wheels, but some wheels have two locating grooves in them for wheel centres. Your extended one might lie flush if it can be located into an "inner" groove in the wheel rather than the one it's currently sitting in.

In my experience, the centres are usually designed to be fitted from the inside of the wheel and are very difficult to re-align when the wheel is on the car.

[Monkey boy 1]

marshalla said:

I have no idea about Elise wheels, but some wheels have two locating grooves in them for wheel centres. Your extended one might lie flush if it can be located into an "inner" groove in the wheel rather than the one it's currently sitting in.

In my experience, the centres are usually designed to be fitted from the inside of the wheel and are very difficult to re-align when the wheel is on the car.

You are right, you have no idea about Elise wheels
As mentioned in the previous post, there are 2 types of wheel centres, the flush ones and the extended ones. From memory, the extended ones are usually fitted to the Federal cars & the flush ones to the EU cars.
The wheel centres can only be fitted from the outside (the badge is bigger than the hole recess) They can be pushed out from the inside when the wheel is off.

If that wheel was a replacement,I presume the badge is a replacement too, then it sounds as if the wheel centre badge is the wrong one.