Hubcap for heavy-duty vehicles

A hubcap for a wheel end assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle, said wheel end assembly including a wheel hub formed with a cavity for containing lubricant and having an outboard end, said hubcap comprising:

• a generally cylindrical sidewall extending generally parallel to an axial centerline of said wheel end assembly when said hubcap is mounted on said wheel hub;
• an outboard wall extending generally perpendicular to said sidewall, said outboard wall being formed with an opening;
• a cylindrical structure extending inboardly from an inboard surface of said outboard wall, said cylindrical structure including a wall with an inner cylindrical surface and an outer cylindrical surface, the cylindrical structure being formed with an opening that is generally aligned with said outboard wall opening and which terminates at a generally closed inboard end of said cylindrical structure;
• a lip extending inboardly from said sidewall;
• a shoulder extending radially outwardly from said sidewall;
• and
• seal means disposed generally between said lip and said wheel hub, whereby the lip and said shoulder cooperate to positively engage said wheel hub outboard end and said seal means seals said engagement, and said lip and the shoulder further cooperate with the wheel hub outboard end to align said outboard wall opening and said cylindrical structure opening with a central axis of an axle spindle end.