emccomas

Yes, this is off topic, but given how many of us swap wheels, I figure it is a pertinent question.

Do any of you use hub centric rings to account for the difference in the size of the center hub.

As an example, I am swapping the factory steel wheels (which are very flimsy) on my 2005 Suzuki Forenza for a set of 2000 Volvo S40 aluminum wheels.

All of the specs are the same except for the center hub diameter. The Suzuki has a center hub of 57.1 mm. The Volvo wheels have a center hub diameter of 67.1mm.

A set of aluminum hub centric rings to make up the difference are cheap and easy to get.

My question is ... does it make any difference?

Anyone use hub centric rings on any of your rides?

wmf62

I have never heard of any adapter rings being used on domestic vehicles as most are 'lug-centric (meaning that the tapered lug nut seat keeps the wheel in a fixed position).

to answer your specific question... there must be a reason the rings are made, so I can see no reason not to use them.. what holds them in place?

Bill

66jack

jim lockwood

You need to study the Suzuki and Volvo wheels to determine if they are hub-centric or lug-centric. If lug-centric, the rings aren't needed and I wouldn't use them.

emccomas

The Suzuki wheels really don't matter since they are being replaced, but I believe they are hub centric.

The Volvo wheels are hub centric.

Apparently lug centric wheels are primarily used in low stress applications, like golf carts.

"Automotive applications usually use the hub centric design because the support and centering of the wheel better resists impact loads from being used on typical roads. Other low-speed and low-impact applications use lug-centric designs which are less costly and strong enough for these applications. Golf carts, for example, often use lug-centric designs.

Aftermarket wheel manufacturers typically sell lug-centric attachments because the wheels will work on a wider variety of vehicles without having a specific wheel shape for a hub. Some aftermarket manufacturers provide a spacer that goes in the gap to mimic a hub-centric design. The spacer looks like a large washer that fits in the gap between the hub and wheel. It is designed to contact both the wheel and hub and acts as a means of transferring lug loads to the hub."

AZDoug

I put Volvo aftermarket wheels on my Ferrari.

The Volvo bolt pattern is the same, but the hubs are different size.

I did some searching and found some Viper hub centric ring adapters which fit the VOXX 17" Volvo wheels, which i think i had to machine out on the ID just a bit (1 MM) to fit the Ferrari hubs, but maybe not, I woudl have to look.

I also made some ring adapters to put the little Ferrari horsey emblems in the VOXX wheels.

It drives the Ferrari people absoluetly nuts trying to figure out what kind of wheels I have and where i got them.

The reason i did this, was I didn't really like the Ferrari aftermarket wheels, my car came with 14" wheels, which you can barely find tires for,and aftermarket F-car wheels were $500-$1000 each vs the $90 each for the VOXX wheels.

I though about looking at the Cragar SS wheels on my '61 as they have those unilug wheels, which aren't good at all for exact centering, so maybe if the cragars have a machined place for hub centric rings, i will make a set and install them.

Doug

jim lockwood

Go take a look at your C1 or C2 Corvette and tell me what kind of wheel centering is employed. You'll be surprised.

Pop Chevy

And C-3

emccomas

I am not saying this is the case in all situations. The comment about golf carts came from one of the internet sites about hub centric.

I got the hub centric rings (aluminum) for the Volvo wheels to fit the Suzuki, so that is the way I will go.

It turns out that even the wheel stud thread is the same between the Suzuki and the Volvo, so I am using the factory Volvo lug nuts as well.

This topic seems like another one similar to tire aging. Lots of varying opinions, and no real hard data to support either position.

I don't see any down side to using the hub centric rings on the Volvo wheels, so that is the plan.

waynec

Been a while since I looked closely at my Corvette wheels, but actually, isn't there a knurled (rolled) edge on the center hole in the stock Corvette stamped wheel that fits onto a hub that has a machined radius where that knurled wheel hole meets it? If so the stock Corvette stamped wheel is also hub-centric, albeit perhaps not as accurately as more modern cars.

It seems to me that if the alloy wheel centers when the lug nuts are snugged, that is, the lug nuts and wheel lug holes are tapered (which is not necessary for hub-centric wheels), it might be Ok. But then, good insurance would be to have the wheels balanced on the car and if they cannot be balanced with weights, then the wheel is off center and you need the rings.

Use of adapter rings would be the best way to ensure the wheel is centered, especially on a car that came with hub-centric wheels.

mikem350

My C3 came with a set of cheap 16 in chrome steel Rallys that I decided to keep. Balancing was a HUGE problem, till I found a shop that used "road force balancing".

Still needed the centering rings to smooth it out!!!

wmf62

I have never (probably because I've never looked or thought there is such as thing) seen a hub spacer for a corvette wheel, steel or aluminum... anyone have pictures or links?
Bill

jim lockwood

Nope. Not even close.

C1 and C2 wheels (and C3 wheels, as I understand it) are lug centric and only lug centric.

Any wheel must have only one centering mechanism, be it lug or hub. Try to force a wheel to be centered by both at the same time and, in all probability, it won't even go on properly.

The pictures below show C1 (red wheel) and C2 (black wheel) and the clearance between hub and hub hole:






The difference in sizes between C2 hub hole and hub is obviously less than on the C1, but the C2 wheel is still lug centric.

Jim

wmf62

lol... this is definitely not 'hub centric'...; and no apparent problems

Bill

BD104X

I have a set of aftermarket wheels on my car that have a larger hub size than the stock wheels. When I first put them on, I had a slight vibration like an out of balance wheel. I put the hub rings on and it went away. I'm no engineer but in my head I like the idea of the hub shouldering the load instead of just the lugs. If you can find a set of rings that match the measurements you need, I'd use them.

wmf62

the ONLY thing wheel related on a C1 that is hub-centric are the brake drums.

Bill

wmf62

did your wheels have tapered seat lug nuts or straight shank?

Bill

BD104X

Tapered seat, That's why I didn't use the hub rings initially - I didn't think I'd need them. They are an off-brand wheel, so it may be a case of 'you get what you pay for'. I've probably had 2 dozen sets of aftermarket wheels in 30 years of messing with cars and never needed the rings or used them before. As I said earlier, after I put them on I felt better about the hub taking the load more than the lugs (even if it's just in my head) so I would probably use them in the future even if I didn't need too. I think they were like $15, so it's kinda like chicken soup to me - may not help but can't hurt.

Plasticman

Note that most (if not all) automotive wheel balancing machines I have seen mount the wheel via the hub, and since our wheels are lug centric, therein lies a potential problem..........

I had a 1993 GMC Typhoon where the balancing shop saw significant runout on all 4 original rims, and insisted that I would not be happy if he tried to balance them that way. He was correct (vehicle always had a vibration that cycled in & out of phase at 65 mph on up, and the vibration would change phase as the vehicle made sweeping interstate turns). This is a known issue within the Typhoon community (wheel hub centers are not concentric with lug centers on these original rims), and I ended up putting on new aftermarket (Weld) rims, and it solved the vibration issue completely.

Understand that some owners changed out tires, bought new original rims, changed 1/2 shafts & driveshafts (2), replaced wheel bearings, replaced brake rotors, etc., all in an effort to stop the vibration....

At one time I designed a "lug mount" adapter for mounting those rims onto a wheel balancer via the lugs, that I could take to wheel balancer shop. But my wheel balancer shop told me he would never use it.....liability.

Plasticman

jim lockwood

Not limited to C1 drums. Every drum and disc brake rotor I've ever seen has been hub-centric.