Your opinion on hub centric wheel rings.

[A930Rocket]

What are your thoughts on hub centric wheel rings? A guy in another forum asked using them with an aftermarket wheel. I said it better be significant enough to support the wheel in shear.

Some guy from Discount Tire said they are only there to align the wheel. After that, it’s the lug nuts that support the wheel.

https://www.discounttire.com/learn/hub-rings?utm_source=internetbrands&utm_medium=textlink&utm_campaign=branding_informational&utm_term=F150forum.COM

[porsche930dude]

Many old cars didnt have any center support especially on the rear axle. I agree with discount tire. Care must taken to get the wheel to seat evenly especially with heavier wheels. Modern vehicles all have it because it has to be idiot proof and its obviously a significant safety issue. My brother is a mechanic and many vehicles come in with the lug nuts on backwards. The hub centric center saved them from disaster.

[sammyg2]

If you are relying on the hub to keep your wheels centered while in use, you have much bigger problems. The hub is only intended to center the wheel long enough for it to get TIGHTENED DOWN with the lugs.

Once tight, the lugs are 'sposed to hold the wheel on and in place and keep it from sliding around.
If they do not and the wheel was able to moove around, it would not last long. And neither would the passengers.

[sammyg2]

Just read the above posts which said the same thing I did.
Note to self, read the whole darn post before replying next time.

[Jeff Alton]

They are fine. Work well. No induced vibration. However, aluminum ones are better than the plastic ones that come with some wheels.

Cheers

[DanielDudley]

They don't hurt, and in some cases could be quite helpful, if you are wanting a wheel to run true.

[Zeke]

I always thought the cone shape of the lug nut/bolt was there to do that job. I once had a set of alloy rims that took a straight nut with a long shaft like this:



I didn't like that setup at all.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Jeff Alton

They are fine. Work well. No induced vibration. However, aluminum ones are better than the plastic ones that come with some wheels.

Cheers

Agreed, the aluminum ones are more robust. I’ve had them on many wheels and never had an issue.

[A930Rocket]

I stand corrected then. I thought the lip on the rotor/drum centered and helped support the wheel in shear, while the lug nuts worked in tension.

I did try wheels that were lug nut centric and took them off shortly. I didn’t have a hub centric ring. The vibration was miserable.

[ZOO]

If possible I prefer a wheel with the correct size centre bore -- but I'm not always willing to spend that much money. I've used hub-centric rings for 19 years on my NA Miata, and my current GTI also has a set. Never had an issue, other than forgetting to put them on once in a while, or losing track of one . . .

[slow&rusty]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

If you are relying on the hub to keep your wheels centered while in use, you have much bigger problems. The hub is only intended to center the wheel long enough for it to get TIGHTENED DOWN with the lugs.

Once tight, the lugs are 'sposed to hold the wheel on and in place and keep it from sliding around.
If they do not and the wheel was able to moove around, it would not last long. And neither would the passengers.

I agree with this and also using aluminum ones as mentioned by Jeff.

[gtc]

I would take issue with the Discount Tire guy's last sentence. It is not the lugnuts that support the weight of the vehicle.
Torquing the lug nuts generates a clamping force beween the face of the wheel and the hub.
The force applied, the interface area, and the coefficient of friction for the two materials will determine the static friction. This must be high enough to support both the corner weight of the vehicle, and the torsional forces from the brakes and/or engine.

A good example of inadequate friction in a joint like this is the 911 CV joints which use 8mm bolts. If the face of your stub axle or CV joint is not clean and dry, the CV joint will slip and put the six bolts in shear stress, and they will eventually loosen and/or fail.