someone explain the use of hub rings please.

[Red Dragon]

Hey guys,

looking to pick up a set of wheels and they have a centerbore larger than my hub so they don't "lock-on" w/o lugs like my old ones do. I've heard then to use hub rings, which looks like I can get them at discount. But I'm curious why non of the hub rings come in different sizes (or at least they don't say they do on the couple of websites I've seen advertizing them)? How in the world can there just be one ring for all the possible differences in actual hub center bore and the wheel you are trying to fit?

If asking this questions scares anyone, tell me I'm dumb and need a good place that will mount my wheels in Houston (w/o going to discount, NTB, other similiar chain), and then offer up such a place. I will also need an alignment anyway, as I just lowered the car, so a place I can do both would be great.

 

[Joel W.]

Some wheels center by the lug nuts, (lugcentric) Mine center by the hubs, (hubcentric). Basically with hubcentric wheels they can make one wheel type fit many different cars by changing the hub ring...

 

[Red Dragon]

Thanks, I got that from some digging around on the net, but about the sizing, I assume there has to be different size rings available?

 

[jdub]

Yep...all different sizes to fit almost any hub/wheel configeration. I'm using them on mine...didn't have to, but they will center the wheel nicely. Takes one more thing out of the equation in case of wheel vibration.

 

[Joel W.]

Different sizes for different hubs on different cars, but only one size for the supra that I know of.. The best 9$ I have ever spent. The tire store should have a good selection.

 

[tekdeus]

Can someone suggest the best place to buy rings for work equip wheels? The bore on my wheels is larger than my hub and it looks like the weight of the wheel and centering is all on the lugs. Is this safe?

 

[bwest]

Rings are just a variety of size - they are not wheel specific. IIRC, our hubs are 60.5mm od (first measurement of the ring) then you need the hub bore size of the wheel (they are all different, but usually ~77mm from my experience). The easiest place that I have gotten them is from America's Tire ebay store. If you have an AT in your area, they should have them at the shop.

btw- you will notice a difference at high speed with or without the rings. with as much as you'll spend on wheels, tires, suspension and alignment, always spend the $25 for the rings :biglaugh:

 

[bryanintexas]

Try Tire & Wheel Connection 281-890-5920 or Wheels America in Houston.

 

[dav_dman]

http://www.eurosportgarage.com/hr-guide/custom.htm

http://www.eurosportgarage.com/hr-guide/main.htm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/RAV4...emQQcategoryZ33749QQihZ008QQitemZ180060796495

 

[starscream5000]

That rim has a BIG ASS LIP! BTW, I use hubcentric rings on my 3G, there are many options to choose when buying them. I also got mine off of ebay, they fit perfectly.

 

[tsuper92]

if you don't use the hubcentric ring's on your wheel's,it will put all the weight on your lug's.your lug's are not made to carry the weight of the car.you could snap your lug's and lose a wheel.

 

[jdub]

if you don't use the hubcentric ring's on your wheel's,it will put all the weight on your lug's.your lug's are not made to carry the weight of the car.you could snap your lug's and lose a wheel.

Hmmm...5 lugs torqued to 80 ft/lbs on studs fitted into a steel hub. And that's not going to carry the weight of the car? You mean that thin little circle of metal (usually aluminum) is actually carrying the weight of the car?

Sorry man, but this defies common sense...not to mention physics.

The Supra does not even require hubcentric rings. They are a good idea to assist in aligning the wheel to the center of the hub. The primary purpose is to help reduce wheel vibration by keeping the rotation centered. The hub studs and lug bolts are easily strong enough and are designed to carry the load of the car on the wheels.

 

[tsuper92]

Hmmm...5 lugs torqued to 80 ft/lbs on studs fitted into a steel hub. And that's not going to carry the weight of the car? You mean that thin little circle of metal (usually aluminum) is actually carrying the weight of the car?

Sorry man, but this defies common sense...not to mention physics.

The Supra does not even require hubcentric rings. They are a good idea to assist in aligning the wheel to the center of the hub. The primary purpose is to help reduce wheel vibration by keeping the rotation centered. The hub studs and lug bolts are easily strong enough and are designed to carry the load of the car on the wheels.

this might be ok for a daily driver that won't be driven hard.every auto manifacture in the world making there stock wheel's hub centric,common sense.every car or truck i've ever heard that lost a wheel from breaking stud's didn't have the spacer's,they help disperse(sp?) the load evenly.the center of the hub is a stronger part of the axle.there's people breaking diff's,tranny's ,and rear subframe's on these car's.i'm sure some of the power people are making with these car's,will brake the stud's easy too.let me spend $2500 on some volk's or something and not get spacer's:nono:.i guess the money for a tow truck to pull you out of a ditch is better spent:biglaugh:

 

[jdub]

Sooo...now you're saying that not using hubcentric rings contributes to cracked sub-frames, and breaking trannys/differentials??? Just want to make sure...It was hard to read.

Where do you guys come up with the explanations you do for this stuff? It's sure as heck not based on the way a Supra was engineered. Just because another car uses a center spinner to attach the wheel doesn't mean it applies to this car. This is a Supra...a car designed 20 years ago....one that a lot of guys bump the HP/TQ way higher than the design.

The explanation for breaking parts is perhaps the 500 lbs of torque being put down at the rear wheels? If you are seeing wheel studs breaking off on this car, it's because the design limits were exceeded, it was over stressed, or it had a defect that weakened it.

I can promise you, the things you've mentioned are not caused by not using hubcentric rings. Like I said, using them is a good idea to center the wheel vibration wise...not using them is not going to break lug studs or trannys or differentials or sub-frames. Think about this for a few minutes, go look in the mirror, and slap yourself back to reality.

 

[adampecush]

Sooo...now you're saying that not using hubcentric rings contributes to cracked sub-frames, and breaking trannys/differentials??? Just want to make sure...It was hard to read.

Where do you guys come up with the explanations you do for this stuff? It's sure as heck not based on the way a Supra was engineered. Just because another car uses a center spinner to attach the wheel doesn't mean it applies to this car. This is a Supra...a car designed 20 years ago....one that a lot of guys bump the HP/TQ way higher than the design.

The explanation for breaking parts is perhaps the 500 lbs of torque being put down at the rear wheels/ If you are seeing wheel studs breaking off on this car, it's because the design limits were exceeded, it was over stressed, or it had a defect that weakened it.

I can promise you, the things you've mentioned are not caused by not using hubcentric rings. Like I said, using them is a good idea to center the wheel vibration wise...not using them is not going to break lug studs or trannys or differentials or sub-frames. Think about this for a few minutes, go look in the mirror, and slap yourself back to reality.

I disagree with you completely on the necessity for hubcentric wheels. By removing the support provided by the hub, you are introducing a whole pile of new forces to the equation, including shear on the wheelstuds, and bending forces on the stud mounts and outer ring of the hub itself. Wheel studs are designed to work in tension, that is all. Shear strength is approx. 1/2 tensile strength and by not using hubcentric rings or wheels, you are imposing significant shear into the studs. (which in an aged vehicle, have a multitude of crack initiation points). The hub is designed to support the wheel, plain and simple there is a reason nearly every vehicle manufactured incorporates this design.

 

[jdub]

You can believe whatever you want...you can disagree all you want. How about backing it up slick?

Hubcentric rings are designed to center the wheel on the hub...do a Google search and every rim manafacturer uses hubcentric rings to make up the over bore spacing on their wheels. This is so the wheels can fit on multiple cars. The rings simply assist in keeping vibration to a minimum...they all state that. The ring ensures the wheel is center when the clamping force of the lugs sets the wheel in place.

Hub rings are made out of aluminum and plastic...either type can be used. Like I said, they center the wheel, but it's the clamping force and friction between the hub and wheel that provides 99% of the support to the car. 80 ft/lbs of torque provides somewhere in the 6-7,000 lb range (off the top of my head) of clamping force per stud/lug. The resulting friction between the hub/wheel is more than adequate to support a 3,500# car like the Supra.

Sure, you might hit a big pot hole and cause the wheel to shift and damage a hub stud...I'm also damn sure you're going to damage a heck of a lot more than that. And a flimisy little aluminum or plastic ring is not going to help you.

 

[aljordan]

I had aluminum rings with my volks. It was a BIIIIITCH to get those off. I wound up breaking one of them.

I went with plastic and it's sooo much easier to remove. hell.. it's POSSIBLE to remove. The Al and Iron hub like each other so much, they don't want to separate.

 

[annoyingrob]

It's not that the car sits on the rings, that's just rediculous that people think that, and it's not entirely correct. The main reason is to prevent vibrations (which will snap studs). So you have a wheel bolted onto your car, and are stopping and starting your car in traffic, and cruising at speeds causing the wheels to spin several thousand times a minute. The wheel will shift slightly here and there. By installing a hubcentric ring, you are preventing that wheel from shifting around.

People say they get a smoother ride with the rings installed. That's because the wheel isn't vibrating up and down as the car moves. Without the rings, that vibration is there, hammering constantly on the studs. The studs will fail. I've seen plenty of people complain about broken studs (not necessarily on upras), and every one of them had an aftermarket wheel with no hubcentric ring.

 

[dav_dman]

i'm with jdub, and the ring manufacturers, on this.

Theorectically the rings are for centering the wheel during installation, so that it is hubcentric when the lugs are tightened. Not doing will cause the condition annoyingrob described, but once the wheels are bolted down you could cut the rings off. They are for installation ease, which is why you can use plastic ones..they aren't a structural member in the assembly.

Aftermkt wheel co's would be cya pretty quickly with Several ring sets included with the wheels if there was a safety issue.