Quote:
Originally Posted by switchlanez
I'm no wheel expert but a quick Google search shows this (wheel basics):
"There are some people who will say that driving on lug-centric wheels doesn't really matter as long as the lugnuts are the self-centering cone type, as they will adequately center the wheel. These people are wrong. Driving on lug-centric wheels means that any impact will apply shear force to the lug studs, forces at 90 degrees to those the studs are designed to handle. This can cause the lug studs to bend, leading to a vibration in the car as the wheel slips around on the mounting plate, and possibly damaging the wheel's center bore if it has enough play to contact the axle. To prevent this kind of thing, aftermarket wheels will usually need hub-centric spacers, small rings of metal or plastic made with various inside and outside diameters so as to fit inside the wheel hub and then fit over the axle, making a lug-centric fitment into a hub-centric one."
The bit about unintended orthogonal forces acting against the studs, I do believe. Studied forces like that at a basic level in college then again when I got my EIT certification.
http://tires.about.com/od/understand...ric-wheels.htm |
Myself and others have beat up and tracked cars w/o rings and had no issues. Like I said, if it makes you feel better go for it. Of course everything is relative so people need to make up their own mind based on their own conditions. Since many of us have had no issues, I stand pat that they are not 'needed'. Recommended? Perhaps. I'd recommend a lot of things, like people actually using their fucking blinkers for example.
I have seen someone w/ a PoS 90's Camaro pull into a shop and have the wheel fall off right after it came to a stop, all the lugs were snapped. Personally I've had 5 cars and never had an issue, but I don't drive GM products nor am I redneck enough to Kentucky Windage my torque specs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bkblitzed
all the hub rings do is make it seat easier. Ive ran the plastic ones in my STi for years on autox and track days, and they never melted, even when i cooked my brakes.
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Well I certainly melted mine that I used for Kosei K1s on my old '92 Corolla ages ago. Does smoke billowing out under the front fenders count as cooked brakes? That was street driving btw. Of course, one would expect your STI to have more efficient brakes than a Corolla.