I just thought I would share my experience with wheels, hub centric mounts / hubs and my usage of hub rings and the like. I recently swapped out wheels between a 2006 Cooper S and the 2004 Model.



The 2006 on the Left and the 2004 on the Right.


The 2006 had 17 Inch after market wheels and was using 15mm Spacers up front (I guess this is because it was sitting on coilovers). As soon as I unbolted the wheels, I noticed right away that the wheel was not sitting on or centered on the hub. That was the case for all four wheels. I was quite surprised as the previous owner of the car had told me they drove it without any issues up until the engine pretty much blew up! LOL!

Anyway, I knew there was no way they could have been driving this car without vibration at freeway speeds. While browsing on here, I read a thread where it was mentioned that hub rings are not needed even where the wheel center bore is bigger than the wheel hub as our cars supposedly have self centering wheel lug / bolts. That is not the case! The bolts DO NOT center the wheel on the hub.... at least not on these or most other European cars.

With about a 73mm center bore, these after market wheels had almost 20mm difference from the MINI stock hub bore. I have since acquired hub rings and re-installed the wheels and now the car drives smooth at freeway speeds.



The wheels properly installed on the 2004.

 

Hub rings are not needed if you torque the bolts correctly. It is entirely possible that the wheel shifted when you unbolted it, which would explain why it wasn't centered when removing.

 

In my experience with my Jetta, you need hub rings. Also installed after market wheels with new tires. Had a shop mount them, who's business is tires. Went back 4 times for them to fix the vibration issue. Eventually figured out they never installed rings. Called Discount, they had rings in stock. I installed the rings and the vibration was gone. These where wheels with new conical bolts, they did not self center and they where torqued.

 

It take finesse, but it is possible. I have aftermarket wheels on my wife's CX-9, and ditched the centering rings after one of them melted to the hub from a bad brake caliper. Make it slightly more difficult to get the nuts started, but once they are snug, the wheel doesn't move or vibrate.

 

I'm going to have to disagree here. I have had a lot of experience with aftermarket wheels and using wheels of differing hub bores on cars - mainly BMWs. I have never been able to get them perfectly centered without using hub rings. As you mention, the wheel may shift while installing and with that in mind, I'd rather have the peace of mind and security the bub rings offer for about $40. Just my opinion.

Agreed totally with this. The bolts are conical, but they do not center the wheel.... at least not that I have been able to ever achieve.

You have surgeon hands to be able to do that :-).

 

Always use spigot rings would be my advice as well. I have experienced what happens when you use incorrect rings and all ended well, but if the wheel came off it would've been disaster...

 

Agreed! I recommend always using them (you guys call them spigot rings). I'm sure this is why aftermarket wheel manufacturers provide them as well.

 

Crazy europeans :P

OZ uses aluminium rings btw (I had them in my Ultraleggeras), but plastic rings work just as well and are much cheaper to replace. Always check them if they are a bit older as plastic becomes brittle over time.

 

Aluminium (sp..LOL!) ones are always nice to have. They can suffer rust and bond to the hub though.

 

Pretty sure its less expensive to produce one wheel bore size and provide hub rings, than to machine wheel bores to match all the different hub sizes out there

 

Agreed!