Hubcentric rings and front/rear rim differences.

[repiv]

Recently, the topic of hubcentric rings has arisen and some people don't know what they are or what they're for. I'm not here to tell you that you "must" have them or not have them. I'm not even here to preach to you. This is just here as an informational thread, nothing more. Do with it as you please.

Here are some links that will tell you all about these rings and what they do:

http://www.prestigewheel.com/Catalog/HubRings66_67.pdf
http://www.wheelmax.com/articles.asp?id=13

Now, with the S2000 in mind .................................................. ..

In this picture, you can see that the centerbore of the S2000 FRONT OEM rim is 70mm:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310710&md=1
And here, you see that the axle hub on which the front rim mounts is also 70mm:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310733&md=1
In this pic, you can see that the centerbore of the REAR OEM rim is 64mm":
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310755&md=1
And here, you see that the axle hub on which the rear rim mounts is also 64mm:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310758&md=1
NOW, do you see why it's kinda tough to "ram" a rear rim onto a front axle? Yet, you can easily mount a front rim onto the rear axle. This is what you're supposed to do in the event of a rear flat. The compact spare goes onto the front ONLY and this set-up is only a temporary measure and speeds are to be greatly reduced for a limited number of miles till the situation can be resolved (repaired or new tire).

Now, to the aftermarket wheels and rings (I use my Volks as an example):
Here is the borehole of a Volk CE28N front rim (the rear rim will be the same borehole). Note that it's just over 73mm:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310715&md=1
Here is the measurement of the I.D. (inner diameter) of the centering ring for that FRONT Volk rim. It's 70mm, the very same as the axle hub on the front of the S2000:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310714&md=1
It will not surprise you to know then, that the O.D. of this ring just happens to be 73mm, the same as the centerbore hole of the Volk rim.

Here is the I.D. of the ring for the REAR Volk rim. Note that it's 64mm, the same as the axle hub on the rear of the S2000:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310716&md=1
Also note that this ring is much thicker than the one for the front rim because it must make up a bigger space. (Remember that the borehole of the rear Volk rim is still 73mm.)

A few people have remarked that when they take off their aftermarket rims, they can't seem to get the OEM rims to mount flush against the mounting surface on the car. Here's the reason why:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310717&md=1
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310718&md=1
The ring may have gotten stuck onto the axle hub and you are trying to put a rim onto a hub that is blocked by a foreign object (the ring).

Here is the ring properly set into the borehole of the front Volk rim:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310719&md=1
Here is the ring properly set into the borehole of the rear Volk rim:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=310720&md=1

Depending upon the type of aftermarket rim, you will have a slightly different set of hubcentric rings. Each make of wheel will have a specific hubcentric ring based on the diameter of the axle hub that they go onto. For example, Volk rims for an S2000 may have completely different hubcentric rings from Volk rims for a 350Z or an Accord.

It should also be noted that it seems that the S2000 is somewhat immune to the usual bad effects (vibration at speed) of not having these rings when using aftermarket wheels. I'm not saying that's what you should do or not do. Just an observation made by myself and others.

[raymo19]

Let me be the first to say:

This thread is worthless without pics.

Is it just me or are there no pictures?:think:

My rings are patiently sitting in my Volks waitng for the call of spring to go back on. Damn groundhog! But it did make 70 here today.:D

[Looter]

:eek: Pics were working this morning....!!!!

[repiv]

They seem to be working now, but before, they weren't showing up. My photos are stored on the "other" site. Maybe they had a brain fart because I couldn't get on there to check my pics out. Now I can. :think:

[Jesuis]

Uh-oh... If hotlinking pics from the "other" site ain't bad karma, I don't know what is! :laugh:

[photodavo]

I'm guessing it was because S2Ki was down earlier.

[raymo19]

They seem to be working now, but before, they weren't showing up. My photos are stored on the "other" site. Maybe they had a brain fart because I couldn't get on there to check my pics out. Now I can. :think:

There's another site?:think: :D

Very informative. Thanks Dave.:thumbup:

[repiv]

There's another site?:think: :D
Actually, I look at it not as "another" site, but more of a third party photo storage facility. I've got several hundreds of pictures that would just be too daunting to move to somewhere else. I also use Imagestation, Webshots, Shaw, Myhomescape. As I get new pictures related to the S2000, I try to put them here. So, in that sense, they're all "picture boxes". :p

PS. I seem to have lost all my pics that I've put on S2KCA. At least, when I go to my photos, it tells me there are none.

[clawhammer]

I always wondered why my SSR Competitions had these round things that kept getting stuck on the hubs, but now I know. Thanks.