CENTRIC RINGS

[J.T.]

HELP, Just bought new 17' inch wheels now in I'm told you must put centric rings on are these nessary or will the lugs hold the wheel in place.

THANKS J.T.

[GZire]

I believe what your are referring to are hubcentric spacers. Specifically these are spacers that are used to gain clearance from (usually) your brake calipers.

If you do not need wheel spacers in order to get clearance from your calipers, then you don't need spacers.

[J.T.]

THE HUB CENTER SIZE IS SMALLER THEN THE WHEEL CENTER. SO THE WHEEL SEEMS TO BE LOSE WILL THE LUGS BE ENOUGHT TO HOLD IT CENTERED.OR ARE THEY THE WRONG SIZE WHEELS.

[GZire]

Hmm I see. I understand what the guys want to do now. What they are trying to do is use a hub centric spacer to help you center out the new wheels. Just because it's loose doesn't necessarily mean you have the wrong wheels, just not great fitting ones (I assume that you have 5-114.3 wheels).

There are two types of spacers, ones that are hub centric and not (same goes for wheels). The hub centric are supposed to help you center out the wheels while the other spacers rely on your hub bolts to center the wheels.

The spacers aren't really necessary if the wheel sizing is correct. However the spacers are cheap and in the long run it's well worth the money to use them.

More information:
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/centerb.jsp

[dholly]

We have no way of knowing whether the wheels you have are the wrong size or manufactured expressely for your vehicle. Many manufacturers produce wheels with 'universal' center bore and lug cutouts. In order for the wheel to be mounted properly, assuming wheel dia., width and offest are appropriate for your vehicle, you WILL need to purchase the correct hub centric rings (not spacers) for the best results. The rings keep the wheel centered perfectly. I suggest you call the wheel manufacturer to determine which inside and outside bore size ring is required for your wheel and vehicle combination. Make certain you purchase aluminum rings, not plastic, and be certain to coat with anti-seize before mounting. You will have one h*ll of a time removing them later if you don't.