Are wheel hub rings load bearing if they are made from aluminum?

[nobb]

I'm not a fan of wheels that are setup as lug centric and would much prefer a hub centric design. However, I seem to have a somewhat uncommon setup (5x114.3 bolt, 66.1mm bore, 35mm offset) such that it makes shopping for replacement wheels challenging from the classifieds.

I noticed it is possible to get aluminum hub rings instead of plastic. Therefore, if I use an aluminum ring to go from my 66.1 bore to 67.1 or 73.1, would this effectively turn it to a true hub centric setup such that the hub becomes load bearing?

 

[Pew]

An aluminum ring won't make it bore centric either. They're really only there to help center the wheel when putting on and tightening.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Make sure you have the correct lug nuts also for the rims you get. I had to buy different lugs for my Hyundai rims on my Honda. Hyundai uses a tapered seat (21mm socket), Honda a ball seat (19mm socket). I didn't want to get a flat with wrench that won't fit.

I use plastic hub rings just to help center for mounting as Hyundai is larger center bore. Old Sequoia was Hub Centric and the lug nuts had flat face washers on them and not tight to sides of rim opening.

 

[CapriRacer]

Just so everyone understands, the hub doesn't carry the weight of the vehicle, the clamping force generated by the lug nuts does. That's why it is important to torque down the wheels to the specified torque. Otherwise the wheels slip and loosens the lug nuts.

 

[nobb]

Not trying to open up the controversial discussion on how lug vs hub centric designs work, but in a lug centric setup the clamping force of the torqued lugs alone definitely is not anywhere near enough to hold the weight of the vehicle. It's definitely reliant on the shear forces on the lugs itself. Much safer to be reliant on the hub itself vs the lugs.

I was thinking if the hub adapter is made of aluminum instead of plastic, then wouldn't the hub now be able to be considered load bearing?

 

[tcp71]

I have a set of mazda wheels on the Sienna for its winter wheels. Needed new nuts and hubcentric rings, but the wheels sit on the hubs perfectly during installation and tightening them up. Aluminum rings. Maybe not load bearing, but definitely supporting.

 

[Marcozi]

Just so everyone understands, the hub doesn't carry the weight of the vehicle, the clamping force generated by the lug nuts does. That's why it is important to torque down the wheels to the specified torque. Otherwise the wheels slip and loosens the lug nuts.

Au contraie! BMW wheels snuggly fit the hubs.

 

[thescreensavers]

Au contraie! BMW wheels snuggly fit the hubs.

Same principle applies. Once the bolts are tight, the hub pilot isn't doing anything.

 

[Pew]

Not trying to open up the controversial discussion on how lug vs hub centric designs work, but in a lug centric setup the clamping force of the torqued lugs alone definitely is not anywhere near enough to hold the weight of the vehicle. It's definitely reliant on the shear forces on the lugs itself. Much safer to be reliant on the hub itself vs the lugs.

I was thinking if the hub adapter is made of aluminum instead of plastic, then wouldn't the hub now be able to be considered load bearing?

No, the ring takes no weight once the wheels are torqued down. I had them on my Evo.

 

[IndyIan]

Au contraie! BMW wheels snuggly fit the hubs.

My Focus was a press fit for the wheel onto the hub... A touch of corrosion is all it took, and silly me just tightened the lugs to pull it onto the hub!
I learned my lesson when I got a flat tire and the wheel was good and stuck. I needed to find a chunk of scrap wood in the ditch to put on the rim and then hit it with the back of an axe to pop it loose. Now if they don't slide on an off easily I use a wire brush on the drill on the wheel and hub until the wheel falls on or off easily. If the lugs didn't clamp the wheel completely to the hub, the aluminum wheel would wear pretty fast with even a tiny amount of play.

 

[slo town]

The advantage of hub centric wheels is that they align perfectly with center with the hub. This prevents vibrations caused by a wheel being mounted to the hub "off center". Even being off a few thou can cause vibrations.

But as others have said, it's the lugs that secure and hold the wheel to the face of the hub.

That said, a true high quality wheel set will always be hub centric.

Scott

 

[shortyb]

Nothing to add that hasn't already been said other than an aluminum ring is definately more durable than a plastic one from my experience. The thermal cycling of a wheel hub makes the plastic ones brittle over time and they eventually fall apart. The theory of rings being load bearing easy to understand when you look at them during wheel offs. I have never seen any wear to indicate that they were bearing any sort of a load, except lateral marks where the wheel is loaded up on the hub.

As @slo town mentioned, quality wheel sets don't use rings. But these are usually made specifically for the hub sizes a manufacturer uses so the wheel vendors will machine thousands of sets for them and it becomes cost effective. Aftermarket will machine to a larger bore size, and use rings to make them "hub-centric" so they will fit as many different vehicles as possible. I bet wheels used in racing don't have rings .

 

[4WD]

Just so everyone understands, the hub doesn't carry the weight of the vehicle, the clamping force generated by the lug nuts does. That's why it is important to torque down the wheels to the specified torque. Otherwise the wheels slip and loosens the lug nuts.

^^^ This - and the taper in the lug nuts takes care of positioning …

 

[CapriRacer]

And just so everyone understands, the center hole of OE wheels is ever so slightly larger than the hub it goes on. Both are tapered, but when assembled, there is still a gap - tiny, but a gap nevertheless.