Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels
| DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels [message #359629] |
Tue, 20 October 2020 07:20  |
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RF_Burns
Messages: 2277
Registered: June 2008
Location: S. Ontario, Canada
Karma: 3
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When I bought my GMC, the previous owner had already installed a set of Eagle wheels that were not hub-centric. The nuts have a shoulder that fits inside the wheel lug hole to provide deeper threading onto the stud. The wheels spin extremely close to true, but not perfect, but certainly better than any steel wheel.
I wasn't going to spend $2,000 on new wheels, but I thought I could improve on the existing ones. I looked into hub-centric spacers but they are not inexpensive either. There didn't seem to be a standard size so I would need custom ones made at even higher cost.
One day I was working with some PVC piping and on a lark I got out my calipers. Turned out the wall thickness of a 4" PVC straight coupler was within just a few thou of the required hub-centric ring. But the diameter was about 15 thou too small. So I cut a ring from the PVC coupler the thickness of the wheel, then cut across the ring so it could expand. The gap in the ring will not make any difference.
The ring fit in perfectly (snug). I found that I needed to roll the wheels to get the ring to fit in. Then tightened and torqued the wheel nuts. The wheel nuts now hold the wheel in position. Since my wheels have covers which are held in place by the wheel nuts, the ring stays in place.
Can't say as I notice any smoother ride, but my tires are 7 years old and I was going to change them this year... but due to Covid we didn't get far. I'll put new tires on next spring and see if the ride improves.
Anyway, JWID
Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.
1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
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| Re: DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels [message #359643 is a reply to message #359629] |
Tue, 20 October 2020 14:14  |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Those Eagle wheels are only .031 larger center hole so the maximum off set you could ever see is .0155. The tires you are using are not that accurate. When I went to Eagle wheels I mistakenly listened to all f the naysayers and fashioned some shims out of .015 brass. Then I mounted the wheels and drove 150 miles down to Blaine's and the shims (all 6 wheels) fell out. It turns out the wheels center just fine on those shouldered lug nuts. I never installed the hubcaps so I can measure the clearance with a feeler gauge and every time I checked in the past 12 years after several wheel mounting and dismountings a .015 gauge will fit all the way around. I quit worrying about it several years ago.
The only reason we have hub centered wheels is they took them off of a GM daully truck. In a dually they needed a way to hold the inside wheel centered while mounting the outside wheel on the same wheel studs. Once they are tightened the hub centering has no bearing on the wheel running down the road.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels [message #359645 is a reply to message #359643] |
Tue, 20 October 2020 14:34 |
Dolph Santorine
Messages: 1236
Registered: April 2011
Location: Wheeling, WV
Karma: -41
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Thank you, Ken.
The best description I’ve heard, and I now grok what’s going on with this.
Dolph
DE AD0LF
Wheeling, West Virginia
1977 26’ ex-PalmBeach
Howell EFI & EBL, Reaction Arms, Manny Transmission
“The Aluminum and Fiberglass Mistress”
|[ ]~~~[][ ][] \
"--OO--[]---O-"
> On Oct 20, 2020, at 3:15 PM, Ken Burton via Gmclist wrote:
>
> Those Eagle wheels are only .031 larger center hole so the maximum off set you could ever see is .0155. The tires you are using are not that
> accurate. When I went to Eagle wheels I mistakenly listened to all f the naysayers and fashioned some shims out of .015 brass. Then I mounted the
> wheels and drove 150 miles down to Blaine's and the shims (all 6 wheels) fell out. It turns out the wheels center just fine on those shouldered lug
> nuts. I never installed the hubcaps so I can measure the clearance with a feeler gauge and every time I checked in the past 12 years after several
> wheel mounting and dismountings a .015 gauge will fit all the way around. I quit worrying about it several years ago.
>
> The only reason we have hub centered wheels is they took them off of a GM daully truck. In a dually they needed a way to hold the inside wheel
> centered while mounting the outside wheel on the same wheel studs. Once they are tightened the hub centering has no bearing on the wheel running
> down the road.
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
>
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| Re: [GMCnet] DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels [message #359646 is a reply to message #359645] |
Tue, 20 October 2020 15:11 |
Larry
Messages: 2875
Registered: January 2004
Location: Menomonie, WI
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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Dolph Santorine wrote on Tue, 20 October 2020 14:34Thank you, Ken.
The best description I’ve heard, and I now grok what’s going on with this.
Dolph
DE AD0LF
Wheeling, West Virginia
1977 26’ ex-PalmBeach
Howell EFI & EBL, Reaction Arms, Manny Transmission
“The Aluminum and Fiberglass Mistress”
|[ ]~~~[][ ][] \
"--OO--[]---O-"
Ya, I guess I never really did believe that hub centered was any better than lug centered. Just did not make sense to me.
Larry 
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
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| Re: DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels [message #359650 is a reply to message #359647] |
Tue, 20 October 2020 18:08 |
Hal StClair
Messages: 971
Registered: March 2013
Location: Rio Rancho NM
Karma: -12
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Senior Member |
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On my bus there is a difference in weight capacity of the wheels. A hub centered 10" 22.5 wheel is rated 10,000 lbs, a stud located 10" 22.5 is rated 9,000 lbs. The differences in wheels seems to be similar in most all truck wheels. Makes sense to me...
Hal
"I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind, except you happen to be insane."
1977 Royale 101348,
1977 Royale 101586, Diesel powered,
1974 Eagle Bus 45',w/slideout,
Rio Rancho, NM
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| Re: DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels [message #359667 is a reply to message #359629] |
Wed, 21 October 2020 08:37 |
jhbridges
Messages: 8412
Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
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Senior Member |
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Jo, if you heat and stretch, you will thin the material (the extra has to come from somewhere). That being said, my current coach has the lug centered Eagles. I've had no problems or asymmetric wear or shaking, so I have continued on with a bit of a gap at the wheel center.
--johnny
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
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| Re: [GMCnet] DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels [message #359669 is a reply to message #359667] |
Wed, 21 October 2020 09:53 |
James Hupy
Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010
Karma: -62
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Part of the problem with lug-centered wheels lies with the lug nuts
themselves. If you buy a used set of lug-centric wheels, and use the stock
flanged GMC lug nuts with them, you are setting yourself up for an
egg-centric ride. The correct lugnuts are the key to centering the wheels.
But, somewhere in my extensive training was a D.O.T. regulation
regarding front wheel drive (of which the GMC is) are strictly required to
use Hub-centric wheels on the drive axle. It said in essence "THOU SHALT
NOT USE ANYTHING BUT HUB CENTERED WHEELS IN THIS APPLICATION"! I can't
quote you chapter and verse in the morass of D.O.T regulations, but I think
that still applies to GMC's today. But, whats a few regulations among
friends?
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon
On Wed, Oct 21, 2020, 6:38 AM Johnny Bridges via Gmclist <
gmclist@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
> Jo, if you heat and stretch, you will thin the material (the extra has to
> come from somewhere). That being said, my current coach has the lug
> centered Eagles. I've had no problems or asymmetric wear or shaking, so I
> have continued on with a bit of a gap at the wheel center.
>
> --johnny
> --
> Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
> Braselton, Ga.
> I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me
> in hell
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
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| Re: DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels [message #359670 is a reply to message #359629] |
Wed, 21 October 2020 10:02 |
kingd
Messages: 592
Registered: June 2004
Karma: 2
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Senior Member |
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Most cars may have hub centered (so called) wheels. I was chasing a vibration in my daily driver that had factory steel wheels.
By jacking it up and checking runout 1 wheel at a time I found the culprit. In about 1/2HR- 45 minutes of work, trying the
wheel in different positions (on the same hub) and order of tightening the nuts, I got it almost perfect. Vibration gone.
My current daily driver has factory aluminum wheels and i don't seem to have this problem. I'm fussy when it
comes to vibration through the steering wheel or in the seat of the pants. If normally there's no
vibration and suddenly there is regardless how slight it's a good indicator something is going wrong.
JWID
DAVE KING
lurker, wannabe
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Re: DIY Hub-centric rings for aluminum wheels [message #359697 is a reply to message #359681] |
Thu, 22 October 2020 12:22 |
Carl S.
Messages: 4186
Registered: January 2009
Location: Tucson, AZ.
Karma: 13
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Senior Member |
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I have the earlier supplied (by Applied GMC) mag style lug nut, lug centered, Eagle wheels on the rear of my coach. They do have a significant space between the hub and the wheel center hole. I have never experienced any sort of vibration or shake except when a tire slipped a belt.
I am running Dodge Truck 16" X 8" alloy wheels on the front which also have a larger center hole than the hub. These also have tapered (cone shaped) lug nuts holding them to the hub. Again, no sign of shake, run-out, or vibration from them. Also, I have never had an issue with the lug nuts coming loose. I had been cautioned about that possibility, but in over 10 years and over 40,000 miles with this set-up, it has never happened.
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles, Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member
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