I'm back - with a wheel centerbore q.: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Jan. 11, 2010 10:53 p.m. EvanR None

Hi friends, I'm back after a long while has passed.

A lot has changed, won't bore you with details.

My current DD is an '05 Scion xB. It came with 15" steelies. I hate steelies.

For a very Grassroots price, I can get stock wheels and tires off a MINI Cooper.

Bolt circle is the same. Offset is right. Tire size is close enough to be fine.

Centerbore is the issue. Toyota/Scion has 54.1mm. MINI has 56.1mm. That's a whopping 2mm. Since both sets of wheels are lug-centric anyhow, what's 2mm between friends?

Somebody tell me this will be just fine.

Thanks,

ER
Jan. 11, 2010 11:48 p.m. friedgreencorrado Dork

Good to see you back, Evan.

I'd still run come kind of centering ring, for the added strength if nothing else.

I thought the tapered bolts on the used Keskins I bought would center the things on my Corrado, but they never did. Is the difference between lugs and bolts that great? Perhaps I should do the conversion..
Jan. 11, 2010 11:50 p.m. EvanR New Reader

where does one find a 1mm thick centering ring??
Jan. 11, 2010 11:52 p.m. EvanB HalfDork

You probably won't notice the difference. I have run Rotas with >70mm offset on a Miata with 54mm and no centering rings and haven't had any noticeable problems.
Jan. 12, 2010 4:40 a.m. ValuePack HalfDork

EvanR wrote:

where does one find a 1mm thick centering ring??

Searched for a half hour, this was all I can find for the sizes you'd need. A might pricey:

http://www.motorsport-tech.com/hub_rings.html
Jan. 12, 2010 7:47 a.m. erohslc Reader

Basically, rings cut from a tube with 0.039 inch walls. Can someone with a lathe please help this person?

Or you can make your own from some 0.035 sheet or strips, using tin snips, a file, and a hammer.
Jan. 12, 2010 9:06 a.m. DeadSkunk Reader

I run my MINI on a set ot Rota RBs and put the MINI wheels on my wife's Xb. No issues, and I've run non-hubcentric wheels on other cars for years. If you want to do it properly, get a shop to machine the MINI wheels to take a standard centering ring, then you can use them on any car in the future.
Jan. 12, 2010 11:12 p.m. EvanR New Reader

DeadSkunk wrote:

I ...put the MINI wheels on my wife's Xb. No issues,

That's what I wanted to hear! Thanks, DeadSkunk!
Jan. 12, 2010 11:43 p.m. friedgreencorrado Dork

EvanR wrote:

where does one find a 1mm thick centering ring??

Ooh. Now ya got me. Maybe that's why they invented the plastic ones? Mount em up and let the torque squish them down to size?
Jan. 13, 2010 12:31 p.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork

friedgreencorrado wrote:

EvanR wrote:

where does one find a 1mm thick centering ring??

Ooh. Now ya got me. Maybe that's why they invented the plastic ones? Mount em up and let the torque squish them down to size?

OK, so a plastic ring that gets squished to size is going to help how?

lug-centric = lug-centric. pilot not important for operation!
Jan. 13, 2010 5:59 p.m. Toyman01 Dork

When I mounted the Mustang wheels on the Mazda I couldn't find any hub rings. I ended up making a set out of PVC pipe on the lathe. Even mounting 4X108 wheels on 4X110 hubs with wobble bolts I haven't had any problems. The center rings only hold long enough to torque the bolts. After that, the clamping force is what keeps the wheel from moving. Several of the wheel manufactures recommend not using aluminum rings because of corrosion issues.
Jan. 13, 2010 7:28 p.m. Streetwiseguy New Reader

We have a terrible time getting 850/70 Volvo aftermarket winter wheels to center using the stock bolts because the center hole is a couple of mm big. Studs and nuts, its never a problem. So if your car used studs and nuts you are ok. Bolts you can do it, but it takes forever to center the wheel manually.
Jan. 13, 2010 10:52 p.m. friedgreencorrado Dork

AngryCorvair wrote:

friedgreencorrado wrote:

EvanR wrote:

where does one find a 1mm thick centering ring??

Ooh. Now ya got me. Maybe that's why they invented the plastic ones? Mount em up and let the torque squish them down to size?

AngryCorvair wrote: OK, so a plastic ring that gets squished to size is going to help how?

I have no idea. Just trying to figure out why they were invented... Maybe Toyman's right about the corrosion stuff.

AngryCorvair wrote: lug-centric = lug-centric. pilot not important for operation!

I gotta convert to studs. I figure it'll pay for itself after the 2nd or 3rd time I lose the rings..
Jan. 13, 2010 11:46 p.m. DILYSI Dave UltimaDork

As long as it is a tapered seat, you're fine. I do know that some Toyotas (MR2 for one) used a non tapered seat.