I have seen posted that Aerostars are lugcentric on the wheels. Since I've gotten Explorer wheels (97), I've noticed that the Explorer wheels don't fit the center hub as tight as the original wheels. Is this something to be concerned about? I'm about to put new tires on the wheels, but don't know whether to find other wheels?

Just waiting on your input before I proceed.

Thanks,

Jim

(note: I had posted on an older post, but thought I should start this one new.)

 

Pardon my typing, disregard this post to the previous.

 

In a nutshell, no. I had an '88 Aero and ran GT Mustang wheels with a noticeably larger centerbore. I ran that van hard and never had an issue with anything coming loose or not being centered(balanced). Just be sure to tighten the lug nuts very evenly - and - with a tourqe wrench, both by hand.

 

The Aero hub & rim is down in the low 64.x millimeters although one supplier has it listed as small as 63.8.
The Explorer hub & rim (Gen2/3 in mid 1990's) is in the low to mid 70.x millimeters.
Of course the vehicle hub OD will measure slightly less than the corresponding rim bore.
For instance, one supplier has the Expl rear rotor ID as high as 71.4mm.

Some of my last Aero hub adapters were done at 64.0 and I had to spend time reaming out to 64.2 before they would get on.
In my personal database for building adapters, my current targets are 64.5 and 70.6 mm bore ID.

**********
Imo hubcentric is nice but not essential.

 

Thanks for the input. I also talked to a guy that had a race car with 1700hp and had no problem with lugcentric...so I did put my Explorer wheels on. I did tighten them with a torque wrench too.

 

The wheels are force centered on the axles by the stud nut cones.
Never seen an Aero that had enough power to snap off good studs torqued correctly.
If you're concerned about the wheels coming off?
ARP's heat-treated 8740 chrome moly wheel studs
The Official ARP Web Site | Wheel Studs & Nuts
If you can afford the price.

Aero's have weak thin rotors and rear brake drums, overtorqueing warps and cracks them

 

It's not so much the engine power that I'd worry about, but everything else that the wheels have to deal with. For example, comparing acceleration rates vs stopping distance, braking power is usually at least 3 times higher than engine power in most cars.

Normally, the wheel is centered by both the hub and the lug nuts against the bevels of the holes in the wheel. Without the hub, you're depending entirely on the shoulders of the nuts against the hole bevels. That's not helped by thin rotors or drums. The other problem would be the wheel not centered on the hub (not hub centric).

If Rojostar's numbers are correct, I would try these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Aluminum-HUB-CENTRIC-HUBCENTRIC-RING-RINGS-70-4mm-to-64-1mm-/331169949668?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4d1b4467e4&vxp=mtr
Don't forget to use anti-sieze on them.