Hub Centric???
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From: Hanscom AFB, MA
Hub Centric???
I'm looking into aftermarket wheels, but the ones that I'd like to get say that they are not hub centric. Is this something to be concerned about with our Bronco's? I've got a '96.
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From: Gateway to the West
Not even sure I understand the term. A wheel that is not hub centric wouldn't roll very nicely. Kinda like those Fisher-Price toys we had as kids with the wheels offset on the axles so the toys would bob and wobble around as it rolled!
But more to the point, it may mean that the center of the wheel does not have a large enough hole for the front hubs to pass through. If this is the case, keep lookin'.
Either way, the term "Hub Centric" is inaccurate. All wheels are hub centric...the two words mean the same thing! Like "The department of redunancies, department".
But more to the point, it may mean that the center of the wheel does not have a large enough hole for the front hubs to pass through. If this is the case, keep lookin'.
Either way, the term "Hub Centric" is inaccurate. All wheels are hub centric...the two words mean the same thing! Like "The department of redunancies, department".
Last edited by greystreak92; Jan 22, 2005 at 09:23 PM.
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From: Hanscom AFB, MA
That's what I'm not sure of. I'm not really sure of what "hub centric" means. I looked at the rear wheels (on my truck) under the cover and there's a lip from the drum that matches the hole in the center of the wheel, like the front hubs do. I've looked at most of the steel wheels from Summit and they all seem to say the same thing(not hub centric). I've seen some Bronco's with these same aftermarket wheels on them, but I don't know if there's some sort of adapter, or what.
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From: Hanscom AFB, MA
Well, I got an answer on this on another site. Bronco's are not a hub centric vehicle, meaning that it uses a hub to center the wheel. They said that Bronco's use the lugs to center the wheel, like most other modern vehicles out there. I guess I'll be buying the wheels I'm looking at! I suppose I learned something today...
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Hub-centric means that the wheel fits tight to the hub, and uses the hub to center the wheel. Unlike our Broncos, which use lug-centric where the lugs have a tapered end that is used to center the wheel and the wheel does not fit tight to the hub. An example of hub-centric wheels would be on my parents Expedition, the lug nuts are flat instead of tapered and are only there to hold the wheel to the truck, and not center it. I hope this explaination helps.
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From: Gateway to the West
Its still an inaccurate term. Both words have the same meaning. All wheels are centered on the hub. All wheels will be held dead center by the wheel studs. If it so happens that a particular vehicle also has a casting in the hub that will assist in aligning the wheel to the studs, then wheels designed to fit these vehicles should be more accurately referred to as hub aligned. The term "hub centric" is redundant. Even non-tapered lugs sink into holes in the wheels that will maintain wheel position relative to the hub. If they didn't, every time you accelerated, the potential for the hub to torque behid the wheel and elongate the holes for the studs would render the wheels useless over time.
Last edited by greystreak92; Jan 22, 2005 at 11:19 PM.
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From: Central Va.
97 and up f150s are hub centric--- This Fords terminology-- and a cause of MANY drive vibration probs. since introduced-- wheels center on hub--- lug nuts holes are rather large and lug nuts have flat washers made on them--- not a cone type lug nut. I serviced an 05 F150 last Thursday and it had cone lug nuts on it-FINALLY FORD is going back to lug centric wheels!!!!! Grey, not all wheel are centered on hub- just ask any current Ford tech and they can tell you what they have run into on the new 04 F 150 and the training we have had to go through!!!!
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From: Gateway to the West
Originally Posted by Trublufords
Grey, not all wheel are centered on hub- just ask any current Ford tech and they can tell you what they have run into on the new 04 F 150 and the training we have had to go through!!!!
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From: Spokane WA
Hub-centric wheels center on the hub with a tight fit on the hub.
Other wheels center on the lug studs.
example
The same aftermarket wheels will fit dodge and ford pre-metric 5x5.5
but since dodge rims are hub-centric and the hubs happen to larger
The factory Dodge rims will fit the ford, but the factory Ford rims won't fit the Dodge.
Other wheels center on the lug studs.
example
The same aftermarket wheels will fit dodge and ford pre-metric 5x5.5
but since dodge rims are hub-centric and the hubs happen to larger
The factory Dodge rims will fit the ford, but the factory Ford rims won't fit the Dodge.
Last edited by oldhalftons; Jan 24, 2005 at 12:01 AM.
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From: Spokane WA
Originally Posted by greystreak92
Its still an inaccurate term. Both words have the same meaning. All wheels are centered on the hub. All wheels will be held dead center by the wheel studs.
all the wheel studs do on a hub-centric wheel is provide horizontal clamping force. they DO NOT center the wheel
Last edited by oldhalftons; Jan 24, 2005 at 12:11 AM.
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From: Gateway to the West
Um, then how is the torque that is applied every time the vehicle accelerates kept from shifting the axle hub behind the wheel. Obviously, the wheel can't slide off center if there is a cast center on the axle hub that keeps it there but what keeps the axle from slipping (rotating) behind the wheel when torque is applied? Unless the holes for the wheel studs are small enough to hold the wheel centered as well, there is no way the pressure applied by the lugs can compensate for the sheer pressures exerted by acceleration. And if Ford engineers are counting on that, I'll be waiting around to see all the wheels so designed in a couple of years with all the stud holes wallowed out.
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From: Gateway to the West
So what you are saying is that even though the holes in the wheels don't fit snug around the wheel studs, the lugs or washers used still effectively center the studs in the holes. Then by the very nature of the design, doesn't that force the wheel to the center of the hub as well?
What I'm saying here is if I wanted to prove my theory here and I could somehow cut the raised center of the hub away so that it didn't support the wheel on its own, then the wheel would still be centered on the hub once all of the lugs were installed...correct? So, even though the hub is designed to hold the wheel centered until the lugs are installed, the lugs would still draw the wheel into the proper position even if that center section of the hub was removed. Right or wrong?
What I'm saying here is if I wanted to prove my theory here and I could somehow cut the raised center of the hub away so that it didn't support the wheel on its own, then the wheel would still be centered on the hub once all of the lugs were installed...correct? So, even though the hub is designed to hold the wheel centered until the lugs are installed, the lugs would still draw the wheel into the proper position even if that center section of the hub was removed. Right or wrong?