proper hub centric rings for 1999 qx4

[Z31toZ32]

hey guys i have a 99 qx4, and recently picked up some black steel wheels and popped some nice tires on that i was using on the stock aluminum wheels. i found that the wheels are vibrating a bit on the freeway and just arent entirely smooth like they should be, and found out they are lug centric wheels after some interneting.

I am going to try some hub centric rings to fix the highway vibration. first time hub centric ring purchase here... how do i assure that i order the right sizing? i have not been able to find the diameter for the hub that i would need to order. is this published somewhere? i am also contacting the manufacture of the wheel for the outer diameter.

thanks.

[Hawairish]

Our hubs are 100mm. Your steelies are likely 108mm so that they can fit older Toyotas. Just put a ruler across the bore openings to confirm.

[Z31toZ32]

thanks

[fueler]

I believe our 99's should do just fine with lug centric wheels

Have you balanced the new steelies yet?

[Z31toZ32]

yeah, i have balanced them... many times. The whole situation is kind of a disaster. I had some new goodyear triple treads on the OEM wheels which drove like it was on rails. this winter I decided to pick up some steel wheels and some blizzacks as i was planning on skiing the mountains a number of times. The steel wheels and blizzacks drove okay... pretty smooth but not like butter, but it was what I expected from winter tires.

Anyways, I enjoyed the look so much that when it was time to move to the all seasons, i decided to swap the all seasons to the steel wheels. As soon as I did it, the freeway ride was shaky at the wheel. I had them rebalanced again, and the same result. I took them back again, and the manager re-calibrated the machine right before and balanced them himself. I admit it got better, but nowhere near the OEM wheels. i remember the OEM wheels with the same tires were like driving a brand new car previously. it is completely driveable, but nowhere near where it was at.

I started googling a bit, and found that people have had the same issue with a wheel that was not hub centered but rather lug centered... and solved it with a hubcentric ring. after more searching this afternoon I noted that steel wheels apparently do not accept the hubcentric rings (although I have not tried it). so, I decided to jack the car up and re-torque the wheels slowly using the star method with the wheel off the ground (and foot on brake with a helper). this is opposed to seating the wheel and then lowering the car to torque on the ground. I figured my genius new method would solve the problem. Answer was no, they are still not smooth on the highway. so, I think I am going to blow another $120 to have them changed back to the OEM wheels.

[Hawairish]

after more searching this afternoon I noted that steel wheels apparently do not accept the hubcentric rings (although I have not tried it).

Unless the lip on the bore rolls up significantly or is just an odd size, I don't see why the rings wouldn't work. Do the manufacturer specs provide the center bore? Do they have center caps, are they the type that install from the rear, and are you using them?

I've bought a few of the inexpensive plastic hub rings (most recently 100mm-to-106mm to fit 4Runner wheels and mag-style nuts on my Frontier), and they've worked well. The ones I've gotten have a slightly larger OD at the base due to a small bevel, then quickly taper up to the nominal OD. The back of the wheels I've used have a corresponding bevel that fits the base well. They're about 3/8" tall, so it should contact the steel wheel bore at some point. The only problem I had with them was that the ID also had a bevel at the base that reduced contact with the bore...probably to ease installation...but I've not had any issues with them.

[Z31toZ32]

i dont know why they wouldnt work either. the manufacturer stated the OD is 108.7mm, so i was planning to buy the 108mm OD and 100mm ID. according to the internet, these are only manufactured in plastic.

the guy at the tire shop said the portion of the wheel that would meet with the centric ring is very thin in that location since it is a steel wheel, and it would crack the ring. i found a few forums where guys have noted that centric rings did work with steel wheels, but most of the internet states they will not work. i am at odds right now whether to order them and give it a whirl (and continue this tragedy) or just re mount OEM since.

[fueler]

The wheels could be bent, or out-of-round....

[Buzzman]

The wheels could be bent, or out-of-round....

Sounds like there is something wrong with those steel rims to me.
A few years ago I was running snow tires on steel rims on my 2002 Pathfinder that were lug nut centric.
I had no issues with vibrations or tracking or balancing.
(I have since picked up 4 used Pathfinder rims that I now use for my snows).
I also run snow tires on lug centric steel rims on my 2006 Altima, and again, no issues with balance or vibration.
Get those rims checked again. Something is not right.