Which is better: hub centric or lug centric wheels?
Thread Starter
JK Super Freak
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,036
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From: Milton Mills, NH
Which is better: hub centric or lug centric wheels?
OK, I need steel wheels - the alloys are just not holding up. I am looking at Black Rock KBs and the Soft 8s, but it looks like they are lug centric. Factory's are hub centric, which seems like a better idea (i which case I'd use the MOPRA steelies). Opinions?
JK Junkie
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,565
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From: HAWAII
Aftermarket will almost always be lug eccentric unless you pickup higher dollar wheels that are hub. Either or in my opinion. With lug eccentric wheels i ALWAYS step torque the wheels as much as possible with the wheel off the ground. Such as hit each with 15 ft/lb, then 30ft/lb, 40ft/lb. That is a big deal on getting the wheel centered on all the lugs before sticking the weight of the vehicle on it. Then of course final torquing when its on the ground.
Everyone has opinions on it, you'll probably just have a harder time trying to find hub eccentric wheels than it's worth (my opinoin).
Another option is to find the hard plastic (maybe steel/alum) eccentric rings. They will takeup the gap left and make your lug eccentric wheels, hub eccentric.
Everyone has opinions on it, you'll probably just have a harder time trying to find hub eccentric wheels than it's worth (my opinoin).
Another option is to find the hard plastic (maybe steel/alum) eccentric rings. They will takeup the gap left and make your lug eccentric wheels, hub eccentric.
Using the right type of lug nuts would help as well....I always find the tapered/acorn style lug nuts help in centering the wheels...
(non tapered)
Super Moderator
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Arizona
Hub centric will, in theory, give you a better ride. It takes most of the wheel mounting variability out of the equation. It should also provide some level of longevity to your bearings, but that would be dependent on how closely the wheels mount up to center. Of course, having unbalanced or mis-balanced rubber on your rig negates any positive effects of hub-centric wheels!
Rugged Ridge, Hutchinson Rock Monster, AEV, and of course Mopar are all hub centric. Actually, any wheel that has a center bore of 71.5mm would be "hub centric".
An alternative would be to buy whatever wheel you want and put in hub rings. There are a s-load of rings out there with the center bore of 71.5mm. The outside diameter is dependent on the wheel you select.
Rugged Ridge, Hutchinson Rock Monster, AEV, and of course Mopar are all hub centric. Actually, any wheel that has a center bore of 71.5mm would be "hub centric".
An alternative would be to buy whatever wheel you want and put in hub rings. There are a s-load of rings out there with the center bore of 71.5mm. The outside diameter is dependent on the wheel you select.
JK Newbie
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 57
Likes: 1
From: Tracy, CA
Its a moot point. They are both equally good, but you have to run whatever your VEHICLE was designed for, not your wheels. So if you put lug-centric wheels on a vehicle designed to be hub centric your asking for issues, vice -versa. If you want the benifits of both, get the appropriate hub-centric rings for your lug-centric wheels.
Super Moderator
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,750
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From: Arizona
I'm not so sure this issue is moot. The JK did come with hub-centric wheels, but there is nothing in Jeep literature that confirms it is indeed intended to be only hub-centric as some other vehicle manufacturers do. I would think that there would be many on this forum that would take offense with "the idea has been rendered irrelevant for the present issue".
...but what do I know?
JK Junkie
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,472
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From: Virginia Woods
Most steel wheels I deal with on a daily basis are NOT hub -centric, but 99.9 % of the aluminum wheels I change out ARE hub-centric. It's not a hard and fast rule, but I think it may have to do with shear strength of the different materials. I've never seen the center torn out of a steel wheel , but I've seen a thousand aluminum wheels with the center broken out.....
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JK Newbie
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 57
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From: Tracy, CA
Definition of Moot Point: "(US) An issue regarded as potentially debatable, but no longer practically applicable. Although the idea may still be worth debating and exploring academically, and such discussion may be useful for addressing similar issues in the future, the idea has been rendered irrelevant for the present issue."
I'm not so sure this issue is moot. The JK did come with hub-centric wheels, but there is nothing in Jeep literature that confirms it is indeed intended to be only hub-centric as some other vehicle manufacturers do. I would think that there would be many on this forum that would take offense with "the idea has been rendered irrelevant for the present issue".
...but what do I know?
I'm not so sure this issue is moot. The JK did come with hub-centric wheels, but there is nothing in Jeep literature that confirms it is indeed intended to be only hub-centric as some other vehicle manufacturers do. I would think that there would be many on this forum that would take offense with "the idea has been rendered irrelevant for the present issue".
...but what do I know?
No I don't have my mind made completley up. I just feel that if the manufacturer built the hubs to be hub centric then that is what they intended to be used. If you change the hubs (i.e. spyntec kit) then you have more options. There is nothing in the manufacturers literature stating you HAVE to use rubber tires...you gonna switch to aluminum????