hubcentric adapter question

[LL - NY]

On 1/24/07, thejimrose <thejimrose at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> i almost got this.
>
> > Bolts really don't hold the wheel. They apply tension force between the
> > wheel and hub which increases the friction between the wheel and the
> hub.
>
> so the bolts hold the wheel to the hub...
>
> > So, there is ALOT more availible force from the preload between the hub
> and
> > wheel than any little hubcentric lip would create.


The lip just ensures that there is a mutual axis. Essentially a guidance
jig.

FRICTION is what is really transferring torque and lateral loads between the
wheel and the hub. Frictional force is proportional to the clamping force
between the hub and wheel, and the coefficient of friction between them.
More clamping force, more friction, more load margin. That is when the more
massive or powerful cars go to more and more wheel bolts (think Viper),
since clamping force goes up in direct proportion to the # of wheel bolts
(assuming the same tightening torque and thread pitch). Yes, in reality, the
centering ring does carry a tiny bit of the load, as do the lug bolts/lugs
just because they are in the way. However, a for instance: My former SCCA
Solo2 GTi (and nearly every competitive Solo2 Neon back in the early Gen1
ACR days) ran on American Racing AR24s. Light, correct size and offset to be
legal. Cheap due to an SCCA discount. And not even fugly. Hence TONS of them
around. Both in Solo and Club Racing. Wheel to Wheel.

They used nylon centering rings, as do ALL American Racing rims, for both
cars and light trucks. Think American Racing, SCCA or their insurance
companies would trust nylon to carry torque or radial (transverse) loads?

Or, for that matter, 4 half inch diameter shafts with rather extensive
stress risers (threads)?

you lost me. i thought that the hubcentric ring is there so that there
> IS force applied from wheel to hub. otherwise there's an airspace and
> the hub/wheel aren't touching and only the bolts are holding things
> up. no bueno, methinks.
>
> That being said, without
> > the hubcentric lip in contact with either the wheel itself, or
> hubcentric
> > rings, it could be rather difficult to ensure that the wheel and the hub
> are
> > sharing the same rotational axis.
>
> right. if everything's centered the wheel spins in something more
> closely resembling a circle. which mine definitely are not since i got
> no ringy dings.
>

IF your rims use conical style lugs, you may be able to center up the wheel
without the use of the centering ring BTDT. Mount wheel (a real pain without
the ring, I might add), and lightly tighten the lugs, rattling the wheel as
you tighten in proper sequence, over and over again. Helps if you can rotate
the wheel/hub to even the load, but being that you're quattro, this is
unlikely.

The LUGS conical section will help center the wheel IF the lugs are properly
located. And remember, its the pressure of the lugs that mostly define the
radial/torque loads carried by the wheel, not the shear loads of the lugs or
rings.

LL - NY