aftermarket wheels with lug-centric design
Considering adding some aftermarket Dick Cepek GM7 wheels to my otherwise stock Ram1500. I've been doing quite a bit of research on the concerns of going from the factory hub-centric wheels to an af...
Forum Discussion
Sport45 wrote:
I'll have to give LarryJM kudos for a great post on the subject.
Whether the wheel is hub- or lug-centric there should be no significant sheer load on the hub or lugs. That is taken by the friction between the wheel and hub due to the clamping force applied by the lugs. The wheel lugs only see sheer stress if the nuts are loose in either case. More so with lug-centric rims as the weight of the vehicle applies sheer stress to the lugs when loose. The hub-centric lugs really only see sheer stress on acceleration or braking when the lugs are loose as the hub will carry the vehicles weight.
Do your lugs a favor and always brush any loose stuff off the hubs and insides of the wheel before mounting them and apply proper torque to the lug nuts. Lube the threads or washers as appropriate.
I have to comment on the last sentence. While it's O.K. to wipe the washers with a little oil one should never, ever put anything on the actual threads especially any sort of lubricant. I even question some that put things like never seize on the threads and you can also wipe some oil on the wheel and hub pilot interface surfaces to prevent seizing.
Larry
