School me on "hubcentric wheels"??

How important is it to have hubcentric wheels for a 2003 Tacoma 4x4?

I'm looking at getting wheels that are not hubcentric, will I need to have hub centering rings if the wheels aren't hub centric?

Thanks for your input

 

'03 hubs/wheels are lug centric

 

Stock ones yes.


Hubcentric wheels use the wheel hub to center themselves. Non-hubcentric wheels use the lug nuts to center themselves. Hub-centric is a better option to reduce the possibility of vibes, but plenty of people run non-hub centric with no issues. some use hub centering rings and/or extended thread lug nuts to better center the wheel.

 

Keith is absolutely correct here as he always is.

Using true hubcentric wheels really helps to minimize vibes and balancing issues. Given that most of us run oversize tires on our trucks, every element that helps balance the tire/wheel combo is crucial. SCS wheels are hubcentric.

 

Thanks for your help guys.

 

Vin, somewhat off-topic question: Do you manufacture your wheels with conical seat lug holes?

I had someone argue with me once that "any wheel that is hub centric HAS to have mag style lugs, because conical seat lugs act to center the wheel (which they do, not arguing that), and if you use conical seat lugs on a hub centric wheel, you will bend the wheel studs because they aren't centered perfectly in the holes and the hub won't allow the wheel to move if it is hub centric."

Phew.....I told him that my BBS wheels are hub-centric and use conical seat lugs, and he did not believe me. Said they must be lug centric and I was full of it.

I also had a set of subaru wheels that I believe to be hub-centric that used conical seat lugs. What's your take?

 

I disagree that hub-centric is proven to be any better...
...nor have I seen where engineers show proof regarding that claim.
Besides... the OP is inquiring about a 1st gen tacoma...
not any other that I see

It is simply what it was engineered to be...
and specific to that application.
Unless the OP has changed his ifs hubs to hub-centric...
then the proper wheels for a 1st gen. Tacoma remain lug-centric.
now matter how one slices it.

All 1st gen tacoma trucks are lug centric...
regardless of what wheels someone might wish to install.
Hub-centric wheels could still fit and work...
and often with little issue.

I've seen folk using GM hub-centric wheels on Tacoma ifs...
and they seem to have little impact or complaint from their owner.
Tho' it still wouldn't be correct.
Many imbalance issues can be found in fault...
from improper or lazy balancing techniques.

The only way a 1st gen tacoma becomes hub-centric...
is if it were SAS'd and were using a GM D44 or D60 axle (and others)...
as those are designed to be hub-centric.

or...

if a wheel spacer is used on the ifs hub....
that converts that from lug-centric to hub-centric.

It's not like the market doesn't offer a reasonable selection/choice...
of lug-centric engineered wheels that will fit the Tacoma ifs.

btw... I don't have stock wheels...
but they are still lug-centric by design

IMO... if the vehicle comes equipped with lug-centric hubs...
then the owner should stick to what it was engineered for.

 

Keith

Yes, our wheels require conical bulge seat lugs. If the centerbore of the wheel is machined to fit exactly the size of the hub, I would consider it to be hub-centric. The main purpose of this is to help center the wheel and keep it there.

The statement you quoted doesn't make sense to me. A hub centric wheel can use conical seat lugs. It's being centered with the hub and in a sense the lugs help ensure that everything stays centered. Most aftermarket wheel companies out there produce a one-size fit all type of wheel. They all use centering rings for a reason. Their hub bore and their lug opening is all oversize to fit various vehicles. Lug centric wheels are designed this way and it takes a little more patience to torque them down correctly to minimize vibration issues. Technically they should be torque with the wheel off the ground so the weight of the vehicle won't throw it off centered.

I've owned many other cars before and the factory wheels all use conical seat lugs and the wheel fits tightly on the hub.

 

My statement that hub centric applications tend to have less vibrations is based on member's experiences on this forum rather than any engineering data. Makes sense to me that you'd have less vibes with a hub centric setup than lug centric for the reasons Vin listed, in that it's harder to center the wheel with the lug nuts than with the hub.

I'm not sure what you mean by "unless the owner has changed his hub to be hub centric". As long as the hubs have a lip on them, they can accept hub centric wheels. It's the wheel itsself that is hub-centric or lug-centric, not the hub.

and I'm confused on how your friend has been able to run Chevy hubcentric wheels on a Toyota. Chevys hubs are only 78 MM, while toyotas are 106, so chevy wheels do not fit over tacoma hubs.

Thanks.

 

Interesting. thanks for the info Ben.

And being a former first gen owner, can you confirm that the stock wheels are lug-centric?