I bought 4 new wheels and rims for my 04 MCS. 17 x 7 ADR's with 215 40R17 Toyo Proxies 4 tires. My car now has a definite steering wheel shimmy. When I mounted the wheels, the center ring of the new tires was larger than the stock wheels, so it only centers with the 4 lug bolts. Is this ok or is there a centering ring or something I am missing. Is it just a wheel balancing problem? any help would be appreciated. I have never done any mod to a car until I got my Mini. Now I can't stop. :???:

 

You need centering rings, though you may also have a wheel that isn't balanced.

First thing I'd do is check that all the lug nuts are tight and torqued properly. If you didn't torque them, have that done. Get the rings from Alex@Tire Rack, and if you've still got a problem, have the wheels rebalanced. That should do the trick.

 

You can also score some hub-centric rings from your local Discount Tire and the like. You MUST run hub-centric rings on "generic" fit aftermarket wheels! The MINI's hub is 56.1 mm.

 

It is dangerous to drive your car without Hubcentric rings. The inner bore on the MINI hub is 56.1mm and the wheel you are using is larger so that it can fit different cars. I have Centerline RPMs 17x7 and my wheel opening is 73.1mm. Get a shop in your area to make them for you, order them or get tirerack to make them custom.

Although you can drive with the wheels the way they are you put the entire force of the wheel on the lug bolts and it may not be centered on the axle of the car. Normally the rings help to secure the weight of the car on the hub axle and not just the bolts plus the ring centers the wheel on the axle.

If you have your stock wheels then put those on until you can get your rings made. That is what I did when I was waiting for my rings.

 

ok.. I got my wheels and tires in today... I took the car to a local shop where they poped the center caps off and *boom* gold lug bolts. Suck!! Ok.. So, I logged on to find where I could get decent looking chrome lug bolts and I read about hub centric rings. I have NO idea what you guys are talking about. How is it that the lugs would fit and the wheel wouldn't be centered? Someone said something about the lug bolts taking all the weight. That is what they do.. right?

Also.. someone was also looking for longer lug bolts. I saw 45mm lug bolts on minimania.com

help?
-Donut

 

My understanding of wheels and hub centric rings is as follows-
Hub centric rings are to aid in the mounting of the rim to the car. If you use conical lug nuts/bolts they will center the wheel on the hub.
The force that supports the weight of the car is the friction between the wheel and the hub mounting face. Lug nuts hold the wheel against the face and plastic rings could not support the 500# on each corner of the car.
With all that, I still use hub-centric rings my front wheels, I'm just too lazy to get two more rings for the rears.
Chris