Hub Centric Rings Yay or Nay ??

[axisg]

So I DD an 03 AWD Safari van for the last 10 years at work. My Michelin LTX tires are a little too slick to survive another winter IMO so I picked up some new(er) rubber already mounted on ' yota wheels. Bolt pattern is 100% the same but the hub size is not.

Stock hub size on the van is 78.1mm, stock hub size on the Tundra is 106mm. So I talk to the tire guy by my work and he's telling me to run these $ 150.00 aluminum Hub Centric rings instead of the $ 40.00 plastic ones or else my wheels will fall off running down the road LOL.
I don't know if I really need them ( alum or plastic ). Really if the nuts are seated and torqued in the proper sequence will a thin piece of plastic or even aluminum close to the hub really do anything other than lighten my wallet ? Any rim probably has at least 1.5-2 mm of play between the hub and the rim anyways.

Your thoughts ?

 

[CWPottenger]

Are the lugs and new rims set up as Lug Centric? if not you will absolutely need the rings.

 

[sh1ft]

CW said it right, and plastic is what you will get from most of the aftermarket wheel shops. I have installed the plastic on many vehicles in the past with out any issues.

 

[Rktpwrd]

I'm in agreement with the guys above.
I ran into that problem switching to used aftermarket 20's on my Lincoln. Without the rings (which didn't come with the used wheels) there was wicked vibration at certain speeds. After installing the rings to center up the wheels properly, no more issues.

 

[axisg]

the Toyota rims are stock steel and not aftermarket. Acorn nuts used on both. M12 for 'yota and M14 on the van. So IMO they are lug not hub centric. Wish my dad was still around. He was a wheel and tire guy for 27 years :/

 

[pontiacgp]

"Wheel studs are designed to resist lateral forces that are experienced when the vehicle is cornering. They are not designed to carry the weight of the vehicle." All wheels that manufacturers put on their cars are all hub centric