Hub rings ...
 

Are they really necessary for aftermarket wheels? Do they make a big difference and is it noticeable on the road??

they are not neccessary but i would highly recommend them. i never driven a car without hub rings but apparently the car vibarets a lot at higher speed. they arent tat expensive, so why not get them.

Hubcentric rings on lugcentric wheels (most aftermarkets) are there pretty much only to aid installation of the wheel. Its not needed. If you use the star pattern to torque your lugs you should be fine.

if your cars are designed to take a hubcentric wheel, which ours are, the wheel needs to be hubcentric, and have the right size bore. If that bore is not the same size as the hub on the car, you need the hubcentric rings, or else you are putting an enormous amount of stress on the studs, andit willl cause vibration at high speeds.

Yup, you started another thread asking about hub bore size, to which I answered 66.1 mm. Plastic hub rings that are appropriate for the wheels you buy are only going to cost you a few dollars. There are metal ones for certain applications that cost a little more.

I've been using plastic rings on my vehicles for almost a decade now. They may need replacing every few years if they crack and break (depending on thickness of the ring), but it's a very small investment to pay to avoid vibrations. :tup:

These aftermarket wheels that I bought are for my winter setup. The place where I purchased the wheels from are out of hub rings for my particular wheels so I have to go search for them. I don't think I'll be going anywhere fast especially in the snow, slush, and ice. Is the hub size still 66.1 mm for non-sport package equipped 370Zs? Just wondering if there's a difference in hub size between 370Zs with/without sport packages. Thanks.

Where would one locate a ring for those kits that do not have them included? I purchased some spacers off a forum member a long time ago, but they did not include the hub ring, and ultimately had vibration. Thus, since I want to resell those spacers, I figured I should try and locate the ring for it first.

The hubs are the same.

Well, you should be able to find hub rings online or at a local tire place. You must know the of the hub (in our case and all Nissan/Infiniti...cars and crossovers at least, 66.1 mm). You must also know the bore size on the wheel that will be used...I haven't seen anyone use hub rings to properly fit spacers though. I suppose you could. Most would buy spacers specific for their car so you may have trouble re-selling to the Z community

Don't worry you don't need the rings. Chances are the store will give you plastic rings. Do you think some thin piece of plastic has any structural reinforcement to your wheels and studs? :D. They are only there to aid installation. Some folks have a hard time installing wheels and the rings helps them achieve correct centering but if you use the star pattern and torque the lugs evenly you shouldn't get any vibration.

Only time you need metal rings is on hubcentric wheels.

No, hub rings do not aid installation. They do not support the weight of the wheels either. They're there to center the rim and avoid vibration. Period. They are also not mandatory, If you don't want.

Just get them to avoid future problems... Their cheap.... I got mine on ebay for $20...

what size is the bore on your wheels?