Hub Centric vs. Lug centric

[Technician!]

What actual experience can be shared regarding this subject.   I finally found out (not on this site) that my 52 series 62 wheels have a hub bore of 78.1 mm.  Now to find steel wheels 15x6, with a 5x5 pattern and correct hub bore.  How safe and successful are others running lug centric wheels?   I'm really not keen on the idea myself.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Stephen,

The best ones are the Bore-centric" types, as with these, all the wheel studs/nuts have to do is hold the wheel to the hub.

With the "Lug-centric" ones, the lugs have to perform two tasks, with more chance of a lug coming loose, as there is a lot of flexing in the hub area.   Yes, steel wheels do flex, and one would be surprised just how much when going around turns and hitting potholes.

Bruce.

[walt chomosh #23510]

Stephen,
  My 1955 CDV stock wheels with hub caps were hub centric. That was all I knew on every car I've ever owned....that is, until I put wire wheels on it. I was told by the seller to balance them by the lugs. I found out that not all tire shops have the attachments for balancing off the lugs. Fact is, once I did find a shop to balance them off the lugs I was a happy man. A guy that's struggling to find wheels to fit their hub could also machine adapters to fit over his/her hub for a precise fit. In my case, the lug centric method worked!....walt...tulsa,ok 

[Technician!]

Thank you

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Walt brought up an issue that cannot be forgotten.

With the Wheel Balancing on a commercial Balancer, these go off the wheel centre hole, which is okay for a Hub-centric wheel, but when balancing a Lug-centric wheel, the optimum method it to balance each wheel on the car, because the wheel is centred by the lugs.

Bruce.

[fishnjim]

I doubt seriously the OEM specs were metric here.   So must be a locale issue.
They didn't not have dynamic wheel balancers and radials in that period, like today.   Bubble level type, bias ply tires.   Ball vs roller beaarings.    Some of the early rims were riveted, vs welded also.  Different animals.  Changes the dynamics.
I'm not aware of the complete history of the incremental engineering changes during X-frame era.  There wasn't as much known then and lots of 'over design by today's stds.  There's still tolerances to get the wheel off/on, so I'd not put too much faith in the theory.   If it's held on by racing style quick change center screw in knock off that's more like it.   Some are lug bolt vs lug nut attached also.   Both have tapers, tapers ensure centering, more than increasing surface contact.

[59-in-pieces]

Jim ?

What a breathe of fresh air.

Yanking the discussion back to earth with the --- they weren't made that way --- to worry about metrics or ---centric this or that.

Stay grounded and have fun,
Steve B.

[wrench]

Jim ?

What a breathe of fresh air.

Yanking the discussion back to earth with the --- they weren't made that way --- to worry about metrics or ---centric this or that.

Stay grounded and have fun,
Steve B.

Yeah was curious about that 78.1 mm.

What was .1 mm on a wheel hub hole in 1952?

I must admit I was not clear on the point of the original post.

[Technician!]

The specs on the wheels are 15x6 with 5x5 lug pattern and a hub bore of 78.1     These are hub centric wheels.  I do wish I could find specs from the era as I am sure they weren't in metric dimensions.
Just looking for help finding some wheels for my ride is all.