RAMPSIDE STEEL WHEEL HAZARD?

[Vairamp]

I have a ‘62 Rampside. I was going to have new tires installed on some old steel Rampside wheels I bought. The tire supplier said that the centerbore of the wheel was to large for the wheel mounting hub. That means that the wheel lugs would be supporting the load alone and not sharing it with the hub. Eventually the forces would sheer the lugs. He refused to mount these “Rampside” wheels.
How can I tell if these are really Rampside wheels?
Does anyone have any idea what the wheel hubcentric diameter should be?

I just read a posting in the forum that even 1/8 is too much!
The guy wrote that 3 lugs were sheared because of this.


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[joelsplace]

Tapered seat nuts can and do hold the load just fine. 18 wheelers used to use them years ago with no hub support. Newer hub centered 18 wheelers only have a few small tabs to center the wheels. The studs and nuts carry the load. My 1 ton van wheels don't center on the hubs. Quite a few car models over the years have had no hub centering.
If the wheels fit take them somewhere else to have them mounted.

[TimeMachineParadox]

https://www.liveabout.com/hub-centric-v ... ls-3234497

This site seems to suggest that lug-centric wheels aren't really a thing for cars. Is it possible that semis may have had some kind of different setup than cars? I wouldn't know since I know very little about them. I personally would probably get some hub spacers just for peace of mind.

[joelsplace]

That article is just wrong. If the hub center took the load and the studs weren't enough to handle it on their own the hubs would beat out and you would find wheels very easy to remove. What you find though are wheels stuck to the hubs.
Trucks and cars use the exact same types of attachment systems but trucks carry drastically more load.
Look at a modern truck wheel and hub next time you are near one. Their hub center system is usually just small aluminium tabs to center the wheel while tightening the nuts. No way those tabs carry any significant load.
I've never paid any attention to the wheel fitting the hub as long as the wheel will bolt on. I've never had a stud failure and I have hit curbs and such hard enough to bend axles and break wheels more than once.
Here's a truck hub where you can see the little tabs that center the wheel. https://www.finditparts.com/products/80 ... T0QAvD_BwE
If having the wheel fit the hub makes you feel better then go for it. It certainly won't hurt anything.

[66vairguy]

Joel makes some good arguments - except for one thing. Even tapered lug nuts may not center a wheel while they are tightened due to friction with the brake drum surface on an FC. A hub centered wheel ensured the rim is centered while the lug nuts are tightened.

First let's back this up. Since it's now been determined the rims may not be for a Corvair FC the CORRECT rims should be purchased. Rim width and back spacing should be correct as well as the hub hole size.

Check the Corvair FC site for information.

[joelsplace]

What about all the vehicles that only use tapered seats to center the wheel? How could it not center the wheel? There is no significant friction between the wheel and the drum until the clamping force is applied by the stud/nut after the taper has centered the wheel. Just put the rear wheels back on my G30 last week and the tapers centered the wheels just fine. GM aluminum wheels but they don't hub center.
Actually there are some early Corvairs that don't hub center also. I have run across a few that don't have enough hub sticking out beyond the drum on the rear to center the wheel. Never had a problem with them either. I'm not sure if it was specific years or just a certain run of axles that were that way.

[azdave]

I've run rims without hubcentric support for most of my life. I've even done it with wheel spacers in use too so there is no hub to be concentric with even if I tried. I'm sure there are situations where you would be wise to run hubcentric by the book like big trucks or racing duty but not what I drive.

[Vairamp]

All you need is a NYC pot hole, on a rainy night.


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[joelsplace]

All you need is a NYC pot hole, on a rainy night.

?

[wesleygarrard]

Wow! I did not know lugs and studs were not strong enough to hole a wheel on unless it is hub centric. I better stop racing my 1963 VW Beetle Herbie replica. The wheels might break off just like in the movie! /sarcasm.



For real though, The 5x205 stud pattern on on my Beetle has the entire load of the car on the wheel bolts. I am aware that the car is lighter than a rampside, but the wheels stay on just fine during the rallycross and autocross races we do. I would have zero worries about your wheels. Take them to another shop to mount the tires.

[66vairguy]

Amazing how y-all are more interested in defending your "opinion" than just figuring out what GM intended for use on the Rampside.

[joelsplace]

Hmmm... Opinion? I just gave facts about what other manufacturers do and a explanation of how it works.
This is actually an opinion that is scientifically not true ==> "Even tapered lug nuts may not center a wheel while they are tightened due to friction with the brake drum surface on an FC." The taper would have to be damaged to the point that it was no longer a taper for it not to center.
If you would like to post some facts that support your opinions I would love to see them. I guess the 100s of thousands of class 7 and 8 trucks that were only centered by the lugs didn't work with those 30-80k loaded weights.

[hrm2k]

Maybe it is the color of the wheel..........same logic as above