:: Hubcentric rings after one year

[Qube]

Getting the snows on were easy... getting the rings off to PUT the snows on was a b*tch. I tell you they don't look shiny and pretty anymore. Probably want a new set for next year, given the price. They were Konig brand.

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[kts96]

Use the plastic rings

[winfred]

i polish the crud off of everything and antiseize all surfaces when installing rings, seems to work

[fkong777]

they don't need to look pretty.. it just need to gap / center and index the wheel.

Plastic rings will not survive long.. it will be too thin. not enough material to keep it together.

[spyrot1]

I'm currently using these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-Hub-Centric-Rings-74-1-72-56-E38-E34-740-840-735_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33749QQihZ008QQitem Z180051803368QQtcZphoto

I tried metal ones but they seemed much cheaper, these actually look like they would last longer and they seem to fit better.

I'll know how good they are in a couple of years...

[BMWCCA1]

I don't trust plastic in that application. I've been using the metal rings from Tire Rack (about $4 each) for several years but then I use anti-seize on all hub surfaces with or without rings, and always have on my BMWs since 1971. Hell, I even do it on my family van which is steel wheel on cast-iron hub. It just makes sense, and also helps hold the rings in the right place while you're putting the wheel back on.

[Jr ///M5]

Yup,yup,yup....let's hear it for anti-seize. The aluminum rings from the Tire Rack have lasted the past 4 years with no signs of damage.

A very light coat on the wheel contact area to hub and rotor hat is all it takes.

Working with never-seize is like working with tar pitch, that crap seems to jump on you no matter how careful you are!!!

[KenB]

One of my metal rings mysteriously disappeared when I bought tires. I got replacements from Tire Rack which were plastic. The plastic ones break easily as they get brittle from the heat. I had saved the old metal ones and ended up re-using them. I need to get new metal ones for the next time the tires have to come off.

Even though I attempt to make it clear to look out for them, tire changers have invariably managed to lose or break one everytime I get anything done where the wheels have to come off.