Got called out to a member with a nasty vibration through the steering wheel. Pulled up expecting a beater, but nope — it was a mint Lexus. Super clean. And straight away, I clocked the aftermarket wheels. That told me something — this member was into his motors.
Chatted for a sec and asked how long he’d had it. “About a year,” he says. “Wheels came with the car.” Fair enough. Then I asked, “Done any work on it lately?” Just an oil change, he says.
So I asked the real question: “Have the wheels been balanced recently?” Nope.
Alright, time for some detective work. I looked for witness marks where weights might’ve flown off — nothing. The wheel rims were clean, inside and out — no caked muck. Tyres looked decent, no damage, even wear. Next, I whipped out the torque wrench. No loose nuts, no studs overtightened to the moon either.
Then I spotted a workshop jack sitting in his garage.
“You been working on the wheels lately?”
“Yeah,” he says. “Rotated them yesterday.”
Bingo.
Checked underneath — nothing about to fall off — so I said, “Let’s take her for a spin.”
Sure enough, felt like we were rolling on four-sided tyres. Wheels weren’t just out of balance — they were way off.
Back at base, I said, “Right, time to get the wheels off.” Started at the front — lucky guess. Pulled one wheel, and there was the culprit.
See, with aftermarket wheels, most use plastic or metal centering rings (hub-centric rings) so the wheel sits dead-center on the hub.
The idea is one wheel can fit loads of different cars, and the maker just supplies a ring to match your model.
Except in this case… no ring. Gone. Vanished.
I asked, “Did you notice anything fall off?”
“Yeah,” he says, “found this weird ring thing on the ground, thought it was junk. Threw it out.”
I said, “Well, you better get ready for dumpster diving.”
A few minutes later, he comes back holding the ring. We clean it up, pop it on the hub, refit the wheel — job done. Took it for another spin — smooth as butter.
So yeah, if you’re running aftermarket wheels, don’t toss out mystery bits. Those hub rings aren’t just decoration — they’re the difference between a smooth ride and a steering wheel that tries to dance in your hands.
Till next time,
—Northcap
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Meet Northcap, a seasoned mechanic and roadside assistance expert with over 20 years of hands-on experience. At Rustyautos.com, Northcap shares exclusive insights into what really breaks down in cars, offering practical tips and real-world advice to keep drivers informed and their cars on the road.