Hub Centric ring quality. Does it fit?

[Gene in NC]

Hub Centric ring quality. Does it fit? Wanted to give back for help from board.

Rings for Borbet 15 type H on '85 535. Bot wheels with ContiExtreme Continental 225-60R15 95V with about 7-8/32 tread. Wheels and tires looked good. Searching board suggested getting rings right before exposure to endless rebalancing game.

Went thru three sets of rings before smooth running.

TOPLINE PRODUCTS from local dealer/friend ($6 ea) were not even close. Speced. at 72.6 by 73.8 and flex/soft plastic. Loose fit in wheel and on hub. Plenty shaky even after careful remount. His brother, who runs the associated tire dealership, also friend, was at the sales counter and must have been salivating over the rounds of rebalancing potential.

Tried eBay. Trial fit of rings w/o installing wheels.

WHEELS AND CAPS ($14.98 set) aluminum had been sprayed with clear coat. Supplier claimed clear coat made rings "fit better". Needed a lot more clear coat, ha, ha. Slightly loose in wheel and not snug on hub.

BUY WHEELS TODAY ($11.99 set) polycarbonate fit "hand pressure" tight in wheel and snug on the hub. Installed in fronts only and ran smooth as silk.

Don't challenge claims by some that aluminum may be best, but the polys fit.

[BMWCCA2]

I've only used the aluminum ones from Tire Rack and never had a problem. Part number was A670 and the last time I bought two sets they were $4/each. Don't know why you'd ever waste time trying anything else. If you've ever been to The Tire Rack, you'd know these people are serious about tires and wheels and do know their BMWs.

[Jordanmilos]

I second that comment. Theirs fit very well and never gave me a problem even with at least seven or eight dismountings and mountings.

[tn535i]

I'll add my experience,

My 535 has a set of blue annodized aluminum rings that fit very nice but I'm not sure of the source since they came with the car. They appear to be machined, always stay right in place on the hub but add a little heat from a propane torch and they expand and fall right off without a mark. Still look like new and I would like to get another set for the M6. Anyone know the source?

I bought a set from Discount Tire for the 6 that are aluminum and appear to be drawn and fit just a little loose. I put a wrap of a special metallic tape I have around them making them about .010" thicker and then they seem to work fine. But they tape gets all messed up if you try to reuse it so it's really a poor solution.

Does Tire Rack supply the machined anodized ones? If so I'm getting a new set, maybe even a spare set.

Thanks

[wkohler]

The Tire Rack no longer has the aluminum ones.

[ldsbeaker]

So, where do I get aluminum ones? I don't feel like searching: what's the specs for rings that help 17x8 Style 5s fit?

[BMWCCA2]

The Tire Rack no longer has the aluminum ones.

Glad I bought two extra sets then.

[wkohler]

The Tire Rack no longer has the aluminum ones.

Glad I bought two extra sets then.

Yeah, then you've got me here who never thought he'd run E39 wheels in a million years, who felt like a kid who was just told Santa is made up when they said, "We no longer stock A670, sir. We do have plastic ones, though."

[Mike W.]

I bought the aluminum ones from Tire Rack years ago now and was never that impressed. I could get them truer by slowly tightening the lugs without spacers than with them and running one lug down, then the rest. Not to mention the way a tire store mashed one when they mounted new tires, it was only halfway on and they just ran it down with the air wrench. Took some metalwork to get it back close to the original shape. I've still got the on the back, but now I've got aluminum tape wrapped on the front which is much closer, tolerance wise, than the TR aluminum ones. Kind of a pain to change rotors, but I don't do that much more often than tires.