bad wheel bearing?

[IPD]

That varies based on the specs of the wheel & the hub it's fitted to. Manufacturers all like to use bigger size bores so they can fit more types of hubs, but you'll need ring SETS for some of them. (eg. 118mm center bore & 75mm hub). Since there's several different hub sizes in between 75mm & 110mm, there is usually a ring for each one, and you'd have to use an entire set to step-down appropriately.

Anyone else feel like chiming in?

[b_rad]

yea i guess i wont know until i get in there. it did make noises even before i had the tires put on in april so i know it wouldnt be a shop fault. it just seems to me like it could be something else because it sometimes wont do it at all for a really long time and then start doing it again very randomly. ive had it easily up to 100mph no problem and it never made noise. tire wear is pretty even. camber is good also. ill still have to wait until i jack the car to check the wheel play

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

I don't think its accurate to say the hub bore carries the weight. The clamp load of the lugs holds the wheel and hub under compression and this force holds the wheel. The lugs are never in shear unless they are loose.

[stealthee]

I'll just point out that my Villains have at least a 70.3mm center bore (came off a Mustang) compared to our stock 67.1mm center bore. I have never used hub centric rings and I have never had any issue with shimmy or shake. I always center the wheels as best as possible and tighten the lugs slowly so they center them wheel on the hub.

All hub centric rings do is perfectly center the wheel to prevent possible vibration.

[b_rad]

yea i still cant figure out why im getting this noise. if it happened all the time then that would be easier to diagnose. i remember when i had a bad wheel on a previous car it made a seriously loud noise all the time.

[IPD]

I'll just point out that my Villains have at least a 70.3mm center bore (came off a Mustang) compared to our stock 67.1mm center bore. I have never used hub centric rings and I have never had any issue with shimmy or shake. I always center the wheels as best as possible and tighten the lugs slowly so they center them wheel on the hub.

All hub centric rings do is perfectly center the wheel to prevent possible vibration.

tell that to milt. he just had to replace NEW wheel bearings on the front of my car, because of the lack of centering rings.

[stealthee]

You can think its because of lack of centering rings all you want, but I am telling you I have ran for YEARS without centering rings, and never once had an issue. And even the places that sell centering rings say "Hub centric rings center the wheel to prevent vibration." I don't see vibration alone hurting wheel bearings, unless there are other factors at play, such as improper torquing of the axle nut, etc.

EDIT: Don't you have really wide tires/wheels? That width was probably more of a factor in your wheel bearings than the lack of a center ring.

[IPD]

plenty of other members running 275/285's without issue.

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

It makes no sense to blame centering rings for this. Rings or not the hub bears the load.

Wider wheels, spacers, offsets can all cause more leverage against the bearing, but as you mentioned, lots of people get away with it.

Improperly torqued, rolling around without axles, or just defective bearings are more likely causes imo.