center bore of AUDI wheels - correct concentric hub spacer for vRS

[DunlopRS]

Guys,
My car has new shoes - AUDI 16x7.5s (supposedly from an A4) and RE003 225 50 16s, however the "spigot rings" I ordered on the basis of the advertised center bore of the rims (before the rims arrived) do not fit. Happy to agree that the skoda has (internal of the ring) should be 57.1 mm, however I am not sure what the center bore of the audi rim is. I ordered 67.1 mm OD based on quoted 67 mm center. They are a bit big and cannot be encouraged in. I cannot get my calipers down square into the rim..... The guys at the tyre shop reckon the rims have a 65.8 mm bore. however I cannot find any rings with that OD (perhaps they were also having trouble with their eyes...) and this site Audi guide for correct wheel fitment, PCD, and offset of your car | Alloy Wheel Fitment rekons the only non 57.1s on AUDIs (other than SUV) are 66.6 which I guess is not far from the "measured" 65.8 and the "quoted" 67.

does anyone have any experience with center bores on Audi wheels sold in AUS?

Will get a better photo in daylight.....



thanks

[brad]

I'm about to go out and I'll double check later but they are 66.6mm (some say 66.5)

PCD Audi A4 Allroad B8 (2009 - ) 5x112 wheels | PCD, Offset, Center Bore, mounting and tire size data

[brad]

back again.

Yes those wheels are from an A4. I had the same on my Octavia & they are a good offset & width although the groove behind the spokes is a pain to keep clean.

Apart from the A3/S3 most of the other models the A4, A5, went to 66.6 in about 2010.

So you need a 66.6 to 57.1 adaptor

Alloy, local, $22 - put some anti-seize on them
Wheel HUB Centric Rings Spacer OD 66 6mm ID 57 1mm Aluminum Alloy | eBay

Plastic (what I use), ex-UK $16
4 X 66 6mm TO 57 1mm 66 6 57 1 Alloy Wheel Spigot Rings Spacer Skoda HUB Black | eBay

[DunlopRS]

Thanks Brad,
Your ongoing comment is appreciated.
the 66.6 makes sense. Might just pull one off if i can find time (and my glasses and magnifiying glass) to truth it, but without calipers that I can get square in the centre the 66.6 sounds like it.

Although I am definiately going to source some ASAP I am not sure how much benifit they are if you tighten carefully with chamfered studs and seats in the rim.

[guile]

Although I am definiately going to source some ASAP I am not sure how much benifit they are if you tighten carefully with chamfered studs and seats in the rim.

trust me mate, i have thought and tried this before. you will definitely get wheel vibration without the spigot rings...

for the price of them its not worth putting up with any vibration through the steering wheel. i have bought numerous sets off ebay from the uk and they generally don't take long to arrive. some have taken less than 7 days although appears to have changed lately and is usually around 10 days now...

[brad]

I wouldn't run without a hub-centric ring for an extended period as it increases the radial loading on the wheel bolts.

Here's mine with those wheels & 225/55r16

[Martin]

Although I am definiately going to source some ASAP I am not sure how much benifit they are if you tighten carefully with chamfered studs and seats in the rim.

That's actually quite tricky to do - if you were stuck and needed to get home I would do it - but otherwise I much prefer to use the hub centric rings as they make installation so much easier/safer

Don't get metal rings - they expand when hot and lock onto the hub

[brad]

Don't get metal rings - they expand when hot and lock onto the hub

The hub (CI) expands at a greater rate than the hub ring (AL) causing them to seize?. If the ring expands it would get looser on the hub but tighter in the wheel bore?

The plastic ones melt when they get hot (supposedly).

I've used both without issue but I drive like a grandma.

The ones I had on the Golf were mangled but that was from tyre fitters trying to use 2 hub rings on 1 hub.

[Martin]

I thought the metal ring expands and gets bigger on the outside and smaller on the inside, both sides expand???
It's really only a problem at the track when the braking gets everything stinking hot
The plastic ones (some sort of polycarbonate) don't melt at the track - although they can be too hot to touch without a glove

[kaanage]

Yes, the plastics rings are a thermosetting plastic so they will not melt. I haven't had them burn either, despite getting my rotors cherry red during track days. I have had them crack though and they often get stuck on the hub and need to be pried off if changing to wheels with a different centerbore.

The alloy ones can get stuck when the wheel cools and shrinks itself around the ring - dunno why the ring doesn't contract away but I have had it happen. You need to heat up the hub area with a heat gun for the ring to loosen and come out. Getting stuck on the hub is a similar issue and that is why brad recommended the use of anti-sieze to coat the hub before putting on the hub/spigot ring and wheel

[brad]

I thought the metal ring expands and gets bigger on the outside and smaller on the inside, both sides expand???
It's really only a problem at the track when the braking gets everything stinking hot
The plastic ones (some sort of polycarbonate) don't melt at the track - although they can be too hot to touch without a glove

You are probably right - I can't remember if I used to heat up or freeze keeper rings on axles.

I haven't had an issue with ally or plastic so for me it's a moot point. The ally corrodes a fraction - hence the need for antiseize.