Switching to Hub Centric Rims

[BCMUSA]

Hello all.

In the near future I am planning on switching rims.

Now my understanding is that the reason our stock rims are hard to balance properly, is because tire shops need a certain adapter (none of the shops in my area has it except the dealership) to do it properly since our rims are lug centric.

So my question is, is it possible to switch to a hub centric rim, and if so will this eliminate the need for that adapter?

It would be nicer to be able to go to Discount Tire in the future and just have them road force balance my tires for me instead of having to drive 45 minutes to my dealership.

Thanks

 

[GripT4R]

I find it hard to believe most big tire shops do not have a modern day tire balancing machine that can balance 4 runner wheels.

 

[BCMUSA]

I find it hard to believe most big tire shops do not have a modern day tire balancing machine that can balance 4 runner wheels.

They can and will, but to do it properly they need a haweka adapter. I've called over 20 different shops in the area and none of them have it, most haven't even heard of it.

 

[WhiteBoomer04]

You're in Vegas right? There has to be a bunch of tire shops with the adapter. Tons of 4Runners there, that can't all be going to the dealer. I have a friend at a Toyo dealer in Henderson who can direct you if you continue to have challenges with this. DM me for his details.

 

[badattitude]

I agree, our rims are lug centric and thats why people have trouble with wheel shimmy. Yes, your solution would work, I understand most/all aftermarket wheels are hub-centric.

Here is an image of the tool local shops need to balance Toyota truck wheels. Sometimes called a finger plate adapter.

 

[BCMUSA]

You're in Vegas right? There has to be a bunch of tire shops with the adapter. Tons of 4Runners there, that can't all be going to the dealer. I have a friend at a Toyo dealer in Henderson who can direct you if you continue to have challenges with this. DM me for his details.

Thank you. Actually I am taking mine to Henderson Finlady Toyota tomorrow for an RFB. The two other dealers around me are horrible.

Yes I am in Vegas and like I said, I've literally called at least 20 shops, none of them have it and most of them never heard of it.

 

[WhiteBoomer04]

Thank you. Actually I am taking mine to Henderson Finlady Toyota tomorrow for an RFB. The two other dealers around me are horrible.

Yes I am in Vegas and like I said, I've literally called at least 20 shops, none of them have it and most of them never heard of it.

Ask (or better yet call first) and ask for Robert Anderson (internet sales at Findlay Toyo) He will be able to direct you I am sure. He is President of TTORA Nevada, and is a long term resident of Vegas.

 

[Hans Moleman]

The stock wheels are hub centric. The purpose of the Haweka (finger plate) adapter is not for centering the wheels on the lugs, it is for putting even force as if the wheels were bolt onto the car.

Your problem is the crap stock tires. No matter how much you road force balance with the finger plate adapter, you will still have some vibration. If you value your time just get new tires and be done with it.

 

[jhguth]

huh? the stock wheels are hub centric, right? they just use regular washer style lug nuts, how could they be lug centric without tapered lug nuts?

 

[CavPro]

If the mating surface of your lug nuts are conical you have lug centric wheels. If the mating surface of your lug nuts are flat you have hub centric wheels.

 

[BCMUSA]

The stock wheels are lug centric. The purpose of the Haweka (finger plate) adapter is not for centering the wheels on the lugs, it is for putting even force as if the wheels were bolt onto the car.

Your problem is the crap stock tires. No matter how much you road force balance with the finger plate adapter, you will still have some vibration. If you value your time just get new tires and be done with it.

I did just that yesterday. Switched to the Cooper AT3 4S. Major improvement.

However I still want to go to the dealership and have them do it with the adapter to get the best possible balance.

 

[BCMUSA]

huh? the stock wheels are hub centric, right? they just use regular washer style lug nuts, how could they be lug centric without tapered lug nuts?

My understanding from reading this forum, the stock TRD OR rims are lug centric. I could be wrong.

 

[Hans Moleman]

I did just that yesterday. Switched to the Cooper AT3 4S. Major improvement.

However I still want to go to the dealership and have them do it with the adapter to get the best possible balance.

I wasn't thinking clearly and said the stock wheels were lug centric in the original reply, but they are actually hub centric.
Although you said major improvement with the new tires, do you still get a little bit of steering wheel shake?

 

[jhguth]

If the mating surface of your lug nuts are conical you have lug centric wheels. If the mating surface of your lug nuts are flat you have hub centric wheels.

the lug nuts have a flat washer, i'm pretty sure it's the same lug nut for all factory models/wheels (pn 90942-01058)

 

[Hans Moleman]

Here is something that will blow your mind.

Last year I got new Goodyear Duratracs from America's Tire for my 2nd gen Tacoma. The 1st America's Tire that I got the tires from had a Hunter Road Force Balancer. After 2 balancing jobs I still felt some steering wheel shake.

I went to another America's Tire that had a regular dynamic balancer. After the regular balance, no more steering wheel shake.

There are a lot of variables involved like bad tires, bad tech, bad tire balancing machine, or a combination of them. It's all a crapshoot especially when how sensitive the 4Runner is to tire imbalances.

 

[jhguth]

A fancy computer road force balancer isnt worth shit if it's out of calibration or the cones and nut are all dinged up from being thrown around

 

[euser]

Hello all.

In the near future I am planning on switching rims.

Now my understanding is that the reason our stock rims are hard to balance properly, is because tire shops need a certain adapter (none of the shops in my area has it except the dealership) to do it properly since our rims are lug centric.

So my question is, is it possible to switch to a hub centric rim, and if so will this eliminate the need for that adapter?

It would be nicer to be able to go to Discount Tire in the future and just have them road force balance my tires for me instead of having to drive 45 minutes to my dealership.

Thanks

There’s tons of places in Vegas that have the right equipment to balance 4Runner tires. When I lived there Southern Tire Mart always perfectly balanced my wheels.

 

[badattitude]

To improve the accuracy of Dynamic Off–Car wheel balancing on all OEM Toyota five and six lug
wheels, a precision wheel adapter kit must be used. For the greatest accuracy and repeatability,
Toyota recommends using the Haweka adapter kit available through the Toyota Approved Dealer
Equipment catalog. The kit consists of a precision ground centering cone for truck alloy wheels and
a flange plate

https://www.ih8mud.com/tech/tsb/ToyotaLandCruiser/tsu00296.pdf

You can keep getting RFBs but that won't fix the vibration issue. At least try the flange adapter if you want. I have personally seen the difference and believe in the flange adapter. To each their own...

Is TSB-SU002-96 (Haweka adapter) applicable on 5th gen?

 

[83Mule]

I have hub centric wheels and they use cone style lug nuts so that isn't an indicator of wheel style.

 

[jhguth]

I have hub centric wheels and they use cone style lug nuts so that isn't an indicator of wheel style.

But how can the opposite true, how can they center on the lug without tapered lug nuts? The wheels are flat and the lug nuts have flat washers, how can that be lug centric?