Steel Winter Wheels
- Thread starter hogansvt
- Start date
hub centric vs. OE-fit
Thanks to HotDog88GT for posting information defining what is hub centric. However, how does one tell whether a steel wheel is hub centric or not?
When you go to a tire store to buy a new set of snow tires, the guy looks up a book and tells you this is the steel wheel for Mazda 5. So far all 3 places that I went to offered me multi-fit wheels. One guy was honest enough to tell me that his are not hub centric. Does multi-fit automatic mean it is not hub centric, or how do you tell whether it is or not?
There are also OE-fit steel wheels for some models for cars. For example, Canadian Tire has the one for Mazda 6 (even though the word "6" was left out from their online catalogue). I went down there and saw one of these, it has Mazda 6 printed on the sticker. How does OE-fit relate to hub vs lug centric?
I am very confused. Help please!
Thanks to HotDog88GT for posting information defining what is hub centric. However, how does one tell whether a steel wheel is hub centric or not?
When you go to a tire store to buy a new set of snow tires, the guy looks up a book and tells you this is the steel wheel for Mazda 5. So far all 3 places that I went to offered me multi-fit wheels. One guy was honest enough to tell me that his are not hub centric. Does multi-fit automatic mean it is not hub centric, or how do you tell whether it is or not?
There are also OE-fit steel wheels for some models for cars. For example, Canadian Tire has the one for Mazda 6 (even though the word "6" was left out from their online catalogue). I went down there and saw one of these, it has Mazda 6 printed on the sticker. How does OE-fit relate to hub vs lug centric?
I am very confused. Help please!
zr27 said:
I ordered winter tires and steel wheels from Tire Rack. They shipped the same day I ordered and the tires and wheels showed up in only two days. However, I have not installed them yet. (For reference, I got Pirelli Winter Carving tires on 16" steel wheels with hub caps for a total of $699 USD including $91 shipping, mount/balance included.)
I asked the Tire Rack rep how the wheel centering on these steel wheels compares to the OEM method. He said their steel wheels have the exact same 67mm hub-centric mounting method as the stock wheels. The standard lug nuts are used with the steel wheels and there are no adapters/spacers/etc. It's a proven bolt-on just as good as OEM, according to them.
I'll install the winter tires by the end of this weekend and will report back if I learn something that doesn't match what I was told. Scratch that, I'll take pics and will write an update no matter what I find out.
Jon
I ordered steel wheels from Tirerack as well. Thought that I would ruin the alloys during the winter here.I decided on the Goodyear Eagle GW3's after reading the CR report for snows this year. They were rated on top. Funny thing was when I originally called TR they said they were out of them and wanted to sell me Michelin X-Ice tires. I went on their website and found them there so I took a chance and placed an order. They are on their way. I will follow-up with a post when they arrive. Total on the package for the 16" wheels, caps and 205/55/16's was about $687 delivered. Anyone else order these?jlk_250 said:
86439 said:
Just wondering whether you have find the right set of wheels and tires. I am from Mississauga and looking to do the same for my wife's 5.
Are you buying tires/wheels combo from Costco or Canadian Tire ? If so, what part# would you be using.
Thx for any help..
That part # I had above was wrong, it was an OE-fit wheel for Mazda 6. There is another #, X42655, which is the multi-fit wheels for Mazda. The issue with multi-fit wheels is the higher CHANCES of mis-alignment and damage to the rotor. But these universal fit wheels ARE being used by many. After all, the rotors on my Honda CR-V are warped even with the OE alloys
After many days and nights of surfing, the above post by jlk_250 was the most promising when it comes to finding hub-centrics. Unfortunately, in Canada, the high shipping (and possibly custom) charges make it insensible to purchase from TireRack.com
With the help of Medicman, I looked into the option of Mazda dealerships. Apparently, there is a Mazda OE 16 steel wheel designed for Mazda 3 and 5. Not everyone stocks these, but some do. You are in luck being in the Toronto area. I called a couple dealerships and they both have them, and for a reasonable price compare to the generic multi-fit steels. Some even offer packages with tires. But remember that dealerships dont usually offer free tire swapping every winter and spring, nor free tire repair, like some specialty tire stores do.
After many days and nights of surfing, the above post by jlk_250 was the most promising when it comes to finding hub-centrics. Unfortunately, in Canada, the high shipping (and possibly custom) charges make it insensible to purchase from TireRack.com
With the help of Medicman, I looked into the option of Mazda dealerships. Apparently, there is a Mazda OE 16 steel wheel designed for Mazda 3 and 5. Not everyone stocks these, but some do. You are in luck being in the Toronto area. I called a couple dealerships and they both have them, and for a reasonable price compare to the generic multi-fit steels. Some even offer packages with tires. But remember that dealerships dont usually offer free tire swapping every winter and spring, nor free tire repair, like some specialty tire stores do.
jlk_250 said:
All went well with the install and here are the pictures. The Tire Rack steel wheels are indeed hub-centric. The pics speak for themselves. No snow yet since I put them on so no report on how they perform (Pirelli Winter Carving). There might be more highway road noise but not enough that I can say for sure. No complaints so far and I was very impressed with Tire Rack.
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was98strat
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jlk_250 said:All went well with the install and here are the pictures. The Tire Rack steel wheels are indeed hub-centric. The pics speak for themselves. No snow yet since I put them on so no report on how they perform (Pirelli Winter Carving). There might be more highway road noise but not enough that I can say for sure. No complaints so far and I was very impressed with Tire Rack.
Oh you'll notice the difference, Even off the highway they are significantly louder than the OEM Toyo's... But hey you've put on a tire designed for Extreme winter driving. If you look at the literature, Pirelli says the Winter carving were designed for use above the Arctic Circle! Marketing Hype I know but If you look at the tire, you'll see it in the design.
Oh and on the Highway in dry conditions they are even louder!!
