I will be taking my car to the track for the first time September 28-29 at road america.
I think I have everything covered, preparation-wise - except for 1 issue.

What should I do about the hub-centering rings that came with my wheels?
If I leave them in they could ?melt?, if I leave them off I feel the runout on my wheels will be way out of whack.
What should I do?

Thanks
Adam

 

The rings will be OK. I have left mine on for numerous track days and even some wet/dry races. No problems.

 

I leave mine on, did HPDE at Summit Point and Pocono, no problems whatsoever. They're there for a reason, I'd leave em in.

 

Never had a problem with the rings either. What I do wheel-wise is put some anti-seize on the studs and make sure the lugs are torqued to spec. I re-check them just before every session.

 

same here. Rings can stay on if you choose.

 

Invest in a good torque wrench; tighten the lugs with the car on stands, progressively in a criss-cross pattern; be sure that you have the correct lugs for your wheels; and do NOT overtighten them. If you do all of these things, the centering rings are of no real consequence.

What you could do that most people don't is wash your wheels well and inspect them periodically for cracks. Also, tape over your wheel weights - to help keep them on or make it easier to spot one that has come loose. I like real aluminum duct tape for this purpose - the kind with the peel-off backing.

Kirk

 

Wouldn't the weight of the aluminum tape throw off the wheel balance? Or would it be insignificant?

 

Have fun at Road America. I was just there in August for a Tracktime school. Here's some pics... http://www.pbase.com/soloracer/ra_08272002

 

I thought the hub centric rings were there to keep the lateral forces off the studs. You know, so they don't shear off.

 

Tire rack recomends that you don't put antisieze on the studs or lugs. Read instructions found at link below. Have fun at road alanta I heard it is a fun track.

http://www.tirerack.com/installer/package_install.html

 

Interesting. I picked up the anti-seize method from Radial Tire, one of the more respected racing/high-performance tire dealers in the metro D.C. area. Anyone else have an opinion, or support for one method or the other?

 

What event is taking place that weekend?

 

Never really worried about it since it was required by the tech inspectors in SCCA. I suppose that technically, you are right but I tend to be a realist about a lot of things, including the impact of a couple of grams of mass on my wheel. Hell, one good tire worm will weigh more and they are always finding their way into race wheels.

I too have seen the repeated conversations about antiseize. I have typically used it but started doing it on street cars, where the lugs don't get undone twice a day or more, to ward off corrosion. I guess that I am baffled (but without specific experience to explain why) lug nuts would seize on a wheel stud when torqued to the typical spec - like, what, 75-90 lb-ft with an aluminum wheel and tapered or spherical lugs?

Are we talking about alumimum nuts or something that I don't understand? What am I missing?

Kirk

 

4 stripped lug nuts later (each on different hubs) I now use anti-seize all the time.

 

(Shamelessly hoping you can keep me from experiencing the joy that you must have felt)

Were those OEM lugs, Greg? What torque spec were you using?

Kirk

 

Thanks for the help guys

I am going to Road America with my uncle's Alfa Romeo club- CAROC (Chicago Area). It's not an HPDE, but they have a mentoring program. Just lapping and touring (70 mph max for touring).

His Alfa has half as much power as my prelude, but I have no experience.

Later