The Level 8 Strike 5 wheels that I purchased some time ago have a center bore of 88.5mm while the hub on the Jeep JK is measured at 71.5mm. These are not hubcentric so the weight of the wheel and tire combo was being carried by the studs and lug nut, and not the hub of the vehicle. I never had an issue with the wheel being lug centric, it just took longer to make sure that I had the wheel mounted up on the studs properly. A few years ago I looked for some wheel spacers to fit the Jeep and the Level 8 wheels, but never found one of the proper size. I could have gotten a set custom made, but the price was rediculous at the time. I just happened across these on Amazon, don't know how they knew I was thinking about them after cleaning mud out of the front hub on the Jeep, but there they were. What is a hubcentric adapter ring? The hubcentric adapter ring is used with the wheels and are installed between the Jeep wheel hub and the wheel. The purpose of the hubcentric ring is to fill the space between the wheel hub and the center bore of the wheel. Hubcentric rings can be made from durable plastic, or aluminum. Hubcentric rings are typically used with aftermarket wheels since the original rims usually come with a center bore of the right size. You may find that some manufactureres of aftermarket wheels do make the wheels with a hubcentric center bore to match the OEM wheel hub on the vehicle.
The purpose of the hubcentric adapter ring is to perfectly center the wheel to the wheel hub and thus prevent vibration to the steering wheel during driving and the shaking which typically appears around speeds of 40-60 mph. This is why I was always careful when I reinstalled the wheel on the Jeep. You can quickly tell if the local tire shop just torqued down the wheels without making sure that they were centered properly. The lug nuts can actually loosen up and come off if not properly centered and torqued down, but it's pretty hard to not notice that you have a vibration with big tires on the Jeep.
Additional
Parts:
Tools
Needed:
Lug wrench
Impact wrench with appropriate socket
Wheel security key if needed"
Floor jack
Jack stand (though I honestly didn't use it)
Torque wrench
Parts:
Amazon special 87.1 x 71.5mm aluminum alloy hubcentric adapter rings. The adapter rings have a bevel on one side that fits perfectly between the wheel and the hub. This helps with the fit of the adapters.
As you can see there is a large gap between the center of the hub and the bore of the Level 8 wheels that I am running. I typically run the wheels with the center caps installed, but the last time I rotated tires I had removed the center caps to clean them and forgot to reinstall them. I didn't notice until I put the last wheel on and didn't feel like taking them all off. This is shortly before I realized exactly how much mud can get packed into the area between the hub and the wheel.
While my wheels have a center bore of 88.5mm, they also have a center cap that fits inside of this bore and that takes up the additional space. The adapters fit perfectly inside of the center caps.
Installation:
1. Installation is really simple. Jack up and remove one wheel and tire at a time.
2. Install the hubcentric adapter ring onto the center of the hub assembly. Remember that the beveled lip goes against the hub. You won't be able to install the tire properly if it's backwards.
3. Install the wheel and tire onto the adapter ring and install the lug nuts.
4. Lower the wheel to the ground and repeat on the other 3 wheels.
5. Go back around and ensure that the lugs are properly torqued to 85-115 ft/lbs,
