OEM Jeep Alloys

[heyhar]

If you've ever noticed the way most German cars have their wheels attached, they use bolts through the wheels into threads in the hub flange. This is what I think is meant by hub centric. The center portion of the hub stands proud of the flange, just enough to center the wheel, and assist in starting the lug bolts, which I don't believe have a conical mating surface, much like the nuts on our beasts, and most other non-Euro cars.

 

[heyhar]

Oh, and every experience I've had with non-OEM type wheels through the forty years I've been driving has been less than positive. Tires rubbing, funky offsets, build quality, just to name a few excuses NOT to use aftermarket wheels. www.wheelcollision.com has a nice online catalog that has pictures of all the various OEM wheels through the years.

 

[souske]

There are also reasons not to run factory wheels
For example: a 33x12.50 will not fit on factory steel wheels when running an 8.8, they rub the leafs
Also good luck getting factory alloy 15's to clear WJ brakes

 

[1985xjlaredo]

Dam factory Wheels are expensive!!!! Why would anyone pay that much for a stock rim?

 

[heyhar]

Dam factory Wheels are expensive!!!! Why would anyone pay that much for a stock rim?

Because if you had to duplicate one or two, you get a nice, clean, guaranteed wheel. I had to replace two on my daughter's '05 Legacy...Had 'em in stock, and even did the tires for me! I couldn't find any from 'auto recyclers' in a hurry, and the prices were comparable to what the JYs wanted, for late-model alloys.

 

[xcm]

Oh, and every experience I've had with non-OEM type wheels through the forty years I've been driving has been less than positive. Tires rubbing, funky offsets, build quality, just to name a few excuses NOT to use aftermarket wheels. www.wheelcollision.com has a nice online catalog that has pictures of all the various OEM wheels through the years.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?
PLEASE, PLEASE learn to order wheels that fit.... before you bash the aftermarket.

 

[Matthew Currie]

If you've ever noticed the way most German cars have their wheels attached, they use bolts through the wheels into threads in the hub flange. This is what I think is meant by hub centric. The center portion of the hub stands proud of the flange, just enough to center the wheel, and assist in starting the lug bolts, which I don't believe have a conical mating surface, much like the nuts on our beasts, and most other non-Euro cars.

Not quite. Not all bolt-attached European wheels have a close fitting hub. My old Mercedes doesn't, and the old VW buses did not either. The Mercedes tool kit included a bar you could stick into one of the hub holes to hang the wheel and make installation easier, precisely because the hub did not protrude. (Edit to add: the deluxe Meercedes tool kits actually included a long threaded stud that you could put into one hole to hang the wheel on. We lesser folks driving 4 banger diesels (just a Beirut taxicab without a meter) had to settle for the bar. On old VW's the bar for the spark plug/lug wrench served this purpose. )

I'm not entirely sure why the Germans prefer a bolt to a stud, but it does do away with the need for acorn lugs to prevent rusty stud ends, and it also makes it easy to change length for different wheel thicknesses. On the other hand, if you strip one out, you've spoiled the hub.

The term "hub centric" really just denotes when the wheel's centering is determined by a snug fit on the hub. I have never seen a factory wheel on an XJ that is not hub centric.

 

[heyhar]

Well, if I happen to prefer OEM wheels, and have a few good reasons, so be it. I'm not bashing the whole aftermarket. Back in the '60s and '70s, if you wanted 'mag' wheels, you bought what the speed shop carried. Lately, there seems to be some crap coming back. I had a set of wheels I got from Summit, were not true, and since they were 'used', Summit wouldn't warrant them. How would I know they were no good unless I used them? My son bought a set of Wrangler Sahara knockoffs-looks like OEM on '06 LJ-got them on Ebay from someone in Florida, brand new. All four were out of true, and we didn't have the heart to even give them away, so we trashed them. We learned our lesson...only real JEEP wheels, on quality name-brand tires. If you spend the kind of time that we do on Interstates and other high-speed roads, you learn to buy only the best stuff. That few bucks you saved buying knockoff wheels and no-name tires comes back to haunt you when everything starts to shake at about 62MPH!

 

[rockclimber]

Well, if I happen to prefer OEM wheels, and have a few good reasons, so be it. I'm not bashing the whole aftermarket. Back in the '60s and '70s, if you wanted 'mag' wheels, you bought what the speed shop carried. Lately, there seems to be some crap coming back. I had a set of wheels I got from Summit, were not true, and since they were 'used', Summit wouldn't warrant them. How would I know they were no good unless I used them? My son bought a set of Wrangler Sahara knockoffs-looks like OEM on '06 LJ-got them on Ebay from someone in Florida, brand new. All four were out of true, and we didn't have the heart to even give them away, so we trashed them. We learned our lesson...only real JEEP wheels, on quality name-brand tires. If you spend the kind of time that we do on Interstates and other high-speed roads, you learn to buy only the best stuff. That few bucks you saved buying knockoff wheels and no-name tires comes back to haunt you when everything starts to shake at about 62MPH!

I think your definition of aftermarket and everyone else's differs.

I don't think anyone here would complain about a set of used wheels not being true... they are used, chances are they have been beat up.

also, who the XXXX buys wheels on fleabay?uke:

I'm happy with my aftermarket wheels (procomp) no OEM wheels would have fit the 33"s and not rub Control arms, and they sure as hell would not hav fit my vanco's

 

[heyhar]

also, who the XXXX buys wheels on fleabay?uke:

Not us anymore!

Although, I have a nice set of five late '80s Limited wheels I got on Ebay for $10. Delivered!

 

[Ronbo]

OEM Jeep wheels aren't made by Jeep anyway. The logo cast into the aluminum wheels on my 96 XJ is identical to the logo on the 2008 18" Nissan OEM wheels bolted onto the wifes Suburban. A division of American Racing.

If you're buying cheap OEM knockoffs, they're probably imported junk.

 

[heyhar]

And the same logo is on our Outback's wheels. It's just that OEM wheels need to meet certain standards, and some aftermarket parts, wheels included, don't seem to adhere to any standards. How many parts hucksters on Ebay are members of SEMA? Not too many...

 

[heyhar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JWL_standard

This is the logo on most alloy wheels.

 

[Markos]

also, who the XXXX buys wheels on fleabay?uke:

I don't buy much on Ebay, but it's a great place to purchase a 5th OEM wheel for your spare, especially if you have a less common wheel. I picked up a dark grey ecco for $25. Also, it is *the place to go if you need to replace your center caps.