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[Lotus99]

So I was installing my Sport Edition A7 winter wheels tonight (after the tire shop had put them on without the hubcentric rings as apparently they didn't fit the hub properly and they said I don't need them). Well of course, the car vibrates like mad at highway speeds...

I noticed two of the wheels had this little spring-like wire inside them, but two didn't. I'm guessing the boneheads lost them when they took off the rings. So now my rear pass. tire and the front driver's don't have the wires.

First of all, I assume the wire goes underneath the hubcentric ring in the wheel?

What's the purpose of it, and what if I install some of the rings without this wire?

Thanks.
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[Hybrid For Life]

Some sort of spring clip or c clip to hold the hub centric ring in ?

[Lotus99]

Originally Posted by Hybrid For Life

Some sort of spring clip or c clip to hold the hub centric ring in ?

Yeah, you're right. I just called Tire Rack, and that's what they said, so I should have put the rings in the wheel, jammed them in deep, and then put the wire on TOP of the rings. The idea is to keep the rings in the wheel and not stuck on the hub when you take the wheels off the car. Not sure how well they'll work though, as the rings are really tight on the hubs, so I have a feeling that they'll still pop off the wheel when taking it off.

They were awesome to deal with though, they sent me a couple of replacement clips to fix them.

[VMRWheels]

Definitely looks like a C-ring to hold them in place. You may or may not need them as like you said, the rings are already really snug on your hubs. Wouldn't hurt to have them on though just to be sure that they stay in the wheels.

[MRRwheels]

hmmm ive been in the industry for a long time and never, ever i mean ever ever seen a "c" ring for a hub ring, correct me if im wrong but the C ring is actually belongs to the back of the wheels center cap, the C ring puts pressure on the teeth part to hold tigh onto the wheel. it probably came off or a teeth broke and got loose.
good luck buddy !!

[MRRwheels]

check it out.

[VMRWheels]

Hmm... That's actually a good observation. Now that I'm looking at that ring it does seem more like something on the back of center caps rather than a C-ring to keep the rings in place. Our caps are the same way.

[Lotus99]

LOL! Mystery solved it sounds like!

Thanks guys, next time the wheels are off, I'll check out the center cap to see if the C clips might be there on the missing wheels.

If my center caps go flying off in the winter, I'll know why now!

PS Short of some super duper suction thingy to pop them out, there's no way to take off center caps from the outside of the wheel, is there? I've always popped them off by punching them out from the inside, as there doesn't seem to be any room to squeeze anything in the gap b/w them and the wheel, without scratching things...

[Hooy]

lol the centercap was the first thing I thought of. Halfway down the thread, it was clear I lost my opportunity to be the hero.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Lotus99

PS Short of some super duper suction thingy to pop them out, there's no way to take off center caps from the outside of the wheel, is there? I've always popped them off by punching them out from the inside, as there doesn't seem to be any room to squeeze anything in the gap b/w them and the wheel, without scratching things...

Use a piece of duck tape..... without the clip, it will come out easily.

HighlandPete