Most commercial wheels today are hub piloted wheels. This means that the hub has centering pads that ensure that the wheel is centered on the hub. Most people assume it is the studs that keep the wheel centered, but the stud holes on the wheel need to be larger than the stud to ensure the studs do not rust weld to the wheel. Usually, the stud holes on the wheel are 2mm larger in diameter. This gives some tolerances making it easier to install the wheels and allows the pilot pads to ensure everything is hub centric.
Unfortunately, over time, these pilot pads wear down from constant mounting and demounting causing the wheel to no longer be centered. This can cause vibrations, premature tire wear, and irregular tire wear.
The simplest and most cost-effective solution to fight this problem is by installing centering sleeves. Counteract manufactures a 22mm sleeve, suitable for most 22.5 wheels and a 20mm sleeve, suitable for 19.5 wheels. These durable high temp polymite sleeves are designed to fill the gap between the stud hole and stud, ensuring that the wheel remains hub centric even with worn down pilot pads. Simply install 3 in a triangle formation and torque your nuts over top of them.
