[Grand73Am]

Anybody bought the reproduction Year One 15x8 Snowflakes? I bought a set recently and had some new BFG Radial TA's installed. They shake at 60 mph and up. I had the tire store re-check the balance, but they still do it.

I know it's not the car because I put a known good set of the wheels/tires on the car and it doesn't shake with the good ones on it.

Right now, I don't know if it's the wheels or the tires causing it. So, just checking to see if anybody has the same problem using the YO 15" wheels.

Any recommendations on how to check them. I expect to have to dismount them to find out where the problem is.

[goatless]

I'd swap the wheel/tire assembly out one by one to isolate which wheel or wheels is causing the problem.

[Grand73Am]

Yes, you're right. I suppose I should do that to see if it's just one or 2. It might be all of them! It's getting tiring having to do all this tire swapping though .

[77 TRASHCAN]

Can likely jack up rear of car and spin tires to see. Having bad vibrations, you may see what's up...if you have done this already.

I've talked to folks that have bought brand new wheels (different brands) having same stupid problem...

Look for bear somehow seated incorrectly. You never know.

[Grand73Am]

It looks like it's the wheels after all. Here are the measurements, and they appear to be the problem. An original wheel center hole is 2.787" diameter. The new wheel is 2.801". So, the new wheel has a .014" bigger center hole than original. It doesn't sound like much, but when I hang it back on an axle, there is noticeable up and down movement on the hub. So, I can see now that when installing the new wheel on the car, with the wheel hanging on the axle hub, it is already off-center by that much. The shank style lug nuts don't pull it back up, since they have play in their holes too, and aren't intended to center the wheel. So when tightened, the wheel stays off-center. Hopefully, there are hub-centering rings available that will fit and take up that little bit of slack. This is a defect in the wheel in my opinion. It's supposed to be made to fit a 2nd gen TA without having to do this. Very disappointing, but glad to finally know what the problem is.

[Grand73Am]

To continue the saga...after doing research last night on the hub-centric rings, I find that they are not made as I had imagined. They're really just a flat sided ring with a flange on the bottom. The inner ring diameter is the hub diameter, so it slips over the hub, and the outer diameter is the wheel bore diameter, so it fits inside the wheel bore. And at the base of the ring is a flange that will sit next to the hub. So the ring is supposed to fill in the space in between the larger wheel bore and the smaller hub. In my case, the problem is that the space is so small that they don't make rings that thin. I found one ring that is almost the right size. The inside diameter is right, but it's 1 mm too thick to the outside. I'm thinking of buying a set, placing one over the axle hub, and with the rear end supported, run the axle in drive while holding a piece of sandpaper to the ring to cut it down 1 mm. Might work. Maybe just wrapping the hub with some masking tape like the Chief suggested would work, and certainly be much easier.
I did some more measuring, and it looks like I have between .020" and .025" play between the wheel bore and hub, a little more that previously thought. So it looks like I'd need something that's around .010" and .0125" thick to center it.
I'm thinking all it needs it something to hold the wheel centered while I tighten it, and not for continuous support. These wheels get tightened to 90 lb/ft, so I don't think they'll move once tightened.

[Grand73Am]

To wrap this up, I returned the wheels to Year One today. I took an axle with me so I was able show the excessive play between the axle hub and the wheel bore. They gave me a refund and the customer service was good. So, I'm satisfied with the result. Thanks for everyone's ideas.

[78-455-T/A]

Strange. I bought a set a few years back and use BFGs and have no issues whatsoever.

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by 78-455-T/A

Strange. I bought a set a few years back and use BFGs and have no issues whatsoever.

Thanks for replying. I'm glad that yours have been good for you. I also bought new BFG Radial TA's for mine, had them installed and balanced, and they shook at 60 mph and faster. So, took them back to the tire store and had them re-check the balance, and they tweaked them a little bit, but still had the same shake, starting at 60 mph. The car doesn't shake with my original wheels on it, so that narrowed down the problem. That's when I discovered that the center hole is a little oversized, so can't center on the hub as well as originals. Wish they would have worked for me too.

[Aus78Formula]

YO didn't even come out and offer possible centering rings or advice, that would be like admitting the problem exists, easier to act dumb and deal with the one or two that notice.

[Grand73Am]

Originally Posted by Aus78Formula

YO didn't even come out and offer possible centering rings or advice, that would be like admitting the problem exists, easier to act dumb and deal with the one or two that notice.

They did seem genuinely unaware of a problem. I may have been the first to notice and bring it to their attention. Taking the axle with me to demonstrate helped tremendously since I was able to show the difference between the fit in the new wheel compared to an original wheel that they had on hand. He actually did pull out some centering rings and tried one, but they required a thinner centering ring than he had, if one can be made that thin. So, there was really nothing else to try or advise. Either some special thinner rings would have to be made, or the hole machined a little larger so available rings would fit. So, I'm just happy they took them back.

[Skip Fix]

Lots of input passed on to them about the 17" ones from guys over on Trans Am Country for several years. So it should not be a shocker to them. You would think the could sell(ie make a little more profit) by selling hubcentric rings.

[DOC]

UPDATE: Yearone does provide the hubcentric rings when you purchase the wheels now. I just got my 15x8 snowflake wheels and the hub centric rings were in the boxes with the wheels.

[Grand73Am]

Very interesting. I wonder if they machined the center hole a little larger so a hubcentric ring will fit? Please let us know how they fit when you get a chance. Thanks!

[DOC]

Fit perfect on my 78 Trans am. No vibration either.

[Grand73Am]

Glad to hear it. Thanks! I might have to get some more now that they have it resolved.

[Grand73Am]

I guess I should ask a couple questions, while I got you . So, the rings fit good? And do they still use the original factory lugnuts?

[Aus78Formula]

Now to have them supplied to previous purchasers free, be patient, could take several days to track everyone down.

[Skip Fix]

I checked my older YO 15" and the hole is same as factory. That ring sounds close to what I found for the 17" ones I have. I'm still tempted to use a .750OD and .730ID aluminum sleeve and make them lug centric also.

[DOC]

The ring fits snug onto the rim and yes, factory lugnuts work. I bought the more expensive stainless "GM " certified center caps and they took some work to get seated but otherwise no issues.