View Full Version : Universal vs OEM steelies? What's the difference
Hello everyone,
I am interested in getting some OEM Mazda 3 16" steelies with 2010+ generation hubcaps, however I am not sure if I should get the cheaper universal steelies or the OEM Mazda ones..
I do like the genuine stuff, however, with respect cost-benefit analysis, what choice would you make?
Your input is appreciated :)
Thank you!
PearlM3
02-08-2011, 04:17 PM
The oem ones are hub centric which means the hub is bored so that the weight of the wheel rests on the hub. Universal are Lug centric which means the hub is larger so it can fit on any car. I hav e universal and will be switching to oem next season!
Fuyuzora
02-08-2011, 04:45 PM
Note of course that you can also get non-OEM hubcentric steelies.
Unfortunately, most non-OEM steelies typically cannot accept the OEM wheel covers, due to a different overall exterior curvature. Many members on TM3 advise against using wheel covers in the winter, though.
TheMAN
02-08-2011, 08:49 PM
the overall shape of the aftermarket steelies could also interfere with the brake calipers if you are trying to get the smallest wheel possible
using ONLY hub centric wheels is advised... anything else will cause undue stress to the lugs, wheel bearings, and also bring weird vibrations at speed.... it is a major safety concern
Jackal
02-08-2011, 08:50 PM
I don't have OEM ones. I got universal 16" from Costco and I put Mazda wheel covers on it. It fits but the wheel covers stick out a bit. The covers would fit better. If you aren't planning on putting covers then either is fine.
Zoom Zoom Boy
02-08-2011, 10:16 PM
Just get hubcentric steelies. Not worth the hassle otherwise.
FLIPDADY
02-08-2011, 10:26 PM
Mazda OEM steelies ard made by Topy and are made for your Mazda.
Nuff said.
Btw, I have them on special right now.
Mazda OEM steelies ard made by Topy and are made for your Mazda.
Nuff said.
Btw, I have them on special right now.
What's the special you have them for?
Thanks
I don't have OEM ones. I got universal 16" from Costco and I put Mazda wheel covers on it. It fits but the wheel covers stick out a bit. The covers would fit better. If you aren't planning on putting covers then either is fine.
When I got the car, I got universal steelies I am thinking because the wheel covers do stick out a bit...
I just didn't think of checking that when purchasing the car... I am trying to get OEM Mazda ones + 2010+ generation wheel covers as my new 'rims' LOL
Student on a budget here... :blush
the overall shape of the aftermarket steelies could also interfere with the brake calipers if you are trying to get the smallest wheel possible
using ONLY hub centric wheels is advised... anything else will cause undue stress to the lugs, wheel bearings, and also bring weird vibrations at speed.... it is a major safety concern
That is exactly the reason why I wanna get OEM ones as soon as I can.
The universal ones in the car already (when purchased) dont seem to affect brake calipers, but they do not handle the wheel covers nicely, or 'genuinely'... as for stress to other components, that's definitely an issue to take into consideration
PearlM3
02-08-2011, 10:37 PM
the overall shape of the aftermarket steelies could also interfere with the brake calipers if you are trying to get the smallest wheel possible
using ONLY hub centric wheels is advised... anything else will cause undue stress to the lugs, wheel bearings, and also bring weird vibrations at speed.... it is a major safety concern
Ahhh thats a little excessive, saying that they are a safety concern is it not????
TheMAN
02-08-2011, 10:43 PM
lugs stripping out/breaking and wheel falling off isn't a safety concern? :loco
PearlM3
02-08-2011, 11:06 PM
lugs stripping out/breaking and wheel falling off isn't a safety concern? :loco
i've run universal steelies for 2 years with no problems, and i've never heard of that happening. I would say that the majority of people with winter tires run universals. Look at how many canadian tire, costco, and walmart sell, if they were such a huge problem and safety concern would they be allowed to.
Jackal
02-08-2011, 11:13 PM
i've run universal steelies for 2 years with no problems, and i've never heard of that happening. I would say that the majority of people with winter tires run universals. Look at how many canadian tire, costco, and walmart sell, if they were such a huge problem and safety concern would they be allowed to.
+1
No problems with universals. Have you seen lug problems caused by universals or know any articles on this? Just curious because I haven't heard about this.
TheMAN
02-09-2011, 10:59 AM
I've seen first hand aftermarket non-hub centric wheels stripping out lugs and lug nuts... wheel almost fell off
don't say it can't and never happened
midnightfxgt
02-09-2011, 11:19 AM
I've seen first hand aftermarket non-hub centric wheels stripping out lugs and lug nuts... wheel almost fell off
don't say it can't and never happened
Then the wheel was installed incorrectly.
Hubcentric is better folks, no doubt. To say that Universal fit wheels WILL cause vibration is also very very untrue. There is more of a chance, but it is not as common as people make it sound. Our cars take a 67.1 bore wheel, and they are easy to find in hubcentric fitments (and dont cost much/any more than universals).
As for OEM vs Aftermarket Hubcentric... no big deal. Yes, your hubcaps will fit with OEM mazda wheels, and may not with aftermarket. As for safety, caliper issues etc, dont worry :)
I bought a set of winters with universal steelies (because it was late in season and Allen had run out of OEM's) near the mid-end of the season last year. I did not drive anything higher than about 70km/h during that time. but this year when I put my winters back on, I drove highway and the wheels were out of balance (anything 90+ km/h vibrate like crazy). I brought them into Allen @ Simply to get them re-balanced. After an hour, he came and told me that they couldn't be balanced and he replaced them at no charge with Audi OEM's. I have not had a problem since.
That's just 1 person's experience from the thousands that buy universial fit though.
Direct Mazda Service
02-09-2011, 12:27 PM
Hello everyone,
I am interested in getting some OEM Mazda 3 16" steelies with 2010+ generation hubcaps, however I am not sure if I should get the cheaper universal steelies or the OEM Mazda ones..
I do like the genuine stuff, however, with respect cost-benefit analysis, what choice would you make?
Your input is appreciated :)
Thank you!
How much are the universal steelies? We are clearing out our OEM 16" Mazda steeleies for $44.95 each + tax
TheMAN
02-09-2011, 01:41 PM
Then the wheel was installed incorrectly.
Hubcentric is better folks, no doubt. To say that Universal fit wheels WILL cause vibration is also very very untrue. There is more of a chance, but it is not as common as people make it sound. Our cars take a 67.1 bore wheel, and they are easy to find in hubcentric fitments (and dont cost much/any more than universals).
As for OEM vs Aftermarket Hubcentric... no big deal. Yes, your hubcaps will fit with OEM mazda wheels, and may not with aftermarket. As for safety, caliper issues etc, dont worry :)
how can you install a wheel "incorrectly" when it is installed flush against the brake rotors, and the lug nuts (which are the correct thread pitch btw) were torqued to spec?
causing vibration very very untrue? you work in what business again? everyone who has worked in the auto REPAIR business have seen their fair share of issues with lug centric wheels on a car that requires a hub centric wheel
not that it happens to every car, but it happens a lot more than you think!
furthermore, you're downplaying an issue that can lead to costly repairs if they ever become serious problems... you're condoning a practice that will ultimately cause the owner to get denied warranty claims for any issues related to aftermarket lug centric wheels... mazda, nor any other auto maker will warranty any issues related/caused by aftermarket wheels... since the odds of problems happening with lug centric wheels is MUCH greater than with aftermarket hub centric wheels, this IS a valid concern for ALL owners
let me ask you one more time... what line of business you are in?
bluemazda3
02-09-2011, 01:53 PM
:D
Rob23
02-09-2011, 03:18 PM
my neighbour has universal steelies and i have mazda oem steelies. when i took my hubcaps off and tried to fit them on his steelies the hubcap wouldn't fit, the lugs and the tire valve didn't lint up with the hubcaps.
blackm3
02-09-2011, 03:55 PM
[QUOTE=TheMAN;718323]how can you install a wheel "incorrectly" when it is installed flush against the brake rotors, and the lug nuts (which are the correct thread pitch btw) were torqued to spec?
you can install a wheel incorrectly by over and or under tightening the lugs, Japanese cars lugs are about 80 -90 ft. lbs, most guns in the shop are well over a hundred, have you ever see a mechanic using a torque stick or bar
hubcentric are better because lug centric can be a problem sometimes and cause vibrations, keep in mind how many people on here has aftermarket rims.
Dave_The_BMXER
02-09-2011, 05:01 PM
let me ask you one more time... what line of business you are in?
Lol, check his signature.
Every lug centric wheel I have installed I have never had problems with. I put the wheel on snug up all the lugs, lower the car so that their is *some* weight on it. Star pattern the bolts to tightness, lower the car fully.
Not quoting that as the bible but it hasn't killed me nor my dad.
gskills
02-09-2011, 05:28 PM
I would say go for Hub Centric
I got my mazda3 in Nov of last year. I then went out and got a used mazda3 set of wheels and tires that were Lug Centric And I did not like how they had to fit on.
I got vibrations past 100 km , they where rebalanced and that was fine and still it had a small shake in the wheel..
I then changed my 16 inch alloys to winter wheels which are hub centric and its been great since..
TheMAN
02-09-2011, 06:42 PM
Lol, check his signature.
Every lug centric wheel I have installed I have never had problems with. I put the wheel on snug up all the lugs, lower the car so that their is *some* weight on it. Star pattern the bolts to tightness, lower the car fully.
Not quoting that as the bible but it hasn't killed me nor my dad.
that was a rhetorical question, but thanks for pointing that out :)
hmm... *looks in the dictionary for the definition of "conflict of interest"*
midnightfxgt
02-12-2011, 10:51 AM
Conflict of interest? Do a little more research. I do not recommend the use of universal steelies, and you will see in my winter tire threads, that I price out HUB CENTRIC.
You will also see, I agree... Hubcentric is better. That being said, universal steelies are NOT as "dangerous" as you claim. If your going to make outlandish claims, back them up with more than your opinion. Facts.
Canadian Tire, Active Green and Ross, Walmart, Costco etc all sell Universal steelies as a majority. Much more than they sell hubcentric. Now if there were sooooo many issues with universal steelies, these places would lose their shirts and probably have a class action law suit to deal with.
As for Mazda and other manufacturers ducking out of warranty... I am perfectly aware. I also know that out of ANY universal steel I have sold, there has NEVER been a warranty denied long. There have been a handful of cases where vibrations etc have occured, and the dealer would not warranty the car. In every single instance, we installed the OEM wheel and tire package, and the issue was still present! Then the manufacturer covered the repair, because they were wrong.
Search this forum.... I think there is over 14,000 members. Lets say 50% have snows... thats 7,000. Lets say 50% of them have universal steels. Thats 3,500 people, and 14,000 rims. Find me a single thread where someone had damage caused by a universal wheel (no, not vibration issues... damage)
-John
Jackal
02-12-2011, 12:05 PM
:pop:pop
bluemazda3
02-12-2011, 12:28 PM
:pop:pop
X2 lol
midnightfxgt
02-12-2011, 12:37 PM
LOL... you guys are awesome.
No popcorn needed. Someone who has an opinion, and thats all. I just dont want people to see this thread, and think they are going to have all kinds of problems due to universal fit wheels. I think that there is enough info here :)
-John
Chester_Lampwick
02-12-2011, 12:45 PM
Just thought I'd add that Mazda wheelcovers are inexpensive. I bought a set of 2010 GX covers for about $17 each. They just pop right on, and don't require special lug nuts to retain them, just use your chrome nuts from your alloys. You can even keep them attached to the wheels when mounting and unmounting.
notoriousb
02-17-2011, 11:20 AM
Put winters on your OEM RIMS.
Buy summer tires for a set of nice AFTERMARKET RIMS.
Problem solved.
mzr2.0
02-25-2011, 06:28 PM
I've seen first hand aftermarket non-hub centric wheels stripping out lugs and lug nuts... wheel almost fell off
don't say it can't and never happened
than theres one of four things going on there
1. is the lugs were to tight
2. the lugs werent tight enough
3. they were s****y lugs
4. rim wasn't properly placed on the hub rite this is caused from tightening the nuts on completely before putting the car down or they were loose when the car was dropped than tightened
i snug them up then drop the car and torque them to spec and i'm running both aftermarket and oem. oem on the front and aftermarket on back and no problems here either u or ur mechanic did something wrong
if u torque them to spec u wil never have anyu problems
mzr2.0
02-25-2011, 06:37 PM
Lol, check his signature.
Every lug centric wheel I have installed I have never had problems with. I put the wheel on snug up all the lugs, lower the car so that their is *some* weight on it. Star pattern the bolts to tightness, lower the car fully.
Not quoting that as the bible but it hasn't killed me nor my dad.
thats the correct way to do iti've been doing that since i was ten and no one in my family or friends lost i tire or died in that matter
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