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A turbocharger impeller has a lock ring that is flexed in assembly to clampingly center and lock an impeller wheel on its drive shaft. The lock ring is also applicable to other driving or driven shaft and wheel combinations. The lock ring is made part of a two-piece spacer for the illustrated rotor

A turbocharger impeller has a lock ring that is flexed in assembly to clampingly center and lock an impeller wheel on its drive shaft. The lock ring is also applicable to other driving or driven shaft and wheel combinations. The lock ring is made part of a two-piece spacer for the illustrated rotor applications but is not limited to that arrangement. Alternative impeller wheel structures including drive means and locking nose cone features are included.

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A turbocharger rotor having a shaft with an end, a shoulder spaced from the end and a mounting portion between the shoulder and the end, a wheel mounted on the shaft mounting portion, a fastener on the shaft end and engaging the wheel to retain it on the shaft, and a spacer on the shaft clamped betw

A turbocharger rotor having a shaft with an end, a shoulder spaced from the end and a mounting portion between the shoulder and the end, a wheel mounted on the shaft mounting portion, a fastener on the shaft end and engaging the wheel to retain it on the shaft, and a spacer on the shaft clamped between and engaging the wheel and the shoulder, wherein the improvement comprises the spacer comprising an annular flange member and an annular lock ring, the flange member engaging the shoulder and the lock ring being clamped between the wheel and the flange member, the lock ring having axially spaced first and second end faces and a central opening between the end faces, the opening being defined by an inner surface having a first clamping portion adjacent the first end face, the first end face having an axially facing wheel contact surface near the central opening and a protrusion outwardly adjacent the wheel contact surface, the protrusion having an inwardly facing surface defining a second clamping portion, and the second end face having a first flange contact surface spaced radially outward from the wheel contact surface and a second flange contact surface spaced radially inward from the first flange contact surface, and the wheel having an axial end surface and an adjacent outwardly facing peripheral surface, the lock ring being disposed with the inner surface surrounding the shaft mounting portion, the first flange contact surface engaging the flange member and the wheel contact surface engaging the axial end surface of the wheel, wherein, prior to tightening of the fastener, the first and second clamping portions are closely radially spaced from the mounting portion of the shaft and the peripheral surface of the wheel, respectively, and the second flange contact surface has a predetermined clearance from the flange member, and upon tightening of the fastener, the lock ring is flexed to cause the second flange contact surface to close the predetermined clearance and move into engagement with the flange member, such flexing causing the first and second clamping portions to clampingly engage the mounting portion of the shaft and the peripheral surface of the wheel, respectively, thereby locking the wheel end surface in a fixed position on the shaft. A turbocharger impeller wheel for use in a turbocharger having a shaft with an end, a shoulder spaced from the end and a mounting portion between the shoulder and the end, the wheel having an axial end surface and adapted to be mounted on the shaft mounting portion with the axial end surface in fixed opposed relation to the shoulder, a fastener on the shaft end and engaging the wheel to retain it on the shaft, wherein the wheel comprises a main body with a drive insert received in an end of the body distal from said axial end surface, the insert being spaced from said end surface and including drive means engagable with mating drive means on the shaft for rotating the insert and shaft together, and connecting means rotatably connecting the insert with the main body for driving the body and insert together.