So I picked up this little honey not too long ago....but she's in dire need of wheels and tires. Not only are the wheels dated, but the tires are crazy old as well. See how they stick out past the rear wheel wells? Yeah - that drives me nuts. I can't stand it. Any ideas on where to go from here? Fronts are a different size than the rears, for what it's worth. Here's what I'm working with:
I really love this truck - belonged to a member here....but I can't recall exactly who's it was. That simple wheel with chrome centers and trim rings looks so clean to me. I dig it. Something like that would really make a nice improvement, in my opinion....
The wheels on it (the red one) have always screamed "these are all they had at the tire store that fit my truck that I could afford" every time I have seen a set and just don't ever look like the owner put much thought into it. First step is knowing what lug bolt pattern you have. Then figure out the rim width, offset or lack of it and wheel diameter you want. In there somewhere is searching the net and rod magazines for wheels that have the look you want at a price you are willing to pay. You don't always have to spend big money to have something that looks great and quite often you can get by super cheap but have something that looks fantastic. If you have 5 on 5-1/2 lug pattern a look similar to that truck that Vintage_MPG posted could be done with some 15 inch Ford pickup steelies and caps. with or without rings. It might take finding the hubcaps you want to run and then find wheels that match the cap and fit the truck .
That's awesome! Shazaam! These rear fenders are glass (the only fiberglass on the whole truck) - so with my skills, the new wheels have GOT to be a more affordable option.
First step is to measure the rear end WMS to WMS. The wheels you have look like the same size all the way around. Probably 7" wide and 3 3/4" BS. Still they stick out waaaay to far. Normally you would only see wheels sticking out like that if they are reversed. That axle may be too wide for the truck.
I have 15x7's with 4 1/2" backspacing all the way around on my 33. rear end is a stock width 68 Camaro 12 bolt
This is it. This is what I'm after.....I love that simple look, with just the right touch of chrome. Now to get that rear end measured. The rear end my very well be way too wide. Not really sure. I know the wheels don't match as far as bolt pattern is concerned; the fronts look to be 5 x 4.75 and the rears are 5 x 5.5. Not sure why that's the case, but it is what it is. The rears are huge - carrying some serious meats. I don't want that much tire at this point, so I'm more that willing to slice some off. Hopefully I can massage it into place with wheel and backspacing - not swapping rear ends.
If you have to cut rear you will just order axles with whatever bolt pattern you want....................
So it only took me two weeks to get the numbers on this rear axle.....but I've finally got some hard figures! The WMS to WMS is 61.5" total. The wheels are 15" all the way around, but the rears are wider - with a different bolt pattern as well. The rear tires are 275s, so they're big and wide. Too wide for my taste. Fronts aren't quite so bad - but still a bit much, in my opinion. What does that tell me? Now that I know my WMS to WMS digits, where do I need to go from here? I like the chart that lothiandon posted will also be quite helpful - but I just don't want to drop a grand on some wheels and tires that still stick out too much. I'll keep chiseling at it; thanks for all the input so far! With your help, we'll get her dialed in yet!
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