Customs 50's ford wheels question

Can anyone tell me if 49-51 Ford wheel rims are the same as 55 F1 truck ?
Or what the differences are between Fords 15" wheels are between 49 & 59 !
Thanks in advance
Keith



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Ford pickup wheels were 5.5" bolt pattern from 1928 up through the modern age. Ford passenger cars stopped using 5.5" in 1948 and went to 4.5" in 1949.

Mercury passenger cars kept the 5.5" BC up through 1951 (maybe later?) though.

 

Mercury 5.5" thru '51 as stated above, then 4.5" '52 thru '54 then 5" bolt circle '55 thru at least '59
There were more 5" bolt patterns in full size Ford and Merc '73 thru '78.......

'49 thru '56 Ford passenger car 15": wheels were very much the same...perhaps a minor width difference in some of the later models of that period. Ford full size passenger went to 14" wheels in '57 and continued thru '64, as I recall, then returned to 15" in '65 up.

Ray

 

Thanks fellas this has answered loads of questions
Am I right in thinking all the 15" rims have hubcaps that fit on lugs on the outside of the wheel centre as appose to on the inside like 40's ford 16" ?


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For passenger cars, yes. Pickups, not until about mid-'60s or so

Ray

 

I have a set of 16" 4.5bc from a '51 Ford car, so not all are 15"

 

Yep, the "Plain Jane" Deluxe models came with 6.00/16 tires as standard. I had a buddy in high school in the '50's who wanted to change his to 15" and it took him months to find 4 15 inchers. I think the 16's are worth more now.

 

my first car, a '50 Ford 2 dr I bought in '58, had 16" wheels. I swapped 'em out for 15"s
as by then it was much easier to find 15" used tires...all I could afford then.

Ray

 

yep....have some 16"'s as rollers....cool BS stuff....when the know it all's come around.......