15x4" Temporary wheels as front wheels.

I'm looking for 15x4" wheels with a 5 on 5 1/2 bolt pattern. I've also noticed alot of temporary wheels are 15x4". Does anyone know what if any temporary wheels would fit these dimensions or what stock wheels would work? Any advice would be apriciated.

Thanks

 

bttt

 

maybe, and I do mean maybe some of the 4WD jeeps may have used a temporary spare. Everything else I can think of that used 5 on 5 1/2 bolt circle would have used a full size spare.

 

I'm probably going to use my late 50's F100 centers (15x5").
I'm going to put my centers in a 15x4" temporary wheel.
I've all but given up on finding a wheel to fit my repop Firestone grooved front tires.
I would've bought 16" tires if I'd known how scarce the right 15" wheels would be.

 

You'd better find out if the temporary spare rims are acceptable for with conventional tires rather than the super-thick sidewall temp spares they were designed for.
It may be that they are just fine which will mean that the temp spare price of $5 each at Pick-a-parts may go up due to scarcity when the word gets out!
DO NO Ford pickups use temporary spares in the 15" size? They are the only modern vehicles with that old style bolt pattern, I believe.

 

1960 Ford Bronco had a narrow wheel in the 15 inch size

 

1960 Bronco?

Early Bronco DID have some almost narrow wheels though. I have a couple from a 67 that are, IIRC, 5"...but they might be 5 1/2". Memory is fuzzy and I can't easily get to the wheels at the moment.
I'll see if I can get a proper measure before the day is over.

You might find a set of temps with the right hoop diameter to fit a 15" Ford center and then make your own. I've looked around and was unable locally to find something that matched up, BUT I certainly didn't check EVERY available temp spare so don't give up.
I DID find some cool agricultural rims for donor hoops but the owner didn't want to sell them.

 

If you just want to roll around the shop you could make cheap ones out of 3/4 " plywood. Make to outer tire diameter and drill any bolt pattern. Not too good for the road though.

 

studebaker steel wheels are 15x4 or 4.5"

 

NO to temporary spares - dangerous and probably illegal to run them as a pair. They were designed to get you to the next repair facility at 50 mph or less. You wanna drive under 50 mph all the time?

Some Ford artillery wheels were made in 15 x 4".

 

Almost all of the factory wheel hoops built after 1970 or so are 13 1/4" or bigger on the I.D., probably due to the wide use of disc brakes. The early Ford wheel centers you have are most likely 12 5/8" on the I.D., so finding a set of factory hoops to fit your centers is not very likely, believe me, I have looked.

 

That sucks. I just kinda held a tape measure up to a temp wheel I have, and sure enough it's 13". There's got to be a 15x4" wheel that's 5 on 5 /2".

 

Old VW bug wheels might be a source for outers.

 

Thats the temp tires...not the rim hoops.
Lots of people have used the hoops to create the steel wheels they need and many low-buck Dragracers have remounted "real" tires to full aluminium temp rims to use them as front runners.

Flipper might be right on the VW rims. I forget the inner diameter on those.

 

Inner diameter on old VW hoops anyone? I don't know.

 

I used temp wheels on my T Bucket and they worked just fine. They are DOT approved at any speed - it's the tire that's not - and the wheels will accept any tire. Only problem is no bumps to use center caps. Buy them all day long for $10.00 at junk yards. Although harder to find there are 16" too - I had a 5 on 4 3/4 given to me, the 15" I got are 5 on 4 3/4 also.

 

The VW hoops are 13 3/8" on the I.D., so you would have to start with a set of disc brake 5 x 5 1/2"- 13 1/4" I.D. centers, and weld a couple of beads on every corner of the center that contacts the hoop, then turn the welds down on a lathe until you have a nice "Tap" fit into the hoop. I have done several pairs using this method and they work out good.

 

Most tire shops won't even touch those things with the tire still on.
Your best bet is to peel the temp tire off before you have the new tires mounted.
then you're golden.

 

I found this out the hard way today. Do I just hacksaw it off or what?

 

skinniest 15 i've seen with 5 on 5.5 is 15x5.5. other wise you'll have to get them custom made. all the old truck i've seen like mine have full size spares. never seen "donuts" for them.

 

Your correct...I waz meaning the first Bronco..65??

 

Yeah...I think it was 65 or 66.

Tried to get a measure off the EB wheels I have but due to snow and ice buildup I can't access them. Sorry...

 

Earlywheel.com

 

I believe some early wheels were 4.5 x 16 Hard to find ! , some were 5 x 15 and maybe 4.5 x15 on early wide five pattern say 55 on. Been along time, try looking on thesamba.com tires and wheels classified

 

Hyundai temporary wheels!

 

I don't know what year Ford they're off of but the front wheels on mine are 15" X 4 1/2" with the early Ford lug pattern. Not 4" but close. That pair of wheels I got off of eBay and I think the ad said mid-fifties Ford truck wheels.

 

What about them?

 

You can get 15x4.5 wheels with 5 on 5.5 bolt pattern from Rally America if you don't care about the extra 1/2" width of the wheel.

http://www.rallyamerica.com/14-16series.html

 

Jeep, post-'84 Dodge D100/D150, and Ford truck (5-lug 5-1/2") all have the same bolt pattern. Your best bet is to find an EARLY Jeep MB-, M-, or CJ-series wheel - they are very narrow, but I believe they are 4-1/2"...they might be four.

 

I used Hyundai spare hoops on my Ford truck centers.