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Ford guys, 50s-60s steel wheel questions

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by countrysedanman, Apr 10, 2009.

  1. Hi all, couple questions, I need some wheels for the wag, want factory stuff for my center caps to fit. What was the widest ford car wheel to be had? What model would have the widest wheels? I have 1 6.5 inch wheel, the rest are 6 or smaller, do mercs or even lincolns have such a wheel? Just standard 4 on 4.5 bolt pattern, Any help is appreciated, going to the yard tomorrow to look.

    Brad
     
  2. Thanks for the heads up, now I have some idea where my front wheels came from. Now to find the right ones for the rear.

    Brad
     
  3. vertible59
    Joined: Jan 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,058

    vertible59
    Member

    Look for cop cars and anything with heavy duty suspension option. Many wagons had 'em too.
     

  4. thanks for the info, anyone else know what the widest wheels were? Im hoping I can find another 6.5 inch one, that will have to do until I can save some money to buy new.

    Brad
     
  5. missysdad1
    Joined: Dec 9, 2008
    Posts: 3,306

    missysdad1
    Member

    This may sound like common sense, Brad, and I don't mean to insult you but have you checked to see what wheel widths and offsets will fit your car?

    With a stock wheel/tire in place, check both the front side and back side clearance available. Do this on both the front and the rear with full weight on the car. Turn the front wheels lock to lock and use the minimum clearance as your guide. Keep in mind that the front wheels will lose clearance as the suspension compresses in most cases.

    Measure clearance from the tire, not the wheel itself. Keep in mind that the rear wheels move a little (side to side) during hard cornering and when one wheel is higher than the other.

    If you are going to run fender skirts, take these measurements with the skirts in place. Even skirts with flares at the bottom eat up a lot of outside clearance.

    Then measure the width and offset of the same stock wheel. By comparing these two sets of dimensions you can determine how much wider your new wheels can be, and where in terms of offset. Front wheels and rear wheels may turn out to be different, and very often are.

    Make yourself a little dimensional drawing of the wheel(s) with maxiumum width and optimum offset from your measurements and take it with you to the wrecking yard.

    You'll also need a tape measure and a piece of wood or metal about 16" long to use as a measuring aid. The 16" length allows you to measure just the wheel, whether there's a tire mounted on it or not.

    By placing this wood or metal piece across the face (front and back) of each wheel you measure, you can quickly compare the front side depth and the rear side depth to your dimensional drawing.

    And lastly, take one of your hubcaps with you to be sure the nubs on the junkyard wheel are of the proper dimension to accept your hubcaps.

    A little pre-planning will save a lot of head-scratching at the wrecking yard. Been there, done that myownself...

    Good luck...and don't forget to have fun! :)
     
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2009

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