RIMS! What fits What?!! -Wish the hell I knew what I was doing...

[bigmoparjeff]

Me too, which is why I bought myself a set. Eventually they'll wind-up on my Windsor.... If they still make 16" tires in an appropriate size by the time I get around to it. I recall Leaburn recommended 235/65R16.

I punched that tire size into ebay and got 2630 results, so it looks like it's a size that should be around for some time. Any size that was used on SUV's should be a safe bet. I've been stocking up on P235/70R15 tires lately, as I think their days are numbered, with the exception of the BF Goodrich radial T/A, which will probably be available in that size forever. The ones that I've been buying are blackwall, so I'll have to add the white stripe later on.

 

[Not Right]

Thanks a lot guys, I knew I could count on you. The same 'ol familiar names! I have access to some pretty potent die grinders as well as a fire extinguisher that comes with a torch. I agree on the prohibitive cost of shipping, otherwise I would investigate buying the wheels from Traintech55 and Detmatt further. Think I'll go to work on the ranger wheels.

 

[Not Right]

The common item between Ford and Mopar wheels is the bolt circle and number of wheel studs. You'll need to look for Mopars which still have FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS, not an assembled bearing hub, which means the wheel's surface where the lug nuts tighten against is much closer to the outside edge of the wheel rim. The earlier "wheel bearing" cars have that part of the rim much more centered between the edges of the wheel. So that's going to mean, mostly, a 1981 and prior Chrysler Corp car. The later rwd Fifth Avenues (and siblings on that platform) would still be "wheel bearing" cars, too. This also means the disc brake rotor and the front hub are one piece, too. No detachable brake rotors as the wheel bearing hub remains on the vehicle.

As noted above, the center "register" hole diameter in the middle of the wheel is important, too.Just as wheel stud diameter is. Get a 3.5x5" note card and make a measuring template for the distance between the stud holes and also note the center register inside diameter on it, too. That should ensure you get a Mopar-spec wheel. IF you happen to find a Chrysler wheel in a pile of loose wheels, on the inside center recessed part of the wheel rim, the wheel size should be stamped in that area. Could have a Pentastar stamping, too, as there should be near the valve stem area, too? That ID plus your template and the more-centered backspacing of the stock wheel should help get home with something that will work.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

Thank you for putting in this effort. I do appreciate it!

 

[Not Right]

OK. Early Fords are smaller.
Later Fords are larger.[/QU

I thought it was the other way around.

Hell-lowwwwww.......Newman....

 

[Carmine]

Thanks a lot guys, I knew I could count on you. The same 'ol familiar names! I have access to some pretty potent die grinders as well as a fire extinguisher that comes with a torch. I agree on the prohibitive cost of shipping, otherwise I would investigate buying the wheels from Traintech55 and Detmatt further. Think I'll go to work on the ranger wheels.

I do recal using a pretty "robust" cobalt steel tool in the die grinder. Not something for a stone-type bit. Made a helluva mess.

 

[CBODY67]

I remember first coming across the smaller Ford center hole in a Forward Look posting about using the OEM Ford "wire mag" aluminum wheels (Crown Vic). It was mentioned that the guy used a lathe to cut the center hole bigger, so it would fit on his Chrysler. Only thing is that the canter cap might not snap on after that size change, I suspect.

CBODY67

 

[The Goose]

That and if you zap the center out and it’s no longer hub centric - like the 60’s five spoke trim ring style road wheels, you can no longer spin balance accurately. It’s bubble balance from here on boys.

 

[commando1]

It’s bubble balance from here on boys.

You can bubble balance a wheel as good as any $5,000 computerized machine.

 

[Big_John]

That and if you zap the center out and it’s no longer hub centric - like the 60’s five spoke trim ring style road wheels, you can no longer spin balance accurately. It’s bubble balance from here on boys.

The OP just wants some wheels to move a parts car. I'm sure they won't need to be balanced.

 

[The Goose]

The OP just wants some wheels to move a parts car. I'm sure they won't need to be balanced.

That’s why I said look for cheep plentiful full size Jeep. $10 - 25 tops out here. Just with all the talk about whacking centers nobody remembers to static balance anymore. If the lugs center the wheel that’s really what you need to do. Guess we’re kinda guilty of overthinking this...

 

[Big_John]

Guess we’re kinda guilty of overthinking this...

Yea, I think we are all guilty of that.

 

[The Goose]

Yea, I think we are all guilty of that.

I guess it really depends where you’re looking. Out here I have 1960’s 5 dollar wheels all day long but I bet back east it’s a totally different story. I was in Death Valley yesterday. They’re everywhere out here.

This is the bottom of the murder hill. Lots of cars and single old wheels (why?) at the bottom. And yes I looked for the rare ones...

Second pic is really almost straight up and down.

 

[Big_John]

I guess it really depends where you’re looking. Out here I have 1960’s 5 dollar wheels all day long but I bet back east it’s a totally different story. I was in Death Valley yesterday. They’re everywhere out here.

This is the bottom of the murder hill. Lots of cars and single old wheels (why?) at the bottom. And yes I looked for the rare ones...

Second pic is really almost straight up and down.

View attachment 227868

View attachment 227869

We have two issues that make it difficult... First of course, is the winters that make the cars rust away to nothing. Second, and what a lot of guys not around here don't know, is scrap prices have been high here for many years. In the late 70's, for example, it wasn't unusual to have an old car disappear overnight. Thieves would grab what they thought was "junk" and the cars would get crushed before anyone knew what hit them. A friend lost a '60 T-Bird out of his Mother's garage that way. The cops finally got after the scrap yards, so that has stopped. Junk yards were (still are) scrapping anything that wasn't selling parts. It may be different now, but there were no cars in commercial junk yards over ten years old in the eighties and nineties.

 

[The Goose]

We have two issues that make it difficult... First of course, is the winters that make the cars rust away to nothing. Second, and what a lot of guys not around here don't know, is scrap prices have been high here for many years. In the late 70's, for example, it wasn't unusual to have an old car disappear overnight. Thieves would grab what they thought was "junk" and the cars would get crushed before anyone knew what hit them. A friend lost a '60 T-Bird out of his Mother's garage that way. The cops finally got after the scrap yards, so that has stopped. Junk yards were (still are) scrapping anything that wasn't selling parts. It may be different now, but there were no cars in commercial junk yards over ten years old in the eighties and nineties.

Marathon steel in south Phoenix would buy any car you brought them no questions asked. Cut it in half with a sawzall and it wasn’t considered a car. Burn it and drag in the hulk and you got top dollar - no tires or gas tank = more money. Yah that stinks it happened in Az too.

I was parked in front of Dave Pearson’s yard in Ridgecrest yesterday sending emails after leaving Death Valley. That place is huge 80% old 60’s & 70’s stuff and it’s all rust free. I keep asking his buddy to get me in there but it hasn’t happened yet. It’s gotta be 5 square miles nose to tail. There’s a ‘68 Newport in the front row looks like it was driven there. Sad but cool.

 

[The Goose]

Now to rub it in just a little. Look close at all the beautiful old bias plies...

 

[Not Right]

Well, there's my wheels.......

 

[ImpJay]

Me too, which is why I bought myself a set. Eventually they'll wind-up on my Windsor.... If they still make 16" tires in an appropriate size by the time I get around to it. I recall Leaburn recommended 235/65R16.

I'm pretty sure the guy who put those LSC wheels on his car said he used a die grinder to open up the center registers. I think I'd prefer a bit more precision. I know someone with a lathe in his garage who said he could do it for me.

The wheels itself look pretty nice, but I`d still stick on 15`` parts.

 

[Not Right]

Bought a set of Trailer Wheels for the jalopy. 15" x 5" , 5 on 4 1/2, 1/2" stud hole, 3 1/8" center hole, Brand new, color of my choice, free shipping....$122...never left the couch......wheels fit fine...no interference or undue stress points between wheel face and hub/drum face..., back of lugholes are flush up against the hub/drums. Mounted an antique set of Armstrong W/W tires on them, complete with dry rot cracking....they are holding air and so now I am getting my exercise pushing the jalopy around! winning.....

 

[bajajoaquin]

Me too, which is why I bought myself a set. Eventually they'll wind-up on my Windsor.... If they still make 16" tires in an appropriate size by the time I get around to it. I recall Leaburn recommended 235/65R16.

I'm pretty sure the guy who put those LSC wheels on his car said he used a die grinder to open up the center registers. I think I'd prefer a bit more precision. I know someone with a lathe in his garage who said he could do it for me.

Anyone find regular production 1” whitewalls in a size like that? I’m not taking Coker or Diamondback.

 

[My70monaco]

I put a set of 2006 Taurus wheels on my car in 2009. I liked them because they went well with Monaco's stainless trim. I had to put 2 inch spacers to correct the offset. The tires were p225/45R17. This summer I finally swapped out the p225/45s with p225/65R17 tires which are a closer diameter match to stock p235/75R15s.