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Hello everyone. I'm new to this forum. The reason I joined is I'm looking to get a 1977 F100 Ranger. I've got one that I'm looking at. As far as I can tell right now all it should need is some cosmetic improvements inside and out. I'm wanting to get it looking as it would have if someone bought it new in 77 and did a couple of things to customize it. So really I'm looking to keep all the mods I do to it to be things that could have be done to it in the 70's and would be period correct. I'm currently looking for a wheel and tire package to use. I'm thinking of some Cragar Soft 8 chrome wheels wrapped in 225/70/15 BF Goodrich Radial TA rubber. Any thoughts? Would those wheels be period correct? Also if anyone has pictures of a similar truck with those wheels or any other period correct aftermarket wheels I would appreciate you posting them to this thread. Thank You
Welcome to FTE, lots of good people here.
Uhh, yeah. I'd lose those wheels.
You have several options on wheels. The original wheels were 15" diameter. Choices in this size are starting to "thin out".
Period correct wheels could be chrome reverse, chrome or painted wagon wheels, Ansen Sprint style aluminum wheels, Cragar S/S but you'll need a spacer on the front wheels to run them.
In '77 Ford offered a white or chrome yellow painted wagon wheel. You could also run the stock "steelies" with the dog dish hub caps.
On my 70 I'm running the stock steel wheel style but wider at 15x7 wearing 225/70 TAs in front and 115x8 with 275/60 TAs in back. If I wanna change the look then I just swap the dog dish hub caps. The wider wheels are Wheel Vintiques Series 62 from Summit... about $80 per wheel... I got'em powdercoated satin black.
These are the two front runners as of today but I'm open to suggestions. I would like to stay away from the dog dish hubcaps as it's not quite the look I'm going for. The Ansen Sprints are running 3rd but closing the gap. My only requirement is that they be a wheel that would have been seen on the street in 77 or 78 (that time frame). I am planning on running 15x8 all the way around. Thanks for the replies. Please keep em coming.
My only requirement is that they be a wheel that would have been seen on the street in 77 or 78 (that time frame). I am planning on running 15x8 all the way around. Thanks for the replies. Please keep em coming.
Ford actually offered two different aluminum wheels on the late 70s F100/150.
The second wheel is p/n D7TZ-1015-A
Right now mine still has the original wheels with the factory hub caps but I picked up a set of ansen slots like the ones on my crew and regulators cab. When these trucks were new, if you had a little bit of extra money to spend on your new truck you would put a set of wagon wheels on it. If you had a bit more jingle in your pocket and you wanted everyone to know it you would buy a set of ansens. Would take a pic but they are in the building and it is finally pouring down the rain. I will get a pic of them later if not tomorrow. For my money ansen slots are the best looking, classiest, clasic wheels you can put on these trucks.
The problem with Soft 8's is they're only 8 holes. Most wheels around that time would have had at least 10 holes.
I'm sort of doing the same thing, 70's look. Growing up in NW Oklahoma, small town, most guys either drove muscle cars or old farm trucks that either way, they'd put mags on, typically Cragar S/S or slot mags. These were usually 2wd trucks so the rear typically had N50-15 or G50-15. Fords usually got slot mags as you have to run a spacer or machine the hub to fit a Cragar (which is what I did, machine hub).
Just got my tires in today, 255/60-15 and 295/60-15 going on Cragar S/S in 15x8 and 15x10.
In case I don't like them, I have a backup plan. in 15x8.5" and 15x10"
Another option for you would be the Hurricane Mags, I had them on my new '82 F-100 4x4 step side back in the day.
The Ansen Sprints have pulled to number one in the race. They seem to be the best looking period correct mag wheels for this truck. And thise are the top requirements for me on these wheels. Please keep up the responses as I appreciate any knowledge or advice that I can get. Any advice on what size rubber would look good on a 77 with 15x8 wheels? I have been looking at 225/70 but am not sure if that size would fill the wells enough. I don't want very large tires but at the same time I don't know if the factory size is the best either.
07-12-2016, 09:36 AM
