Hello,
I'm new here. I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting here first and not some where else. Oh well, sorry if I am.
Any ways. I'm trying to get a Christmas present for my Dad. I'm wanting to get some wheels for his Ford 1993 E-350 Econoline 1 ton. He has been having problems finding wheels that have a large enough center hole. I'm wanting to buy wheels used. But I'm pretty new to all the wheel stuff. Kinda know my way around a vehicle. A little put off by how complicated buying wheels can be though.
So what exactly are the specs I need to know before I buy wheels? I've been seeing this "8 x 170 standard bolt pattern" thrown around on craigslist. Don't know what it means. I'm guessing that the 8 means 8 bolt.
I'm sorry but I'm very new to this.
And do I have to buy wheels for 1993 fords... or will all 16 inch 8 bolt E-350 FORD wheels fit on my Dads van?

Thank you very much!

556 NATO

 

8 X 170 mm means 8 lugs in a circle 170mm in diameter.
That is the bolt pattern for Super Duty truck wheels which will not fit a van.

All the 8 lug vans with single rear wheels (as opposed to 2 wheels on each side) use 8 X 6.5" bolt pattern. So pretty much any 8 lug Ford van wheels will work, and any pre 97 8 lug Ford wheels will work as long as they are not dually wheels which have wrong offset for a single wheel application so they will not fit correctly.
GM & Dodge 8 lugs use a smaller center hole (center bore diameter) so wheels made to fit those trucks will usually not fit onto a Ford axle.
Tire selection for 16.5" wheels isn't as plentiful so you will usually want to stay away from those for street use.

 

Okay. Thanks. That helped. I should be able to do this now. Any pit falls I should know about?

 

Lug nut type maybe an issue if you get aftermarket wheels. The stock wheel uses a conical seat lug nut which is rounded on the end that contacts the wheel and some aftermarket wheels use a flat seat lug nut which is flat where it contacts the wheel. A good tire shop will be able to show you the difference and explain it so it makes sense when you are looking at it.
The lug nut type needs to match the wheel.

If you buy used wheels or tires be sure to inspect them carefully. Sometimes they get replaced because people want a new look and sometimes they get replaced because they hit a curb and dented a wheel. Or one tire may have a knot on it or worn on one side. Some people are not honest and will try to sell you their old useless crap, or 3 good ones and 1 useless one. Buyer beware buying used wheels and especially when buying used tires.

 

Thank you very much. I will keep this ALL in mind. You have really helped clear up the issue.

 

maybe as you become more experienced here you could become 7.62x51 NATO?
Welcome to the forum. Jeff

 

Thanks Jeff. 7.62x51 NATO, lol. I wouldn't exactly say 7.62 NATO is and up grade on 5.56 Nato... just a different caliber for a different job.

 

Just a little thought. Could these wheels fit on the above mentioned van? GM 16' HD Factory Chrome 8 Lug Wheels 2500/3500Like New

 

Those would be great if you have a GM van.

 

Hmmm. I see. Do I have any options for new wheels? Could I buy some wheels brand new that would fit my Dads van?

 

Yes, go to a good tire shop and ask or go to a site such as tirerack.com and select his vehicle & sort to wheels to browse what they have in stock. Some or all of the pictures may show 5 or 6 lugs but when you go to the wheel specific page they will actually say they fit the correct van.

I kinda like these:

 

Wow. Those are beautiful. Would really like to get him a set like that.

Sorry for more questions, but is there any other brand that will fit on this van? Like Dodge for instance? I've heard Ford will fit on Chevy... so will other brands fit on ford?
Thanks so much for all the help.

 

So... where should I buy wheels brand new? Is tirerack.com a reliable place to buy from? Or should I go some where else?

 

Sorry, saw your post above about dodge NOT fitting fords.

 

Yes, Tire Rack is a reputable seller. If you click on the link in my previous post it goes directly to the sort page for your van.
The thing that stops some people from buying tires and wheels online is that you will still need to get the tires mounted onto the wheels at your local tire shop. And most tire shops will charge extra if you didn't buy the stuff from them. Tire Rack offers wheel and tire packages already mounted and balanced that are ready to bolt on and drive when they arrive at your door.

Shop around for the best deal. Walk in and talk to your local tire shop. Make sure they know you aren't going to buy today, but are just shopping to see what is available for your van & check prices. They should have some catalogs that show several different styles of wheels.
There are many places to buy online such as Jeg's, Summitt, ebay, Amazon, Discount Tire, just to name a few. Shop around.