ok guy have had these 01 rims for awhile now but i recently bought a 93 lightning and i had wheel adaptors on my old 81 to make them fit but i read on a post on this site that to make them fit without the adaptors just grind a lil off the rims well i did that and now i cant find a lug nut to fit just right? i have the stock 01 lug nuts but the studs are not big enought what do i do change the studs to a 01 or do they make those lug nuts in differnet sizes with the washer thanks for the help trevor

 

If I remember right, the 99-00 Lightnings used a smaller stud. Try the factory lugs for those years.

 

their actually bigger studs cuz i still have the stock 01 lugs and they will go on just wont tighten

 

The F150 used 1/2-20 studs forever until 97. Then used 12mm studs from 97-00 and 14mm studs from 01 up with the usual transition time that could go either way. 97-up wheels don't fit the earlier trucks. The later trucks use a hubcentric wheel and the early models used lugcentric. I have heard it said that all are hubcentric but the early trucks are also lugcentric, but don't know if that's true or not. Why not just use your adaptors and be done with it?

 

oh so thats why the lug nuts wont fit well ill figure out somethin i cant believe no one has done this before i did a search and someone has its been awhile though and i am lowering my truck 3/4 and with the spacers they stick out about an inch it dont that great

 

#1 08-31-2007, 11:44 AM
lowered96
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99/00 Lightning wheels on a 96

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Im looking to put a set of 99/00 lightning wheels on my 96. Will the factory lightning wheels be a direct bolt on, or do I have to find replica wheels with the correct bolt pattern?

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#2 08-31-2007, 11:45 AM
ss150
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I have been told that they have the same bolt pattern, so it should be no problem.

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#3 08-31-2007, 12:26 PM
EPNCSU2006
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That is not correct. The 97-up F150's used a 5 on 135mm pattern, while the 96-older used a 5 on 5.5" pattern, so the 99/00 lightning wheels will not be a direct swap. A set of replicas with the correct bolt pattern are in order.

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#4 08-31-2007, 02:40 PM
ss150
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Hmm, thats funny. Someone on here a while back told me you could use the same wheels. Do the first gen Lightnings have the same bolt pattern as the second gen? I have seen them on older Lightnings a lot, and I remember someone on here with a Lightning telling me that they work. Idk now...

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#5 08-31-2007, 05:12 PM
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There are a few GEN 1 L owners that had the factory 99+ lightning wheels modified. I believe they just opened the holes up a bit and got the 99+ style lug nuts.

There are a few companies that make replicas and for the older wheel bolt spacing; 5x5.5".

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#6 09-01-2007, 11:09 AM
ss150
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Oh ok, thanks blurry. What's the cheapest place you guys found the replicas with 5x5.5"?

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#7 09-05-2007, 04:47 PM
lowered96
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Yeah, where can I find a set of Replicas. I want to put these wheels on my 96.

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#8 09-05-2007, 05:06 PM
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Dont waste the money on the replicas. You can usually find the factory Gen 2 L wheels for 300-400 bucks. All you need to do is open the holes up a bit so the 5x5.5 pattern fits. Its been done a million times and is much cheaper.

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#9 09-05-2007, 11:32 PM
ss150
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That's actually what I prefer to do, since I have better access to OEM's. How much do you have to widen them, and how do you adjust for the larger holes?

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#10 09-06-2007, 08:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ss150
That's actually what I prefer to do, since I have better access to OEM's. How much do you have to widen them, and how do you adjust for the larger holes?

You dont have to open them up much at all, not enough to worry about the hole being too large. I forgot to mention , you'll need a factory style lug nut. Ford can fix you up with those reasonably

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#11 09-06-2007, 10:56 PM
ss150
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You use the 99+ Lightning lug nuts? If that's the case, that's no biggie. My dad has an '01 Lightning, and my brother has an '03 Lightning, so I'm going to try and buy theirs from them and they can get some new wheels or something.

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i did a search and this is where i found the idea to do this.

 

You'll havr to widen the holes by about 1/8". I don't know where you'll get a lug nut that fits and works properly. You would need a 1/2-20 nut with a shank and washer like the 97-present F-150 uses. Tapered nuts typically don't stay tight hubcentric wheels and the washered nuts may not clear the wheel if you move them out 1/8". Many aftermarket wheel companies make shanked nuts for their wheels that might work. I know Cragar has them for their SS wheels that have slotted stud openings.

 

I was wondering the same thing. Here is my take...

147mm (135 + 2*stud radius) equates to 5.79 inches, stock is 6 (5.5+2*stud radius so the difference in outside bolt circle is .21 inches. One half of that is .1.05 inches (the radius difference) which is the amount the hole has to move to the outside to make the wheel fit over the stock studs.

If you rebore the lug holes 1/8 inch larger (.125 inches half of which is .0625) that will not be enough change to make it work. If you slot the hole 1/8 to the outside (like an old uni-lug pattern) it should work.

If you rebore the lug holes 3/16 inch larger (.1875) you might just make it but the hole is starting to get pretty large for the stud now.

1/4 inch increase in bore will do it (.125 radius change), but now the stud hole is really large. I would see if a machine shop could slot the holes first...it would make the best fit.

Good luck...would love to see it done.

Kenny

 

Just keep the stock 1st generation Lightning wheels. They look better on our body style trucks anyway. Also, if you want a different look, I used to know some one that had 1st gen wheels that were polished. That looked sweet!

 

well finally finished my 01 lightning rims install they look awesome no more wheel adaptors just took a lil grinding and the right lug nuts cant go wrong much better than those ugly 1 gen wheels not a big fan at all. thanks for the help guys ill post pics when it warms up now all i need to do its lower it a little thanks again trevor

 

That's cool! I'm glad it turned out good ant that your happy with it. Do you have any pics? Also, do you have your Gen 1 wheels?

 

ok is it that hard to get them on

the whole bolt thing that was said kinda sounded like a different language

i got a 94 and i want to put a set of them on my truck

do i just need to round it out and put 99 and up lugs on it?

 

It seems to me you are playing with fire by not using an adapter. The hubcentric rims are meant to be centered on the hub not the lugs, hence the term. And without the adapter just grinding and/or drilling on a rim sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

 

been running my 2000 lightning wheels for months now no problems at alll love them it looks so much better worth the lil time i put into ill post pics once i figure out how trevor