1973 f250 aftermarket tires and wheels??

[DansBBF250]

hello, first i would like to introduce myselft, my Name is Dan and im a new proud owner of a 1973 ford F250 camper special. it has a Big block 390, stock carb, C6 Trans, nothing real special yet ;-) my question is does anybody know what size rims will fit on a 1973 F250? and if i could fit a set of rims off of a newer super duty? the current wheel and tire i have is the stock 31X10.5X16.5 and the biggist issue is they stoped making tires in this size and one of my rear tires is on its last leg.. PLEASE let me know if you have any info thanks!

[nkapphahn]

Hi Dan,
Your trucks bolt pattern should be 8-6.5. Superduties were switched to metric 8-170, so they will not fit. You do have the option of finding wheels off newer Dodges and Chevy's with 8 lugs 3/4 - 1 ton.

[DansBBF250]

Ok, so what size rim and tire would I want from one of them??

[nkapphahn]

16" would be minimum to fit over the brake calibers. I had a 71 3/4 ton that had drum brakes all around and I was able to fit 15x10 steel wheels with a -25mm offset.

As far as width, with a 10.5" wide tire you should consider going with a 8"-10" wide wheel.

[Redneckryder]

ok...not to hijack...but what year did the bolt pattern change?

[nkapphahn]

1997 was the last year with 8-6.5.

[Redneckryder]

And those are the ones that fit the dentsides....right? so 98 and up wont fit?? thanx for the info

[ChaseTruck754]

yup - 98+ won't fit without a re-drill or adapters. It's been covered over and over again. A search will bring up LOTS of threads on this...

[Redneckryder]

I actually tried a search....didn't work so hot for me. I figured it had been covered...

[DansBBF250]

Thanks for all the great info!
Well i lucked out! About 2 days ago, I went out in search for a tire to replace the worn rear tire.. I searched and searched with very little luck, and I came across a guy giving away some tires that were sitting out in front of his yard so I knocked on his door to confirm that they where free and he said "I have a whole bunch of other tires in my back yard but you will have to dig them out of the bushes, help your self to them" so I went back there and did some serious digging, and sure enough there it was! A matching tire! It was the correct size and everything! The tread is a little different, but the tire is pretty much brand new! And I couldn't beat te price of free! :-) so, this will help me get by untill I can buy some 16" rims and tires!

[Damstr8]

A very smart man said this once in a tread about 15" rims on a F250.

Originally Posted by 75F350

Its all about the backspacing. You will require a set of wheels with 3 3/8" backspacing or less. Many companies offer 3" as well as 2.75" backspacing.
Failure to find the right wheel with the correct backspacing will result in clearance issues.


Here is a 42" tire on an 8 lug 15" wheel:




Its the right way to do this. You do not want to waste money on spacers. This can be a problem, and after the cost of the spacers are realized, you will have more than the total cost of the correct wheel.


*Note* this is for steel wheels. Aluminum wheels are to thick at the bead for this measurement, and will require more backspacing which is not all that common, and may be too much for the bearings.

[fellro86]

Most 8bolt wheels up to the mentioned 97 trucks will fit. GM used a smaller center hole, but all the aftermarket wheels were the same. 88 and Newer chev's have a negative offset factory. Dodge wheels are a straight trade, not sure when they changed their pattern, if they have.