I did a quick search & couldn't find anything, so here goes. IF I want to go to 15 x 8 rear wheels on my 2002 E-150, what kind of backspacing, etc. am I looking at to get them to clear? Thinking either 245-65 or 255-60 tires. Used conversion van, no clue what's on it now. Just noticed a chunk (small) outta one of my tires the other day & steel cords visible. Was gonna try to do this in the summer. Looks like it's not gonna wait now. That little spot where it's cracked is where the cords are showing, that's what the light spot is in the middle of the crack.

 

OEM alloy wheels were 15x7 and I think the offset is right around 0. There is a little more room in the rear than in the front if you go with a little more positive offset.

The "regular" upsize tire for half ton vans for the last 35 years has been a 255/70x15" which is the same 29" diameter as the stock 235/75x15's. Both tire sizes you mention will give you a shorter tire which IMO looks like a pumpkin on a roller skate and will mess up speedo readings.

If you *really* get the wheel spacing "just right" you might get a 275/60x15" on the rear but I'd have the dealer test mount them. (This was the next logical upsize for vans for people who wanted to go wider while keeping around the same 29" height.) I drove big vans for 30 years from 1986 to 2016 and the 255/70x15" was the best compromise tire if you want a meatier look, but you'll lose about 1 mpg over the stock 235/75x15.

Alternatively, a 30x9.5x15 will fit--these are about 29.5" tall and a similar width. I've had these on my '02 E150. If you have aftermarket running boards that impinge on tire clearance, that might change things for you.

Go to tirerack.com and see what wheel alternatives are available for your van. In the old days, Ford pickup wheels would fit, but they went metric on the pickups in 1997, I think, so there is no interchange.

Good luck,
George

 

Thanks George! I'm from 'back in the old days' so I'm lost on this 'sillymeter' size stuff! Tried to look it up the other day, THOUGHT that was what they listed as equivalent sizes. Back in 'the good old days, you went up a letter if you went up in width (F-70 = G-60, E-70 = F-60, D-70 = E-60, etc.).

 

Been there with the letter series....my '78 Ford F100 (bought it new) had the optional H78x15 bias belted tires on it and I upsized to 15x7 Keystone mag wheels and L70x15 BFG T/A's which were the equivalent of the 255/70x15's that I've used on vans for many years since.

I had muscle cars in the late 60's and early 70's and the tires they used to put on high horsepower cars were really crummy. Notice you have a couple old AMC's....I had two 2-seat 390 AMX's back in those days, a '69 with an auto trans and a '70 with a 4 speed and the GO package...

And around 1976 I drove a Gremlin with a 3 speed on the floor and a 232 inch six for a couple years and HATED the seats in that car with my bad back.

George

 

Right now I just have the one AMC. My Gremlin I had about '74 or '75 was a purple '72 "X" with a 304 & 3 on the floor. Sold it when I got orders for Germany (big mistake). Had a couple other Eagles when they came out, an '81 & traded it for an '82. The '86 here got rear-ended parked at a friend's house. The NEXT one, well, I'll give you ONE pic. that pretty much says it all! This one, I knew the kid (okay, he's in his 30s, I guess not really a 'kid') & knew he took care of it.

 

The Eagle wagons were way ahead of their time....grandfather to the successful Subaru Outback (and now Audi and Volvo are building AWD wagons). In Detroit, everything from that era is rotted away.

Take care,
George