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I want to purchase some new wheels and tires for my 1978 Ford F100 but I am not sure on wheel bolt pattern. I believe it is a 5x5 1/2 standard. i want to go up to 17 inch wheels with a nice set of tires to give it a an aggressive stance. I don't want the tires to stick out of the wheel wells. if anyone has some pictures of theirs for guidance, I would appreciate it.
Welcome to FTE. You are correct for a 2wd or 4wd F100/F150, they are 5 (lugs) on 5 1/2" or 5.5 lug bolt pattern/wheel bolt pattern.
As far as tires sticking out the wheel wells, or tucked in the wheel, that all depends on your backspacing/off set you order.
"What is Wheel Backspacing?
Backspacing is the simply the distance from the bolt circle mounting surface to the inside of the wheel. If the wheels are zero-offset, the mounting surface is the along the wheel's centerline, which means the backspacing should be 1/2 the width of the wheel.
What is Wheel Offset?
Wheel offset is the distance between the wheel's bolt circle mounting surface and the rim centerline. If the mounting surface sticks out farther than the centerline, the offset is positive. If the centerline is farther outboard than the mounting surface, the offset is negative. An easy way to understand this is to remember that the typical deep-dish wheel has negative offset.
Why are Backspacing and Offset Important?
It is important to consider backspacing and offset when purchasing wheels. If the backspacing is too different from the original design, you may encounter steering problems as a result of the altered geometry. In the same way, if the offset of the new wheel is significantly different than original, the load on the wheel bearings is affected and can cause them to wear out sooner."
I was running 37" tires on a 15"x10" wheel (something like -50 offset) and liked the look. But once 1 tire started having issues with losing air from dry rot, I knew it was time for a new set. After not finding any decently priced new tires in the same size for 15" wheels, I looked for 17's. The tires were less than half the price. Buying new wheels offset some of the savings, but in the long run, I know that finding 37" tires for a 17" wheel will be a lot easier in the future. so I understand and agree with why you'd want to go to a 17" wheel. Here is what my truck looked like with the 15's
I went with pretty much the cheapest 17x8" steel wheel I could find and new 37's. The problem with 17's is they don't have deep offset (unless you get really high end wheels, ex: weld, etc) so I did run with a 2" spacer. If not, I would have run into issues with the tires rubbing on the frame and radius arms when turning. I know not everyone agrees with spacers, but I've run them on my Jeeps for years without issues. Here's what the 17x8" with 2" spacers and new 37" tires looks like.
I stuck w 15x8 steel wheels for a more nostalgic look. I needed 4.5" of backspacing but could only get 4" without custom ordering and a $25 per wheel upcharge. I also like my tires "tucked-in"
I took very careful measurements and then completely disregarded them because of my impatience. My avatar pic is the same combo. You be the judge...
Sorry if the pic is HUGE. I do this stuff on my phone and it's hard to gauge how it'll present on a PC.
Hey, @Twinzilla... those are the amber parking light lenses you sold me. Look pretty cool, huh. Still trying to figure out how to get the rusted-in sheet metal screws out of the upper fender trim to install the "new" piece.
I was running 37" tires on a 15"x10" wheel (something like -50 offset) and liked the look. But once 1 tire started having issues with losing air from dry rot, I knew it was time for a new set. After not finding any decently priced new tires in the same size for 15" wheels, I looked for 17's. The tires were less than half the price. Buying new wheels offset some of the savings, but in the long run, I know that finding 37" tires for a 17" wheel will be a lot easier in the future. so I understand and agree with why you'd want to go to a 17" wheel. Here is what my truck looked like with the 15's
I went with pretty much the cheapest 17x8" steel wheel I could find and new 37's. The problem with 17's is they don't have deep offset (unless you get really high end wheels, ex: weld, etc) so I did run with a 2" spacer. If not, I would have run into issues with the tires rubbing on the frame and radius arms when turning. I know not everyone agrees with spacers, but I've run them on my Jeeps for years without issues. Here's what the 17x8" with 2" spacers and new 37" tires looks like.
The set from the first pic (15x10) were just basic Pro Comp wheels. I believe I ordered them from Quadratec for like $60ish each.
Then the 17x8 I ordered from Summit Racing are Vision series 85 wheels and were about $85ish each
wheel size
