Help with wheels needed

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Sep 26, 2021 | 12:04 AM

bushuna

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Help with wheels needed

Hi everyone, I have just signed up as a new member to the forum. I have a 1968 f-250. It is a beater or "rat truck", but I love it. I am fed up with paying big money for mediocre tires to fit the stock 16.5 inch 8 lug rims. I would like to convert to 16" wheels, but need some help with what wheels will fit with the proper lug pattern, offset, etc. I don't really want to go with fancy wheels, but steel wheels similar to the stock ones. Later model used rims or new would work for me. I also would like to get tires that will be close to the same diameter as the stock 9.5 x 16.5 tires so the speedometer will be resonably close without having to change the speedometer drive gear. Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated

Sep 26, 2021 | 02:16 AM

77&79F250

Moderator & parts slinger

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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county

Welcome to FTE, make sure to check your visitor messages. Just click on your user name on the R/H side of the screen and then click on the Visitor Messages tab.

Lug pattern size is 8 on 6 1/2, so that gives you a lot of options as far as steel rim availability. All the way up to a 1996 Ford F250 truck and even newer E250 vans rims. 97 is when Ford went to metric pattern 8 on 177 MM. Not sure what year Ford went to 16's for a standard rim.

Even some older 3/4 Chevy and Dodge rims are 8 on 6 1/2 and even change over to 16's like Ford did.

Tire options sizes close to 9.50's 235-85-16 or 265-75-16

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...s-for-new.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...0r-16-5lt.html
https://tiresize.com/tiresizes/9.5R16.5.htm

Sep 26, 2021 | 01:00 PM

bushuna

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Thanks F250! That helps a lot. If anyone knows of some new rims that will fit correctly, I hope you will post. Checking around at some internet vendors, LMC truck lists some slotted steel wheels specific to my F 250, but they are about twice as expensive as similar wheels at other vendors. The trouble is I don't know if the offset is the same, as some say + .5" offset, or other numbers. Sorry to seem so dumb, but I don't want to buy wheels that rub the fenderwells or hit the hubs/drums wrong so they won't tighten down. I could buy the LMC wheels, but they are way overpriced. LMC doesn't list specifics about the wheels' dimensions. Thanks again for any help.

Sep 26, 2021 | 01:13 PM

77&79F250

Moderator & parts slinger

Joined: Feb 2007

Posts: 50,124

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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county

You should be able to hit up a local rim/tire shop and be able to get some stock steel 8 on 6 1/2 (lug pattern) Ford "take offs" fairly cheap. Like stated Dodge has a 3/4 ton pattern and chebby also, just check the center hub to be big enough.

Otherwise hit up a JY/pick n pull and ask about stock steel 3/4 ton, 8 on 6 1/2 Ford rims (16's) that came off up to 96 on trucks and into the 2000 ish on E250 vans.

And or check out your local Craigslist under Auto Part's or the Auto Wheels and Tires section. Where in Missouri are you located?

https://springfield.craigslist.org/w...371555477.html

Sep 26, 2021 | 02:03 PM

bushuna

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Thanks again F 250. I feel really foolish now. I didn't catch on to your first reply well. Now I can see that the 8 lug wheel rims from a Ford up to the mid 1990's will fit without any clearance issues. I can just order wheels that will fit,say, a 1995 F 250 and they will work. Is that right? That makes it so easy for me. I am 70 years old and recovering from a heart attack. When I was younger and had more strength and energy, I would have gladly picked over a boneyard for wheels and had them sandblasted and then painted with POR-15 and a topcoat just foir the fun of it. I would still do that if necessary, but now, it is better for me just to buy new wheels and have some tires mounted and balanced. Your help is truly appreciated. I can now get back to my truck project with the wheel and tire questions solved. I am in the suburbs of St. Louis

Last edited by bushuna; Sep 26, 2021 at 02:09 PM. Reason: left out reply to F 250's question

Sep 26, 2021 | 02:10 PM

77&79F250

Moderator & parts slinger

Joined: Feb 2007

Posts: 50,124

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From: S/W Missouri, Polk county

Well sorry to hear about the heart attack, at least you are recovering, so hang in there. Most JY now days (have their inventory online) and you can call and ask about parts. The Pick N pull in Springfield has racks of "take offs" rims and tires. Again where are you located in Missouri, I might be your neighbor? And I might have some spare stock steel Ford rims setting around.

https://www.picknpull.com/locations/153/springfield-mo

Index - Buddy's Upull Self Serve Auto Parts

Sep 26, 2021 | 02:17 PM

bushuna

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Sorry I didn't tell you my location. I am not really very close to you, as I am in the suburbs of St. Louis. Thanks for the offer about the wheels. Would ordering new wheels for a 1995 F 250 work?

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Sep 26, 2021 | 06:14 PM

bushuna

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F 250, your help has been amazing. I will check out my options over the next few days, equipped with vastly improved knowledge thanks to you.

Sep 26, 2021 | 10:05 PM

#10

77&79F250

Moderator & parts slinger

Joined: Feb 2007

Posts: 50,124

Likes: 5,773

From: S/W Missouri, Polk county

Well that is what FTE is all about, helping Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Again check out the Missouri chapter forum list here.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/forum104/

And check out out monthly chat and BS thread, this is where some of us hang out daily.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l-welcome.html

At the end of every month, a new thread starts. I will post a live link to it on the last post of the day.

I can not believe that some of the 1967 - 1972 F-100 & Larger F-Series Trucks forum folks have not chimed in and had some advice. I normally do not frequent this forum, I am a 73-79 kinda Ford truck guy. But I am willing to go the distance to help out a fellow Missourian.

Sep 27, 2021 | 11:33 AM

#11

bushuna

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Joined: Sep 2021

Posts: 35

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MI-ZOO-RAH! Go Tigers!

Sep 27, 2021 | 05:34 PM

#12

1browski

Cargo Master

Joined: Dec 2015

Posts: 2,251

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I found one more wheel for my 72 highboy short while back at the junkyard. It was a mid 80 f250 that the rear wheels matched each other. The front two didnt match anything but one matched mine at home. $20 for the wheel and now I have three for the truck. Not sure how much of a difference it makes but I had found a full set on a van but they were 16x7s. Good luck on finding some wheels.