I'm looking for a set (4 or 5) of 5 hole 15" steel wheels for my '66 F100 Camper Special. The truck originally came with 15" split rims with dog dish hubcaps (which it still has). I need to find the same wheel, only non-split, so I can run radial tires. They must have the old style inward-pointing hubcap bumps to hold the dog dish FORD hubcaps.

I've found plenty of later steel wheels, but none with the inward-pointing hubcap bumps/holders. I'm told they quit making this style of wheel in the mid-60's. The truck currently has 7.00X15 (front) and 7.50X15 (rear) bias tires and I want to maintian that size/profile with the new wheels.

Can anyone help? I've been looking for these wheels for years now with no luck. I think early Broncos had such a wheel.

Thanks,

toddd@neb.rr.com

 

If Im not mistake the splits are the only ones with the inner type *****....I am not sure if std 1/2 ton non psplits in 66 had the inner *****.....I am sure others will chime in on this


cs65

 

Just find some wheels off a 48-65 ford half ton. They are 16x5 rims.

 

Wheel Vintiques?

Gennies have the "bumps"

 

These aren't as scarce as it might appear. I believe that all the "base" half-tons used a drop-centre (non-split) wheel such as you need. They are available in 15" or 16" on the same centre.
Eric

 

Innie wheels were only used to about '66, at least on the half tons. The reason he can't use half ton wheels, guys, is he has 8 lug wheels instead of 5.

 

He thinks he wants 5 lug!

 

Yep, the 5x5.5 15" rims were used on F100, at least in 65, and several years before that. The "innie" rims that is. Sometime in 66 the CC trucks got "outie" hubcaps. And then in the 67 and up series, all were outie.

The 48 and later (maybe to 61?) rims do indeed have the correct nubs for the rims, and the 16" rims are intriging BUT -- they are only 4 inch wide rims, designed for very narrow, tall tires. I have a pair that my dad ran studs on -- 200lbs of wheel weights and studs -- who needs 4x4!!!

The later 15" stock rims are 5" -- still pretty narrow, but OK, IMHO. And remember, if you are going to keep manual steering, you must avoid overly wide tires anyhow.

Where to find -- took me two months of junkyarding, but I found em' You'll get some duds too -- there are 4 1/2 wide "innie" rims out there too, and they are hard to tell from the 5" before you take the old tire off. I got a 4 1/2 off an old ranger -- maybe that was what they were on. Who knows.

FYI, the 4, 4 1/2, and 5 inch measurements I am talking about are NOT from the outer edge of the bead. The industry standard measures from the bottom of the bead, where the sits at its deepest point. More tire stuff I've learned along the way.

But I got my rims eventaully. I had 4 from my dad, of which one was cracked, and one was a 68 "outie" that dad welded some faked nubs on -- worked, but ugly. So I needed three, for a full set and spare. Took a while, but they are out there.

I have heard rumors of a company somewhere that does reproduction rims. Maybe the one mentioned above, but I think was a different name. Try a search here.

Finally, a caveat -- the old rims were made for drum brakes. When you do the disk brakes, at least in a twin Ibeam (65 and 66) setup, the disc brake calipers will rub. The later rims have a different profile on the backside, allowing clearance for the calipers. It is possible (though I do not know for sure) that the repro rims will not have this problem. And for 61-64 folks that do different type of disc conversions, I think there is no problem there either (but not certain). The rub is rectified by using a 5/16" spacer which puts the rim out just enought from the hub to stop the rub (poetry, ha!).

Good luck -- want pics of the various rims I mentioned here -- I have them all and can email if desired.

later....

 

Yes, I'd love to see the wheels you found. I've checked junkyards and they all tell me "inny" wheels like this have been long gone for years. Reply to todddatneb.rr.com

 

Got off my backside and finally posted the rudimentary start of my pickup page to the web.

Here's a link to the pics:

http://www.hermannsonline.com/f100/index.htm

If anyone sees errors or has more to add, let me know and I will correct.

later....

 

David,

Where did you find your wheels? In a Kansas junkyard? All the junkyards around here (Nebraska) don't have any vehicles that old.

 

Don't try the big places and don't ask for the rims directly -- you need to find places that will let you go out and find em' yourself. In fact, I ended up literally running around with a handyman jack and wrenches and getting them that way. In general, I have found the front desk to be useless when looking for slick parts. They invariably say that they don't have any, even if they do.

Where are you in Nebraska? I know a couple places that have lots of slicks in northern Kansas that I did not look for rims at (already had em', was lookin' for a hood). Place 3 miles north of Hays had LOTS of slicks. No good hoods, but I bet there were some rims there. Also, a place south of Norton, also lots of slicks. Man, I am blanking on the name of that place, Densmore was town I think, but out in the country. Anyhow, if you are coming south, I will find the name for you, no trouble.

 

Could you email me offline about this (see my address "in code" above)? I'm in south-east Nebraska. Thanks.

 

I asked my mom to go look at some wheels from Ford trucks I knew were still in the barn and this is what she sent.
5 1/2" x 15", 5 hole Ford pattern with 3 5/16" hole marked K23 1590 lbs. 35 PSI
I dont what the K23 indicator is but while growing up I pulled four wheels from my 66 f-100, my brother had a 69 Bronco that he put split rims on, and my dad had trucks from the beginning of time so until late August I won't get to see them. These are in FL and I am in NC so the I-95 corridor will be available if we find a need and a match.

 

Yeah, I'd love to see pics. The big question is... do they have the "innie" hubcap holder/nubs?

Thanks for looking.