Howdy again

After some recent brake work at a local shop, my Bronco started making a funny sound... I posted a thread about this a few days ago. Well, as it turns out, one of the rear wheels was damned near coming off. How I missed this for about 30 miles, I have no idea... anyway, I caught it and promptly tried to figure out who to blame. The last person to touch those wheel lugs (to my knowledge) was the local shop. After speaking with the manager, he agreed to replace my now ruined wheel and help me punch out the two broken wheel studs so that I could replace them.

They're still looking for a viable OEM replacement, but I'm starting to ponder other options. A remanufactured OEM Bronco wheel runs close to $200 plus shipping from just about every place I've looked. For about the same price, there are several options for replacing all 4 wheels with black powder-coated seel wheels. I'm considering offering to split the cost of the new wheels with the shop (they really only owe me a used wheel, not a refurb) and just putting new black wheels on. The OEM wheels are really starting to show their age anyway.

This is where I'd like the advice of my fellow FTEs. My truck is black/tan EB so I think black steel wheels would look great. I run 33x12.50 BFG AT/KOs which have less than 6k miles on them, so I'll be remounting the same tires. I already know that the lug pattern is 5x5.5", but I'm not sure on backspacing. The sets that I have found for this price are listed as having 3.75"-4" backspacing, but isn't that going to look funny (and/or not fit right) on a stock-height Bronco? I do have plans for a 4" lift this summer, and as I understand it, 3.75"-4" backspacing is correct for a 4" suspension lift. Will I have problems or look funny until I get the lift? Also, does "backspacing" mean 4" more than OEM, or is that a total measurement? Could it be that the OEM wheels are something like 3.5" already? Will going with 15x8 or 15x10 wheels make a difference in fitment (i know that the tires will fit up to a 15x10) vs. the OEM 15x7.5? Please forgive my ignorance

If anyone can offer opinions/advice on this subject please feel free to call me an idiot as necessary . Also, please feel free to comment on the way black steel wheels will look on a '93 black/tan EB truck. My ultimate idea for the truck is to have black diamond-plate bumpers (grille guard on the front) to match. Then the only chrome would be mirrors, door handles, and the windshield surround. I might even replace the mirrors with the plain black kind just to complete the chrome-less look. On the other hand, chrome lug nuts and center caps might look good with the other spots of chrome... but i digress. Somebody please set me straight on this backspacing issue. Thanks!

-JD

 

I'd go with the black powder coated spokers. They would look great on your Bronco and it would be a short walk in the woods to get there @ a price of about $69.00 per wheel. Put the remaining wheels (good ones) on ebay and recoup your exposure as I am sure you'll sell as individuals with three. Most people only sell sets of 4. No one is going to call you an idiot on back spacing, period. A friend with a Dodge 2500 4wd got a "deal" on some 305's and wheels with the completely wrong back set. He just paid a $1,900.00 bill to completely rebuild his front end. Have the wheel vendor (Black PC's) fit the new wheels/tires per correct specs as they are readily available from multiple sources locally in most areas. You can have a win-win situation with this. Good luck.

 

I don't know where in Texas you are, but I live in Spring just north of Houston and I just took a set of 15X10 black spoke wheels off of my 84 Bronco. I would sell them for $125.00 if you are not too far away.
D

 

Dcotton, That's a heck of a deal. What kind of shape are they in?

 

dcotton, that is a great deal... but for less than $200 I can get brand new ones. Besides, the shop is paying for it, so I'm gonna get the nicest ones they'll pay for

tex94: The only response I can get out of the vendors is that these wheels will fit my truck. I already knew that... anything 5x5.5 will "fit" it's a matter of "how" they fit . You'd think that they would want to go into more information given that it is a potential sale, but that's all I got. The wheels I'm looking at are brand-new Cragar 15x8 black PC with chome caps for about $200 shipped. The specs say that they have 4" backspacing... and I still do not know how that will affect the fitment. I'm curious, what happened to the front-end on your friend's truck? I've been told that you need to increase backspacing when you install a lift kit, but AFAIK, the geometry doesn't change... so wouldn't it cause a problem just like on your friend's truck? I'm still confused

-JD

 

I'd think Cragar would provide some information on-line. The offset was a positive offset on Bryan's Dodge, causing the tire to hub geometry to be off by over 2.5". While the wheels lined up on the machine, the extra stress of the 305's sitting so far out from the hub caused wear on the kingpins like you'd not believe. You could take the bottom of the wheel when jacked up and move it in and out very easily. Probably due to the fact that Bryan actually uses the trcuk off road, and aggressively. Try Cragar on line and see what you get.

 

I finally have a handle on how backspacing works. For those who have been wondering, backspacing is the distance between the mounting point of the wheel and the inside of the wheel. The aluminum OEM wheels on my truck are 15x7.5 w/ 3.75" backspacing. This puts the mounting point exactly midway. I'll be going to a 15x8" wheel with a 3.75" backspacing. this means that the wheel will stick out 1/2" farther than stock. That's acceptible

 

Not to hi-jack the thread .... but what would the acceptable backspacing be on 15X10 steel rims on a bronco with a stock steering application? Would it be midway too? or would you want to keep it backspaced the same as on the 15x8's (4")?

Don

 

I like the aluminum Alcoa-looking ones, and those are relatively inexpensive. I like chrome too. I like shiny stuff. Mmmm mmmm shiny stuff! See my Harley. Lotsa chrome, but still not enough. I'm getting the fuel tank and fenders chromed this month. Chrome don't get ya home, but it will get ya laid!

I have never seen a Bronco with chrome Cragar SS-type wheels. Old school type. Those would look sweet on my black and grey Bronco. Maybe I will get those and be the only one around.

 

djjoshuad,
Sorry I didn't get more explanatory with positive and negative backspacing. Positive backspacing is an addition to the original backspace that positions the centerline of the wheel in an outerward position to stock (or centerline) backspace. As I was trying (apparently poorly) to explain, the positive backspace on Bryan's wheels positioned the centerline inwards by 2 1/2" which was totally unacceptable, see results. Negative backspace would move the inner plane of the wheel tire inward and cause interference with the radius arms and other components at some point. As you posted, I don't think 1/2" is going to be an issue, in fact it will position the wheel to appear to fill the well more fully. Hope they stand up to their part of the bargain. Post some pictures when you get them on.

 

right on. will do. I'm going to have to order them from eBay, and I'm still looking for the right caps, but I should have them installed sometime next week. I'll post pics once I get that done

 

I have the original spare wheel and tire, Firestone P235 75 R15.
It's never been on the ground. You can email me if interested.

 

OK, can somebody explain to me, easily and in plain English, the answer to the following:

I would like to put some rims on my stock Bronco that has 31"X10.50"X15" tires. I have seen some with that size tire, and no lift, and it looks good because the wheels stick out further than stock and give the truck a nice look and stance.

They don't stick out real far, like low riders; also I would not want them to stick out so far as to cause any stress on the front end or other mechanical problems. But I would like to achieve "that look" if you know what I mean. It just looks tough, compared to stock.

Back in the day, we used to get deep-dish "reverse" rims on our hot rod cars. Those looked good. I don't have a clue about that actual geometry they were, or if reverse is even a real word to describe rims.

In essence - I want a rim that has the "deep dish" look to it and will make the tires stick out just enough to get that tough look on my stock-suspension and body truck. What should I be looking for, as far as the amount of offset and what the "dish" is called?

Thanks!

 

I got the Cragar 397 Soft Eights with 4 inches of backspacing, in the 15X10 size with a 33X12.5X15 BFG AT mounted on them. They look killer and the combo sticks out about 1.5 inches from the edge of the wheel well. My truck is a 93 with stock suspension and I did have to trim the rear edge of the front bumper slightly with the sawzall.

 

I tried to see a pic of your truck to see of that is what I am looking for, but I could not view the pic, as it came up as a broken link.

I don't want to trim my fenders, my truck is very clean and free of dents and rust. Right now, the tires rub just a bit on the inside when turning full lock, so I probably have a little bit to play with going the other direction.

I just re-read your post and saw that you had 33' and not 31's. So I should be fine with my 31's. I plan to always run 31's on the truck unless I lift it. Even if I lift it, I'd still only go as big as 33's with a 4" suspension only lift. I want to keep most of the integrity of the suspension without having to change a bunch of parts; also, I hate body lifts unless the vehicle is running huge tires and is mainly an off-road rig. I value a smooth highway ride, and although tires 35" and up can ride smoothly, they start getting much harder to balance and most have at least some vibration. I do a lot of highway miles and right now, with my 31" Goodyears, the truck is vibration-free and smooth as silk, or at least as smooth as a Bronco will get!

Some tire shops will not even warranty a balance on tires 35" and up.