who knows about wheels?
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who knows about wheels?
have an '87 ranger and i found a set of wheels out in the yard that i want to use. 15 in. steel white spokes, i think they are right for this year truck, it's what it would have sported back in the day. i can strip em down and refinish em, make em look new. two for the rear are 7 in. wide. two for the front are 5 in. wide. i like the pizza cutters in the front since there's no power steering. the problem is the 5 inchers have trailer stamped into them. i've called four diff. tire & wheel shops and two of them say use em and two say don't use em. all four shops say that trailer wheels are just as strong if not stronger than stock, but yet i have people saying don't use em. i'm confused as hell. the load rating is also stamped into them, it is cap 1820, load 1710. my truck is about as lite as they come w/ the standard cab, 4 cly. 2.3, 5 speed, and i'm not running any road races. i drive pretty conservatively. any advice out there? i want to use these wheels, i have access to good used parts, what i don't have is a boat load of money to buy new wheels.
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From: St. Peter
Here's the problem
Will the rims work?
If the bolt patern is the same, and they fit no problem, then I would say yes.
Is the width of the tire the same?
A skinny tire tends to not want to roll in a strait line. Could cause problems driving on the road
Either way, for liability reasons you should have recieved a "No" from all 4 tire shops. Most likely they dont want to tell you "yes it will work" then have you come back and sue them if your tires fall off.
Even I cant tell you it will work and you will be fine.
I would say that if the bolt pattern is the same, then maybe...
But still, what about backspacing and all of that?
If this rim isnt spaced right it could put alot more load on your ball joints/wheel bearings
Lastly, what about turning? Trailer tires just follow along in a strait line. The rims might not be able to handle the stress of changing the direction of your truck.
Either way, If the rims fit, and you take it easy, i guess it might work...
Will the rims work?
If the bolt patern is the same, and they fit no problem, then I would say yes.
Is the width of the tire the same?
A skinny tire tends to not want to roll in a strait line. Could cause problems driving on the road
Either way, for liability reasons you should have recieved a "No" from all 4 tire shops. Most likely they dont want to tell you "yes it will work" then have you come back and sue them if your tires fall off.
Even I cant tell you it will work and you will be fine.
I would say that if the bolt pattern is the same, then maybe...
But still, what about backspacing and all of that?
If this rim isnt spaced right it could put alot more load on your ball joints/wheel bearings
Lastly, what about turning? Trailer tires just follow along in a strait line. The rims might not be able to handle the stress of changing the direction of your truck.
Either way, If the rims fit, and you take it easy, i guess it might work...
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2007
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yes the bolt pattern is correct at 4 1/4. the offset and/or backspacing is correct. i have had them on the truck, and they look good. same as stock w/the exception of the spokes, and a bit taller because of the 215's replacing the 205's. good point though about vertical load and sideways shear. weight would push sideways on the rim in turns. i guess i'll try em out. with the road i have to use to get off this property (not much more than a cattle path) i should know if they are going to break before i get out on pavement.
