Wheels and tires help! ??

[Binky]

I don't want to thread hijack here, but I was just about to post a very similar question about wheels.
What is the opinion about using adapters ($125-ish for a set) for the newer wheels? I see lots of take-off 17" 8x170 wheels (Ford or Chevy) w/ good tires on CL. Priced from $250 to $500. I was thinking of finding a set I liked and then buying the adapter to match.

I like the idea of swapping out the front hubs to the new bolt pattern, but then using spacers on the back...

 

[grampswrx]

Adapters are a good idea if you are wanting to run spacers anyway. Just remember that they give an additional failure point. Also, you want to make sure that you have the same bolt pattern front to rear. Also, remember that manufacturers typically use low offset wheels mounted relatively far inboard in order to maximize gas mileage and minimize wear on bearing etc. So if you run spacers AND a higher offset wheel, you are going to be stressing those parts doubly instead of running spacers OR higher offset wheels.

 

[shenrie]

I like the idea of swapping out the front hubs to the new bolt pattern, but then using spacers on the back...

I was told that it's likely not an issue with a full floater axle, but that it wasn't the best idea with a semi float setup.

 

[Rune]

Sorry guys, van's been at my fabricators place getting body work done. Will post up photos soon....

 

[Rune]

It's not a Quigley btw. It's a leaf sprung conversion that I believe was done by Advanced.

http://advanced4x4vans.com

 

[Rune]

Here's a link for photos. Can't upload, too big maybe.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/GwYLQEkzpeJXvrgr9

 

[Rune]

Bump for identification help. Need to get rims and spacers ordered asap

 

[bbbthreat]

It looks like it is an 8x6.5" (165.1mm) bolt pattern with 0mm offset wheels, with 16"x7" steel wheels. That is what was sold from the factory. I am sure Advanced never changed the bolt pattern.

Do you know when the conversion was done? Assuming they used a similar year vehicle for the front axle. You can always check the I'd tag on the front axle to help identify it as far as possible model year. Have you tried measuring you bolt pattern? 8 lugs are easy. Measure from center of the lug to the lug directly across from it.

As far as the rear axle is concerned, is it a full float or semi-float? It is not recommended to do a semi-float with spacers, but it really depends on what your plan is for your build. If you are leaving it as a passenger or light duty, I wouldn't worry. But if you are going full sportsmobile build out with the intent of hauling as well, then I would not do it.

If you are going to get new wheels, it will depend on what width you want, but I would do something with a negative offset, but not to far off from the original factory offset of 0mm.

 

[Rune]

Rear

 

[Rune]

Rear axle

 

[Rune]

Front axle

 

[UHAULER]

I would get some 16x8 wheels and 285/75/16 tires. Those are old axles , should be 8 on 6.5 bolt pattern. It looks like your front axle has about 1/4" space between the crossmember and has been hitting so you will need to lift the front at least a couple of inches.
Here is a pic of my old van, it's 2wd lifted 2 " fenders trimmed with 16x8 wheels and 285/75/16 tires just to give you an idea on looks and proportion.

 

[bbbthreat]

Above post is sound advice. Looks like you will have to do some trimming to fit even 33" tires. I had the same issue with my 06 Quigley. But you are in luck to have a full floater rear end. Get yourself some rear spacers if you want the stance of your vehicle to be the same from front to back.

 

[Rune]

I measured axle width as best I could and it looks like the rear axle is about 1" narrower than the front. Thinking about 1" spacers for the front and 1.5" for the rear. Does that sound right to get the axle widths even and give me the stance I want to match off-road fender flares?

Also can someone confirm that this is the same front and rear axle that are on the '96 F350? I need to know what vehicle to sellect for Tire Rack and getting the right spacers.

Also thinking about getting 17" rims instead of the stock 16". Thoughts? Can I do a break upgrade with the larger wheels?

 

[bbbthreat]

When measuring your width did you go from hub face to hub face? E-350's are know to have narrower rear ends than the stock fronts from the factory. Companies like www.wheeladapter.com make spacers specifically for the rear of your van. The spacers are usually 1.5-2" per side to get the stance to equal the front. If you were to put a 1" spacer on the front, I would do 2" on the rear. Be careful trimming those wheel studs on the front if using a 1" wheel spacer.

17" wheels will allow for bigger brakes in the future. Are you going steel or aluminum for wheels? Steel is cheaper and if you are wheeling hard, you can bend the wheels back if you were to bend a rim. Aluminum won't rust, and less likely to bend; but if it does bend, your wheel is toast.

Have settled on a wide tire or narrower? You can get a tall tire (33") like the Cooper ST Maxx on a LT255/80R17 load range E, will work well in bad terrain and probably less likely to rub when cranking your wheels in turns. Or the more readily available LT285/70R17 or LT285/75R17 which will give you a wider footprint, but will most likely rub.

Are you going to try lifting your front and/or rear a little bit? Check your BOM ID tag on your front axle. https://www.crawlpedia.com/dana_60_bom.htm
This should help get you an idea of what year vehicle your front axle came off of. If you have a build sheet from the previous owner, it would help. More than likely they used a similar year front axle, Advanced 4x4 is known to have used a variety of axles from different sources and have heard bad things about getting details. Given that it has leaf springs in the front, a 96 F-250/350 lift should work just fine. An add-a-leaf or blocks could get you 1-2" in front pretty easy and help clear your new tires.