Ford rim offset info, now with pictures.

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp
10 Year Member
Sep 1, 2010
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Kearney, NE
Is there a place I can find info on stock, 5 bolt Ford rims with different backspacing?

I have a 75? Ford pick up box trailer. It has an 8” axle (probably off a car) installed upside down, under the springs. The vent was capped when I got it. I installed a vent on the top of the axle looked up shocks that would fit, and welded on shock brackets to the 8” rear end.
The problem is, when I replaced the 14” tires, I replaced the skinny car tires with 205’s with a four ply rating. There is a little bit of rubbing on the frame rails from the tires. It takes a pretty good load, but it does rub. A 1/2” spacer would do, but I’d rather just get different rims than get longer lugs and worry about load rating with a spacer.
Did Ford keep their offset standard, or is there some application I should be searching for? I can pop a hubcap and measure the pattern and center hole when the heat is not so ugly if that will help. As high as the trailer sits, I would prefer not to step up to 15” rims and new tires.
Thanks!
 
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I have 14” steel rims now with Buick hubcaps. Cheap, 14” steel rims are what I’d prefer. If I got aluminum rims got the trailer, I’d have to rattle can it with tractor enamel. The neighbors might like that, but I have other things to do.
Picture this in blue.
 

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So here are pictures of my ugly box trailer. I hope the pics help. The 8” car axle looks narrower than what the truck bed should take. This pic shows there is more than a hand span between the tire and fender lip. The axle is centered.
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These shots show where the 14” 205’s are sometimes rubbing on the inside of the wheel wells
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The narrower 195’s it came with did not rub, but the tire shop talked me into getting higher load rated trailer tires.
The pic st the end shows the spray bomb blue paint that is coming off, and the classy Buick hubcaps.

So back to my questions
1. Did Ford make different back space rims in the 5 bolt pattern of the era?
2. If they did, what vehicle used the least back set so I can junk yard shop, Flea Bay etc.?
The trailer pulls great, but I am not going to spend a lot on an old, beat up yard waste trailer. I already welded on shock brackets and added a vent tube to the now top of the axle. The PO was the one who capped off the upside down vent tube in a red neck manner.
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I can pull a wheel or the spare and measure backspace, center hole size, and double check that the bolt pattern is 5x4.5”. But web searches are finding axle width, and nothing helpful about rim offset or back spacing for older Ford cars or trucks.
This site has almost enough info to be helpful. Describing offset with H M L is not helpful. And using metric for bolt pattern is inconvenient.
 
The values for the H M L for offset is listed at the bottom. Looks like you want L offset.

If you want to stick to 14", you are pretty much limited to 60's cars (with 14s).
 
The values for the H M L for offset is listed at the bottom. Looks like you want L offset.

If you want to stick to 14", you are pretty much limited to 60's cars (with 14s).
The FWD wheels are listed as H, so that makes sense. But actual backspace would be easier to use, and more accurate. With music charts for some of the diagrams, I do not how reliable the info is. I could step up to 15” (and the step up is already plenty high) when the tires need changed due to age or the edges are too worn, but it should not be this hard to find the info.
 
From the article you linked...


H = High Positive or FWD (Front Wheel Drive) typically +45,40,35 offsets

M = Medium Offset or RWD (Rear Wheel Drive) Typically +20 offset

L = Low Offset or RWD (Rear Wheel Drive) Typically 0 offset


Offsets are listed right there.