Ok.  Total noob question (or in my case a lazy question).  What is the factory wheel bolt pattern on a 56 ford (mine is a Customline)?  I assume from some other posts that it is 5 on 4.5" circlt.

My car is in storage not near my house, so I can't go measure any time soon with extra effort so it is easier to confirm with all of you.  I need tires for my 56 before I can get it on the road...and sometimes while looking on craigslist I find tires mounted on late model wheels and I have fun imagining different style wheels on my car....but without knowing the bolt pattern (or backspacing etc) I can't take any of my day dreams too seriously.

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

bump...37 views and no replies?  I'm getting scared I might have violated a secret forum code of conduct by asking too stupid of a question   I hear people talking about explorer rear axles swaps and that the explorer bolt pattern is 5 on 4.5" circle...so I'm assuming that matches the factory bolt pattern from our old fords...but thought I'd double check.

I understand if I should be forced to go measure my own car...I will eventually do that but it is cold and sloppy up here in Wisco and the storage garage is unheated so I don't really have a desire to go start work on the car quite yet, and I'm too lazy to drive out there just to measure the wheel bolt pattern.

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

sorry for the lag -we get tied up in our own interests and go skimming right through.......

My '56 bird has 5 studs on a 4.5 pattern - so does your sedan. The front suspension parts are identical to the sedan and often - the closest point of contact turns out to be the upper ball joint on the front a-arm. Next time you are near the rascal - take home the spare (assuming it has all the same rims/tires). By having the size and shape of what you already know works - you can often project what other combinations will clear on the inside as well.

My t-bird wheels (OEM) had their mounting face offset 1/2 inch to outboard from the centerline of the tire and rim. This moved the inside sidewall inward a half inch toward the upper ball joint. So it follows that using a rim with a centered mount would allow more room for a wider rim/tire combination - so long as you clear the sheet metal on the outside. Turns out that room is available - its not quite the close clearance of the inboard side.  

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Thanks Greenbird!  I actually got out there today, I have four of the OEM wheels (not sure about the spare can't remember and didn't pop the trunk today).

The car is up on jack stands, so I brought all for wheels home along with the dryrotted bias-ply tires that are mounted on them.  I was about to stop by walmart and just get four new tires mounted on the original wheels, but boy a cool set of chrome rims would look neat on the patinaed green and rust old car...a cool rat-rod look.  I keep thinking I might find some wheels on craigslist that would work that would come with useable tires already mounted.  But worries about backspacing and rim width and all that are making me think the most straightforward route would be to just use the OEM wheels, plus I have all four OEM hub caps which seems cool.

Is there a common late-model OEM wheel/tire combo that are straight bolt-ons for these old fords?

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

Nate, ford used the 5 x 4 1/2 pattern for many years. You will find it on alot of fords, rangers, explorers , crown vics, granadas, t-birds. Just make sure you have clearance on everything before buying. I have explorer wheels on my 58, the tire was to close to the upper a-arm untill I went to torino spindles/disc brakes.





thanks, Mark

Nate...........I recently put a set of wheels on my 56 from an 88 Crown Vic.They are an inch wider than the originals,which is no problem if you stay with 205 tires.wider tires will get into the ball joint.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

Cool, Thanks PW, I had an 84 grand marquis in highschool...it had these cool turbine cast wheels I'd love to have those back!

Well it sounds like the 225/70s mounted on 15 x 7 ford wheels I found  are too wide then.  What if there was less back spacing so it pushed the whole tire out away from the ball joint?  Do you start running into the fender with the outside of the wheel?

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

Can anyone confirm the stock backspacing on the OEM wheels from 1956 on the customline?  I tried my best to measure last night with a tire still mounted to the rim, and it seem to be about 4.5" from the inside rim edge to the inside of the mounting surface.

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

Nate,

Those turbine wheels should fit. I am running 16" x 7" rims (2000 Ford Explorer) on my 56. They have a 4.5" rear back spacing. However, if you are running stock drum brakes up front, you will have to use 1/4" wheel spacers (longer studs) to clear the upper ball joint. I did this for years with no fender rub and 215 /60/R16's up front, 225 /60 /R16's back.

When I changed to Granad front disc, I was able to loose the 1/4" space. Thanks.

I love the smell of burning rubber in the morning!