Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

I have an 8" rear and disc brakes front that require a 2 3/4 pilot hole in the wheels. I measure the stock pilot hole to be 2 5/8". Aftermarket wheels seem to center with the lug nuts. Can these original wheels be opened with a die grinder to clear the hubs and rely on the lugs to center them? Are there later Ford wheels with similar backspacing and larger pilot bore? Thanks for any tips. Gene

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

I would NOT remove metal from the center hole.

Most all wheels for medium and full size Fords made in
1968 or 1969 and newer have the 2.75" center hole.








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Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

I had new Granada hub/rotors turned down to fit the wheels. There is plenty of meat on the hub, so that little bit didn't hurt at all.

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

That is what was recommended by racer dave. My rear is an 8", so the axle stub is 2 3/4" also. I haven't found an aftermarket wheel yet with enough backspacing. I'm still looking.

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

You might try these guys. Some years ago they put 55 ford centers in 7" rims for me, 4" backspace to mount a set of 10" cheater slicks. At that time they were also pretty knowledgeable about what centers or rims would let you mount the original hubcaps, or whatever you're using. Still worth a phone call.

http://www.thewheelsmith.net


We've also got a couple local guys who do wheel repair on new fancy wheels when you hit a curb and bend them. The one near me does a lot of dealer work on trade ins. But he can also relocate the center in the rim for the correct backspace. He's all set up to check the run out and do it right.

How much backspace do you need?

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

It is front space that is critical on back of the '55. I measured what I think is a stock rim and the front space is 2 1/2", backspace is 3 1/2". I have wheels on the back now with 3 3/8" frontspace and can just slip my middle finger between the tire and fender. These are 255/60 on 8" rims. They just clear the springs on the backside. On a 6" wheel I think I need about 2 3/4" frontspace, so that would be about 4 1/4" backspace. These measurements are to the outside of the turned out lip on both sides of the rim. Of course, if I can find/use stock size rims it is a no-brainer

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

Isn't that a 10" wide tire? Sounds like an 8/8.5 tire would fit better.

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

I think offset and backspace are measured from the bead surface, not the outer rim. As well as wheel width. You might double check that before you order anything.

Also, if the front suspension is what I think it is, 3 1/2" front backspace is the most you can use and clear the upper ball joint. The picture below is the upper ball joint and a 225/60 15, 3 1/2" backspace. There's a ball joint mod, but it didn't effect this measurement.

Hmmm, won't let me attach the photo.

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

Upper ball joint.

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

It is a 10" tire, on 8" rims, almost brand new. This is what brought this thread on. The PO put them on and I don't like the scrubbing on uneven terrain. I would like to get to a 6" rim and P215 tires.

The instructions I've seen on measuring backspace says to lay a straight edge across the backside of the wheel and measure to the mounting surface. On the wheels I've measured, the lip and bead surfaces (both sides) add about an in to the tire mounting width. This car has 4 1/8" backspacing on 7" rims on the front, but it has 2" dropped spindles. Yes, if I buy or order wheels I'll be certain we are on the same page.

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

wheel measuring image

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

I stand corrected. Been a while since I measured any wheels. It's "offset" only that measures off the rim width.

https://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech...jsp?techid=101

Re: Enlarge wheel pilot hole
 

we all need a refresher at some time