17" 5 x 5 1/2 Wheel Rims - Do they exist?

W

waynet

Senior Member
Folks,

I want to increase my rear end ratio, on our '48 Mercury M47 Pickup in the interim, before upgrading to a T5 S10 gearbox. Currently running standard 16" x 5 x 5 1/2 rims with 205/55R/16 tires.

What 17" rims with 5 x 5 1/2 stud pattern would do the job?

Gratitude in advance
 
Wouldn't it be easier to get some decently proportioned 16" tires?
You might find 205 R16, 205/80-16 or 205/75-16 will give you what you want.

It's the 55 aspect ratio of your current tires that's killing your gearing.

Mart.
 
I’ll ditto the above, and add that your 205/55s are about 27” diameter. And they are spec’d for a wider rim. More correctly your 4.5” or 5.0” wheels are spec’d for a 6.50-16”. Probably a 195/85R16” at 29” diameter would be a good solution.

To your specific question, there were no 17” period wheels having the 5 x 5.5” pattern. That brings us to modern wheels. The only one I know of, but will research for a reply to your question over on FTE, is a Dodge wheel that will be wider (7” iirc) than your old wheels. This presents offset/backspacing challenges. But here too you will be looking at modern metric sized tires that are wide and low profile, entirely unlike the OEM spec. Stu
 
The rear axles on a 48 Mercury 1/2 ton pickup are likely the same as the 1948 Ford F1 with a Spicer/Dana model 41. Most S/D 41 rear axles used between 1948 and 1949 had a stock axle ratio of 3.73:1. If the truck was set up for pulling then it could have a 3.92:1 or even a 4.27:1 ratio. I'm not sure if any of the S/D 44 differential carriers and gear sets will fit the S/D 41 but some folks replace the S/D 41 with a S/D 44 just to get better gear ratios. There is a possibility that the higher ratio gear sets will fit a S/D 41 but a person would have to contact someone like Randy's Worldwide to see if the 19-spline S/D44 and S/D 41 are compatible with taller gear sets. The Spicer/Dana 41 has a smaller case than the Spicer/Dana 44 so this makes for compatibility problems between the two.

An overdrive trans would solve the problem but they aren't an easy bolt in set up for an F1.
 
truckdog62563 said:
I’ll ditto the above, and add that your 205/55s are about 27” diameter. And they are spec’d for a wider rim. More correctly your 4.5” or 5.0” wheels are spec’d for a 6.50-16”. Probably a 195/85R16” at 29” diameter would be a good solution.

To your specific question, there were no 17” period wheels having the 5 x 5.5” pattern. That brings us to modern wheels. The only one I know of, but will research for a reply to your question over on FTE, is a Dodge wheel that will be wider (7” iirc) than your old wheels. This presents offset/backspacing challenges. But here too you will be looking at modern metric sized tires that are wide and low profile, entirely unlike the OEM spec. Stu
Click to expand...

Yes I hear what you are saying but for me 6.50-16 don't have as much rubber on the ground for braking and cornering in the wet - that is my main concern.
 
rotorwrench said:
The rear axles on a 48 Mercury 1/2 ton pickup are likely the same as the 1948 Ford F1 with a Spicer/Dana model 41. Most S/D 41 rear axles used between 1948 and 1949 had a stock axle ratio of 3.73:1. If the truck was set up for pulling then it could have a 3.92:1 or even a 4.27:1 ratio. I'm not sure if any of the S/D 44 differential carriers and gear sets will fit the S/D 41 but some folks replace the S/D 41 with a S/D 44 just to get better gear ratios. There is a possibility that the higher ratio gear sets will fit a S/D 41 but a person would have to contact someone like Randy's Worldwide to see if the 19-spline S/D44 and S/D 41 are compatible with taller gear sets. The Spicer/Dana 41 has a smaller case than the Spicer/Dana 44 so this makes for compatibility problems between the two.

An overdrive trans would solve the problem but they aren't an easy bolt in set up for an F1.
Click to expand...

Our Mercury has the Dana 41 with the 3.73 ratio so I think I wont need to increase the rear tire diameter by much to get a temporarily higher ratio.
 
IMO the 3.73 is fine with the T5. I had 3.78 with a .076 5th gear T5 behind a 59AB and 30 " tire. Ran just fine
 
Mart said:
235 85 16s will get you there and put plenty of rubber on the road.
Click to expand...


And depending on the brand they will be darn close to 32" diameter. I am running 215 85 16s. They are what comes from the factory on many one ton duallys. They have the high aspect ratio that looks correct on our old fords and are about 30 1/2" dia. As for me I buy them almost new from the used tire places because the younger guys want big tires on fancy wheels (with spacers). I wouldn't use a 55 aspect ratio for a tire swing. They just look wrong.
 
GB SISSON said:
And depending on the brand they will be darn close to 32" diameter. I am running 215 85 16s. They are what comes from the factory on many one ton duallys. They have the high aspect ratio that looks correct on our old fords and are about 30 1/2" dia. As for me I buy them almost new from the used tire places because the younger guys want big tires on fancy wheels (with spacers). I wouldn't use a 55 aspect ratio for a tire swing. They just look wrong.
Click to expand...
So would your recommendation work on my current 16x4.5" rims?
 
Ok. I have run 235 85 16s on 4" rims. The rims are narrower than recommended but my experience is that these tires with the very tall sidewall are more tolerant of narrower rims.
I am not telling you you should run these tires as you are responsible for judgements that may affect your safety.
But if it were me, I would because I feel I am able to make a judgement based on the intended use of my vehicle.
Mart.
 
And my 215s are on a stock '47 1/2 ton wheel, 4" or 4 1/2", not sure. Currently running tubless with no pressure loss after a year.
 
This is the conundrum I wrestle with, having all the reference materials. What is “approved” by the manufacturers places no limits on what works and on what is commonly done in practice. Even seen in factory OEM applications. For instance, a 235/85 tire is spec’d for a 6” rim. The 235/85R16” is basically the equal of a 7.50-16” bias. But when we look at the 7.50-17” size that was OEM on the tonners, and on my own M-Hs, the stock rims are only 4.33” wide. Stu
 
Wheel Vintiques can make you what you want. Their centers will take the stock Ford hub cap and you can get the 5/5 1/2 bolt pattern.
 
Guy's, so many great points and experiences to consider. If a slightly wider tire doesn't pop off a 4 1/2 wide rim then that would be a good option. Even widening the rim appears to be a great idea also. All heading towards the goal of increasing our ratio at the rear end economically. Please add anymore experiences about this topic.
Thanks.
 
If your 16x 4.5" wheels are is Good Usable condition, then just
buying tires would be your cheapest way to get the rpm down.

A 215-85-16 tire will be approximately 30.5" tall and about 8"
tread width. ( different tire manufactures vary somewhat ).
Check with a tire company in your area and see what they have.
It would be nice to have a 5" wide wheel, but 4.5" wide wheel
should do the job.



.
 
Here's my 215 85r 16s. With stock gearing I have done 65 on the interstate. This speed was from my phone's speedometer app. Ride and handling excellent. (considering what it is) :)
 

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