1999 Explorer wheels on my 89 Ranger?

68Mercury250Ranger · Jul 23, 2016

did some searching on this topic but didn't find the info I was looking for.

I purchased a 1989 Ranger supercab and it has the stock 14" rally steel wheels with rings and centres, I have a 5.0 explorer 1999 that I've been scrounging parts off of and the wheels are really clean as well as good tires, so I am liking the idea of putting the 16s on in place of the stock 14s.

are they a direct bolt on or ? ranger has 7.5" rear with drums, Explorer has 8.8 rear with disc brakes.

14s are getting pretty scarce here and 16s are on just about every damn car out there now.

will be doing an 8.8 upgrade and probably 3.73 or 4.10 ratio , from the 3.42 that is in the 7.5 now.

thanks for input in advance. :beer:

JoshT · Jul 23, 2016

Yep they will fit just fine. Here's my 84 back before I totaled it.

It's stock height 2wd still wearing the original 7.5" rear axle.

When I got the truck it had a set of 14" wheels as well. Around 2008 it needed a new set of tires and 14" tires were already disappearing then. Had these stock wheels from my other truck, 16" tires were actually cheaper than the 14" tires at the time to I made the switch. These actually came off a 99 Ranger, but it's the same wheel.

If interested I can check the tire size in the next day or two, still got them around here somewhere.

68Mercury250Ranger · Jul 23, 2016

can you remember what size those 16s were? they look good on the ranger. I like many of the factory wheels Ford used.

I have an aftermarket set of 16s on a 2001 sport trac with really nice smaller rubber I might be able to use. the sport trac is waiting for an engine and I'm in no rush. so wheels aren't a problem on it.

thanks for the pics , hard to know what it will look like but that's an exact version :beer:

JoshT · Jul 23, 2016

Those wheels are the stock 16 x 7 Ranger/Explorer wheel, they both used the same lug pattern and backspacing. A different style of Ranger/Explorer wheel from the same era would fit almost identical.

I want to say the tires are 225/65R16, but it's been almost 8 years since I bought them so I can't swear to it. I'll verify the tire size a little later today. I reinstalled them on the wrecked truck to move it around the yard and its covered with a tarp, don't want to go banging around at 2:30 am. Getting ready to hit the sack, I'll try to post back up around noon.

JoshT · Jul 23, 2016

checked a few minutes ago and the tires are 225/60R16

don4331 · Jul 26, 2016

68Mercury250Ranger:

As you are fellow Canuck, I really shouldn't be worried, but with the times we live in...

Ranger (pretty much all Ford's) is hub-centric. Your '89 has 2.5" hubs, while the '99 Explorer wheels are 2.77" id. Which means lugs will be supporting weight not hub. Now, most of time there is no issue, but you should install hub spacer rings (e.g. little chunk of lightly turned 2½" schedule 40 pipe at each corner).

So, now the legal due diligence is done - if you run without, you can't sue Rangerstation or JoshT.

p.s. If you are looking for parts for the '68, let me know - it would be nice to know some part of mine just didn't rot away.

4x4junkie · Jul 26, 2016

Neither one of my trucks have (or had) hub-centric wheels (nor did the FS Bronco my Dana44 came from). They use acorn or cone-seat style lug nuts, so are lug-centric.

There could be the issue of some later wheels (2001-2011 I believe) not fitting over the 4WD hub of 2000 & earlier models, however I don't believe this is an issue with fitting wheels to 2WD trucks of any year.

68Mercury250Ranger · Jul 27, 2016

don4331 said:
68Mercury250Ranger:

As you are fellow Canuck, I really shouldn't be worried, but with the times we live in...

Ranger (pretty much all Ford's) is hub-centric. Your '89 has 2.5" hubs, while the '99 Explorer wheels are 2.77" id. Which means lugs will be supporting weight not hub. Now, most of time there is no issue, but you should install hub spacer rings (e.g. little chunk of lightly turned 2½" schedule 40 pipe at each corner).

So, now the legal due diligence is done - if you run without, you can't sue Rangerstation or JoshT.

p.s. If you are looking for parts for the '68, let me know - it would be nice to know some part of mine just didn't rot away.

I've been a licenced T/C mechanic since 1992 , and kept my automotive red seal too. not worried on the legal end, never sued anybody and never will. its my life and they are my mistakes if I make them. :icon_thumby:

I actually lost the 68 merc back 3 yrs ago in a massive barn fire along with a lifetime collection of 65-79 Fseries and broncos I had personally brought up from the south, and the west.

I used the name for years online and a lot of people recognize me by it so I decided to keep it . only had it and 1 other one insured, my 72 bronco roadster. was a bad year and I actually moved away 2years ago about an hour away . my friends took a tally of all my losses between NOS and southern parts, classic wheels , trucks and powertrain parts and it went well over 1/4 mil. I only kept a few parts trucks that survived outdoors.
can't afford to rebuild my collection but I still compiled some neat rare stuff since so its all good. I still have memories of all the friends I made in my travels and some pics so I'll chalk it up to being a little bit experienced :beer:

cheers James.

ok back on topic. I think I will use the 235/70/16s and aftermarket alum wheels on the sport trac. I actually had a set of 14" Mazda pickup wheels on my 1985 Mercedes 300 D for a winter and they were not even 5x4.5 but they were close. my dad saved them form a fate worse than death and now has them on his minty 93 aerostar I found for him.

will not hold anybody responsible for wheel spacers :icon_rofl:

sister in law took the burnt pic, and she didn't tell me until later. I hung onto the bronco for almost a year until I finally loaded it up. insurance company actually let me keep the ownership and tags. I had it under insured because wanted it as a daily. this was a very bad day. :sad:

1999 Explorer wheels on my 89 Ranger?

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