18" 5 spokes

I am thinking of running a set of 18" 5 spoke type wheels on my 68
Country Sedan , Torque Thrust style black or grey spokes.
anyway how wide can I go , and back spacing ???

 

What color will your wagon be? Might look nice. I like that wheel style. But I am from when chrome ruled. I also like wheels and tires that fill the wheel opening, not dominate it. Put up some Photoshop photos or give us an idea how they will look.
The final decisions are always yours.
Seems like a lot of members are going with larger wheels and different looks. And the wheel/tire combo can make or break any style vehicle.

 

photo shop

OK heres a side shot.
color will be what it is for a while
only wet sanded and buffed out !
the tires that are on it now are just rollers
the front are off my 58 Coronet
and the rears are the ones that were on the Coronet
when I bought it
front tire size is =235-75r-15
back`s are =215-75r-14
Photo shopper`s have at it !!
also I will be lowering it a bit 2" ??

 

I think those wheels are sweet!!! You should hit up JRScout about the backspace and width.

 

JRScout

Who to what is JRScout ?
is that a member or a company ?

 

JRScout member here on the forum with a 68' Fairlane.

 

I agree on that color wagon with the black wheels.

 

Love the look of the car. The only thing is this: Watch your weight ratings. You are looking at doing a Plus 3 conversion, so you will be down around a 40 series tire, probably about a 235/40/18. You have a heavy car before it is loaded, and if you are carrying the family and gear, you could end up dangerously over the weight rating for tires in that size. Remember, too, static weight is one thing. You must allow for weight transfer both side to side and front to back. In an emergency evasion maneuver you are really loading the front outside tire, and that is the very last time you want to find out that your tire is unable to handle the weight as it will either blow or come off the rim, and either is likely to end up in crumpled sheet metal if you are lucky.

 

Thanks for the warning !!

 

I have 19" billets with 40 series rubber and haven't had an issue, but I also rarely load her up or pull a trailer (more like never). At one point the front tires were 35 series but the car proved to be too heavy for those rubber bands. A pothole just shredded one, switching to 40 series stopped all tire problems in my case.

 

I think those black rims will look great on your wagon!

Are you wanting the same width in front and back, so you can rotate? Or, are you considering staggered? If you want the same size, the front will be the limiting factor on width and widest tire size. I've had several smaller Fords, Fairlanes, Cougar and my intermediate Ford wagons, so I can't say for sure, on your larger Ford. But, I would say an 18x8 (maybe 18x9) would be the widest on the front with maybe a 245-255 width tire. If you wanted to go staggered, you could probably fit a 18x10 with a 295 width tire on the rear. Offset would pretty much be 0, or maybe a little neg offset. So, you won't be able to use newer model Mustang Bullitt rims, unless you use a decent sized spacer. Personally, I would go with a 17" rim, just to add a little more sidewall. Here's a pic of my Cougar on staggered 17s.

 

You won't have much room left for rubber so expect a really crappy ride and bent rims if you go bounding over pot holes.
The tire sidewall is a BIG factor in the ride of these old cars.
16"? sure, 17"? ehhh, 18"? I'd not do it.
Can you borrow a similar set?

 

I can see that many members are following the Sheep. Tires should fill the wheel well opening but not dominate the looks of a vehicle as they are beginning to do.
The Cougar looks perfect

 

One note on weight ratings: Read the tire yourself. Most tire dealers are completely clueless about what a tire is rated to carry, and don't give a tinker's damn, either. I've seen 40 series tires that were overloaded when the car was stationary! Of course, that was a front wheel drive Caddy, and it was the fronts that were the problem. The rears were fine. Don't forget the weight rating on the rims, either. They also have rating for maximum loads. Also, if you are doing a Plus 3, you may need to upgrade both the brakes to allow for the much greater unsprung weight of the rotating assembly, and then the suspension to be able to handle both the increased weight of the wheel/tire combo plus the heavier cast iron brake disc, all of which will have a negative impact on both ride and handling.

 

Brakes don't care if weight is sprung or unsprung, only the suspension, especially dampeners. Wheels this large, except in rare cases, are strictly cosmetic. Any discussion about handling, braking, etc. is academic.