2005 SportTrac TIRE SIZE QUESTIONS & INFORMATION

[NICKYMUM]

2005 Ford Sport Trac XLT 4 x 4 (last year with OEM Rear Leaf Springs) Stock tires are P255/70 R16 - I acquired five P255 70 R18 off of a JEEP Wrangler. I want to put them on the Sport Trac (ST) - Is it possible to do so with out major modifications to the suspension or running into any unforeseen problems ? Here are some comparison Specifications:

Both mine and the acquired tires are P255/70 the ST's are R16 The JEEP is R18
255/70 R16 255/70 R18
R16 DIA. = 30.1" R18 = 32.1"
R16 Width= 10.04 R18 Width is SAME
R16 Sidewall = 7.03" R18 Sidewall is SAME
R16 Circum. =91.4" R18 Circum. = 100.7"
R16 Rev's per mile 671 R18 629
Any sound advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[OffTrac]

Do you have 18" wheels to put them on?

 

[01STrunner]

You may rub a little but could clear with maybe a .5" torsion twist. I'm with Offtrac though, do you have wheels already to mount them on?

 

[NICKYMUM]

Thank you OffTRAC. Yes, I have the rims and tires from the 2013 Jeep Wrangler. I just found out today through someone on this Forum that adapter/spacers could be had on ebay 5x4.5 ford hub to accept 5x5.0 Jeep wheels.

I need to get my ruler out to determine the thickness I should order. 1.25"?

 

[NICKYMUM]

Thank you 01STRunner. I will consider your recommendation too (0.5" torsion twist). The ST is perfect for my business (Signs). The back seat has never been in the up position since the second day I owned it, that's reserved for clean tools and hardware. The bed is used for shovels, levels, safety cones, etc. - I have stock roof racks from Ford which I strap ladders and planks to. If i open the rear window I can transport a 2 ft plus x 10ft long sign. I put a sheet of plywood over the factory bed cover and tie it down using the cleats on the sides. Great vehicle - I can't understand why Ford gave up on the ST. One of the reasons may be the length of the bed. For me it didn't matter. The wide rear roll down window makes up for it. I once filled it solid with deck planks at Home Depot. This guy in a F250 pulls up and says,"WTF" I can't do that with this truck. LOL.

For us Northeasterner's it's a perfect alternative to a F-150. Easy to park and fits in mall garages and it's good in the snow. What more can you ask for?

 

[OffTrac]

1" or 1.25" should work fine. The backspace on those wheels is around 5" right?

 

[429CJ-3X2]

thank you 01strunner. I will consider your recommendation too (0.5" torsion twist). The st is perfect for my business (signs). The back seat has never been in the up position since the second day i owned it, that's reserved for clean tools and hardware. The bed is used for shovels, levels, safety cones, etc. - i have stock roof racks from ford which i strap ladders and planks to. If i open the rear window i can transport a 2 ft plus x 10ft long sign. I put a sheet of plywood over the factory bed cover and tie it down using the cleats on the sides. Great vehicle - i can't understand why ford gave up on the st. One of the reasons may be the length of the bed. For me it didn't matter. The wide rear roll down window makes up for it. I once filled it solid with deck planks at home depot. This guy in a f250 pulls up and says,"wtf" i can't do that with this truck. Lol.

For us northeasterner's it's a perfect alternative to a f-150. Easy to park and fits in mall garages and it's good in the snow. What more can you ask for?

YES!! Yes!! Yes!!

 

[01STrunner]

Thank you OffTRAC. Yes, I have the rims and tires from the 2013 Jeep Wrangler. I just found out today through someone on this Forum that adapter/spacers could be had on ebay 5x4.5 ford hub to accept 5x5.0 Jeep wheels.

I need to get my ruler out to determine the thickness I should order. 1.25"?

Go with 1.25". I've heard 1" leaves just about a thread or 2 on the factory studs exposed.

 

[01STrunner]

Thank you 01STRunner. I will consider your recommendation too (0.5" torsion twist). The ST is perfect for my business (Signs). The back seat has never been in the up position since the second day I owned it, that's reserved for clean tools and hardware. The bed is used for shovels, levels, safety cones, etc. - I have stock roof racks from Ford which I strap ladders and planks to. If i open the rear window I can transport a 2 ft plus x 10ft long sign. I put a sheet of plywood over the factory bed cover and tie it down using the cleats on the sides. Great vehicle - I can't understand why Ford gave up on the ST. One of the reasons may be the length of the bed. For me it didn't matter. The wide rear roll down window makes up for it. I once filled it solid with deck planks at Home Depot. This guy in a F250 pulls up and says,"WTF" I can't do that with this truck. LOL.

For us Northeasterner's it's a perfect alternative to a F-150. Easy to park and fits in mall garages and it's good in the snow. What more can you ask for?

The power rear window is one of te best things on the ST in my opinion. If I didn't need an 8' bed and a Diesel engine so much the trac would be perfect for everything I need to do. Unfortunately my spare tire and tools take up every inch of the bed. Still love the truck and all it can do for sure.

 

[NICKYMUM]

Very helpful site for those whom may be interested:

http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-comparison/

 

[NICKYMUM]

OffTrac is OnTrac-I believe that you are on the Money

1" or 1.25" should work fine. The backspace on those wheels is around 5" right?

To answer your question (5" right?) I need to know which wheels you are asking about. The RIMS on the ST have a 5-1/2" (140MM) backspace and the RIMS from the JEEP which I want to use on the ST have a 6-5/8" (168MM) backspace which is a difference of 1.125 or 1.25 inches

Sooooo.........1.25 is exactly what Doctor OffTrac prescribed!!!!

I found this site: http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp - wrapped my head around what info I should find out and plugged in the numbers.

For the benefit of those who get easily confused, jot this down and keep it handy:
to change Inches to Millimeters (MM)
INCHES X 25.4 = MM (so 1 inch = 25.4MM)

to change MM to Inches
MM x 0.03937 (so 1MM= 0.03937 In. or a smidge over 1/32th of and inch)

My GOAL was to replace Stock Tires (P255/70 R16's) and Rims on my 2005 Sport Trac with Tires (P255/70 R18's) and Rims that came Stock on a 2013 JEEP Wrangler - WITHOUT -any modifications, lifts, or unforseen problems.

With the advise and help of a few of the members on explorerforum.com and @explorernation on Instagram I decided that......

My first FOCUS would be on the TIRE SIZES and comparing their measurements - they seemed awfully dam close - Stock ST "P255/70 R16" compared to the Jeep P255/70 R18 - I did that with the help of-

www.http://tire-size-conversion.com/tire-size-comparison/

The second FOCUS is on finding the CORRECT measurement of the OFFSET of the RIM's MOUNTING PLATE (flat on inside of rim that mates with the Hub) in relation to the TRUE CENTER of the RIM. I did that by physically measuring the RIMS using a ruler and using a Wood Clamp as a caliper. then I got a real picture by going to the site below and plugging in the measurements -

http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp

In the end, explorerforum member OFFTrac was right ONTrac with his recommendation. THANKS!