Sport trac 5.0 plans

[Richie18]

Not sure if you noticed in one of my earlier posts but i'm looking to purchase the stock wheels that are coming out for the 2008 Sport Trac Adrenalin, like mentioned before they are 20". The new Adrenalin isn't out yet so i can't find out any detailed specs on the wheels. What are your thoughts on the weight of these wheels? And on whether i would be better off looking at something smaller like 18" wheels?

 

[CDW6212R]

I would have high hopes for that OEM wheel. Usually factory wheels are very strong, and relatively light. I first used my truck with OEM Cobra wheels, which at 17x8 added only five pounds total per wheel/tire. That 58 pound each set worked very well, I wish I liked them or something like them more.

Get your hands on a factory 20" Explorer or Sport Trac wheel, they should all be similar in weight. I know my old Lincoln mark VII wheels are as light as a feather, they are Speedline or BBS forged. Regards,

 

[John_Rock]

But you are talking about a 3rd Generation Explorer wheel on a 2nd Generation Explorer. 3rd Gen Explorers have a bigger wheel backspacing. 3rd Gen Explorer wheels on a 2nd Gen Explorer would probably look dorky because they would be farther in. Plus you could have rubbing issues.

 

[CDW6212R]

Ah, he is correct, the new Sport Tracs will have the offsets near 44mm. I have 35mm 18's on my 98 truck, and those weren't easy to fit. You would be facing having to use a good sized adapter, like one inch for all wheels.

 

[Richie18]

This is a Sport Trac i'm talking about, which i would say would look great with the bigger tire. I'm not entirely sure how you are determing that they would look dorky because of the "bigger wheel backspacing and the fact that they would be farther in" could you elaborate?

 

[Richie18]

Ah, he is correct, the new Sport Tracs will have the offsets near 44mm. I have 35mm 18's on my 98 truck, and those weren't easy to fit. You would be facing having to use a good sized adapter, like one inch for all wheels.

Sorry for my lack of knowledge, but could you explain how this would effect the look of the wheel/tire on my Sport Trac, and or any other negative effects?

 

[CDW6212R]

But you are talking about a 3rd Generation Explorer wheel on a 2nd Generation Explorer. 3rd Gen Explorers have a bigger wheel backspacing. 3rd Gen Explorer wheels on a 2nd Gen Explorer would probably look dorky because they would be farther in. Plus you could have rubbing issues.

He is right, our trucks have wheels with about 20mm of offset. The later trucks with around 44mm of offset will mount about one inch inboard more than the stock wheels. That means more than just appearance, the wheels will contact the upper ball joints for sure. I have had 1/4" spacers for my wheels since I began with the Cobra wheels. Those have a 30mm offset, so the 6.35mm spacers made them fit very well. If you do want those later wheels, you would have to use an adapter. Spacers like mine can only be had in the thin sizes, under 1/4" thick. Adapters are devices which bolt to the OEM hub, and have studs in them which the wheels bolt to. They are very important safety items, you must be very careful in selecting/mounting and using them. Search on here for mention of "spacers or adapters."

 

[Richie18]

Thanks for the headsup, i'll keep that in mind and look for a solution.

But am i getting the impression that a 1/4" spacer is not going to be enough? In other words are those wheels going to be a little more difficult to mount or almost not even possible?

Also it hadn't been mentioned before and i don't know if any else considered this, but earlier it was mentioned that i would need to use a donor Explorer's driveshafts, but with my Sport Trac being a longer wheelbase isn't there no way they would fit, would i have to get a new set of driveshafts and/or custom driveshafts? I also assumed my driveshafts of course won't fit either.

If this is the case are there any suggestions on what to do or where to go?

 

[CDW6212R]

You would need something near one inch for the later wheels, you would need the actual offset specs to predict what is needed.

The driveshafts are very easy, you can have something made to work in the worst case. That wouldn't be too expensive either, just a part of the project. I have a front shaft that I believe is going to end up being a hair short, 1-2 inches short. I'll just have it lengthened.

 

[Richie18]

i'll keep on the look out for the specs on the new wheels, maybe when i see one in dealer show rooms i'll give ford a call or something.

Thanks for the info regarding the driveshafts, good to know.

 

[Richie18]

Looks like i've found something, if you don't mind giving me your input and letting me know what you think, i'm sort of guessing that 1.25" is about the right length needed without knowing the true offset of the OEM wheels mentioned above. I don't plan on bidding this item but it will let me know what to get in the near future.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/WHEE...013QQitemZ230212370906QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

[rwenzing]

Stock 2003 ST offset is +12mm, so 1.25" is exactly what would be needed to correct for wheels with +44mm offset (44mm -12mm = 32mm). Then all you should need to worry about with respect to clearance is excessive tire width and/or outside diameter.

Wheel adapters can sometimes loosen over time and should be retorqued soon after installation and then checked regularly while in service. Check local laws - I believe they are illegal in some states.

 

[Richie18]

Thanks for the input, i'll check up on it.

 

[CDW6212R]

Bob is correct, adapters and spacers are critical components. You should avoid using them, and if you do use them, be very careful in how you choose and use them.

When you get close to buying wheels, then search for what adapters you may need. Make sure that they are for your application, the bore size(hub center) must be identical for your vehicle. When I hunted for my spacers, the best company I found making adapters was H&R, a company famous in Europe for their high quality. That price over $100 is very close to what I recall the H&R products being. I would suggest buying their's, they have been building those parts for a long time. Regards,

 

[danlong]

The offset will also depend on the width of the wheels, as it is an "offset" from the center line of the wheel.

I had a set of adapters custom built for my wheels by a company in Jacksonville, FL called "Lug Man, USA". The guy who runs it is named Steve and was great to work with. My adapters were machined to match my hub diameter as well as the new wheels centerbore, so the wheels are still "hubcentric". They also adapted my 5x4.5" bolt pattern to the 5x115 bolt pattern of my new wheels. The set of 4 cost me $310. 2 of them are 1.25" wide and 2 are 1.75" wide to bring the rear wheels out a little more.

 

[Richie18]

I'm trying to take in all the info an understand it, forgive me for not totally understanding, but is there a reason to believe that the spacers i linked to on Ebay would not be suitable for my ST? As far as i know they would be a match as far as bolt pattern and size? Without knowing right now the exact specs on the wheel i'm looking to buy i know this one may not be the right size but is there something else i should be looking for that i'm not. I see that there is sometype of a safety issue potentially, but if there done properly and checked on a regular basis should there be any other issue i should worry about?

As far as retorquing them, that is not a problem, i have a hydraulic lift available. But to be more specific is it something that should be checked on monthly, quarterly?

 

[CDW6212R]

Those in the link are the design that you would likely need. The question would become quality, specs matching your vehicle, and price. Don't choose something like that based o price, select it for the best quality and dimensions. Dan is correct about the hub center holes, make sure that they are matches for both the vehicle and the wheels. Stock wheels should all match in hub center size, aftermarket wheels usually are different.

Keep them on your list of research.

 

[Richie18]

k Thanks for the info.

I am most likely going to use a BW4406 transfer case, because of this is there any reason to get a AWD 5.0L Explorer or will the 2WD 5.0L Explorer be fine? Are there some other things i may be missing? The only reason i can see to get the AWD would for the driveshafts, but i will most likely have to cut or get custom ones like mentioned before? Just interested because of the availability and price difference between 2WD models and AWD? I'm not exactly sure...

 

[CDW6212R]

You will need the 4R70W from a 4WD/AWD vehicle, the output shafts and housing are different. Don't bother with a 2WD 4R70W trans for the swap. Both driveshafts will have to be changed, don't but those from an Explorer for use with the BW4406. The threads here will point you to a front shaft. What you will need for the rear will depend on the difference in your shaft now, versus an AWD 96-01 Explorer.

 

[rwenzing]

When swapping a BW4406 in to a 2003 4x4 ST, I believe that you would be facing almost the same situation that I had with my 4x4 Ranger. The stock ST 4x4 rear shaft has a built-in slip spline where the 4406 uses a slip yoke that slides into the tailshaft housing of the t-case.

So, unless you luck into a compatible junkyard driveshaft that just happens to be the right length and configuration, you would need to have one modified. My original Ranger driveshaft was shortened by about a foot (eliminating the internal splines), then had a new fixed yoke welded on. A slip yoke from a Navigator/Expedition/F150 was added and the assembly was then rebalanced.

Top are the parts that got cut off, bottom is the welded on fixed yoke and 06 Nav slip yoke.