whee ID
 

I've been asking around the internet and I've been getting some conflicting awnsers. I got these for my 47 Ford coupe and all but one matches. Does anyone know what they came off of? They're 15" dia 5x4.5" and they have the Ford logo stamped between the lug holes. Also are there any beauty rings out there for 15" wheels like this?

Re: whee ID
 

Looks like '50s passenger car. The bolt pattern is correct for that. For beauty rings try Hub Cap Mike. A google will get you there.

Re: whee ID
 

Those type of wheels were common after the change over from 16" 5 X 5.5" to the 15" 5 X 4.5". Rim widths vary and whether they are outies or innies on the caps but Ford used them for years and most were outies. Chrysler used some similar ones but they wouldn't be stamped Ford.

My 51 Mercury cars used the last of the 15" 5 X 5.5 wheels. They changed over to same wheels as Ford cars in 1952. Pickups kept the 5 X 5.5 for quite a while longer than cars.

Re: whee ID
 

I thought when I was a kid, my '55 Mercury had 15 X 5.5" wheels ? It's been a long time though (52 years) since I owned the car. I could be wrong.

Sal

Re: whee ID
 

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Sal, Mercury cars had a 5 lug wheel, with 5" bolt circle from 1955 to 1960.




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Re: whee ID
 

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Your '47 Ford car would have had a 5 lug with 5.5" bolt circle.
If it has a 4.5" bolt circle, then the hubs are aftermarket or newer Ford.

In 1949 Ford cars used a 5 lug, with 4.5" bolt circle wheel with a 2 3/8"
center hole. In 1969 Ford car went to a bigger front wheel bearing so
the wheels went from 2 3/8" center hole to 2 3/4" center hole.

The 15" wheel you show in your original post is from a '69 and newer
Ford car with the 2 3/4" center hole.

Tell us what the bolt circle measurement on your '47 Ford coupe is ?




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Re: whee ID
 

That wheel pictured is not original for any 1949 thru 1956 Ford car, however, since it is a 15" and has 4-1/2" bolt circle, it could be used on a '50's Ford.
Ford went to 14" wheels beginning in '57 and carried over into the 1960's.
During the 1970's. Ford brought back a new design 15" wheel for the LTD series cars. That could be one of those wheels you have. The newer wheel may have been a bit WIDER than the 1950's 15" wheels which were 5" wide.

Re: whee ID
 

Bolt circle measurement...
Wheel width and diameter are measured from bead seat to bead seat, not the overall wheel width or diameter.

Re: whee ID
 

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Dave, just a note to say that 1973 to 1978, full size Fords had the 5x5" pattern.




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Re: whee ID
 

Thanks Lanny. At least I was correct about it not being a 4 1/2" bolt circle. LOL

Sal

Re: whee ID
 

I've actually owned some of the newer design 15" wheels with the 4.5" B.C. and used them on my 55 wagon, but later swapped them for original '55 wheels.
Perhaps the wheel the poster shows in the picture is a '69 thru '72 version if it is 4.5 B.C.
Another thing you gotta watch out for is the hole size in the center of the wheel.
Example: you cannot swap 55 Merc wheels on a '55 Ford drum because the Merc wheel has a smaller center hole as well as larger B.C.
Not sure what year Ford went back to using 15" wheels for the full-size cars. Maybe the mid '60's Galaxy model, but the Fairlane in the '60s had been downgraded to a mid-size car.

Re: whee ID
 

Example: you cannot swap 55 Merc wheels on a '55 Ford drum because the Merc wheel has a smaller center hole as well as larger B.C.
Not sure what year Ford went back to using 15" wheels for the full-size cars. Maybe the mid '60's Galaxy model, but the Fairlane in the '60s had been downgraded to a mid-size car.
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Dave, read my post # 5 and post # 6 and you will see why you can't put a '55 Merc
wheel on a '55 Ford, it's Not the center hole, but the bolt pattern difference.

PS, Ford went to 15" wheels with 4.5" bolt circle in 1965, on full size Fords.
Again, Ford cars went from 2 3/8" center hole to 2 3/4" center hole in '69.




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Re: whee ID
 

To me, I don't see a reason why Ford and Mercury used different bolt circles and center hole sizes. Design engineers must have not communicated or cared to make things common.

Sal

Re: whee ID
 

FoMoCo had a history of using heavy duty axles for the Mercury cars. They used the Ford axle from 1952 through 1954 but the engine increased in displacement in 1955. In this year they went with the Dana 45 axle and used it until the 9-inch came out for 1957 model year.

The Dana 45 is an odd duck. It's half way between the big Lincoln Dana 53 and the Dana 44. The axles shafts were Dana 45 only and there was one axle for the regular Mercury cars and a slightly heavier duty version for the Mercury station wagons. This makes it hard to get some parts for the 55 & 56 Mercury cars.

Re: whee ID
 

sorry about the confusion i'm using 4.5" becuase i put a granada rear axle in it and i will be putting matching bolt pattern discs in the front. I did find something stamped on the webbing between the lug holes K2 TC 4 G if that helps any

Re: whee ID
 

I have five 15 x 6.5" wide with 4.5" bolt circle and 2 3/4" center hole.
The were from '69 to '72 Ford Station Wagons.

Mine are a little different shaped, between the lug holes, than yours tho.

You say one of your wheels is different than the other 3. How is it different ?

Click on pic to Enlarge

Re: whee ID
 

I think I figured it out. I went to the junkyard today found one a late 90s Crown Vic...mystery solved

Re: whee ID
 

1955-56 Thunderbirds have a Dana 44 rear end. The Ford 9" was new for 57.

Re: whee ID
 

Were your Mercury rims red? Thought I remembered Mercury rims from 55/56 being red no matter the color of the car.