Question I own a 1986 Ford Ranger. It has been fitted with late '80's Ford Probe wheels. These are original factory three spoke silver /gray finished. To maintain original geometry, going from a 14" Ranger stock wheel to a 15" Probe wheel, what size tire should I use ?
The back set and centering is correct for the swap, but the front wheels are machined to larger hub opening to accommodate Ranger suspension. Info I've found doesn't tell what the O.E.M. tire size for my truck, only oversized tire/body lift combinations.
Thanks for any assistance.
AnswerRick,
I am not sure about this, but I don't think Probe wheels fit properly on a Ranger. I think Probe's were FWD and that means positive offsets - while Rangers were RWD and that generally means negative offsets. You need to check this for sure.
But assuming I am wrong about this, Rangers came with quite a variety of tire sizes - and even within the 14" realm, there are still a few variations. So it might be good to see if the tire placard is still there. It will be on the driver's doorpost.
I'm going to make another assumption that the original tire size was P205/75R14. If so, then the proper tire size in a 15" is P205/70R15 or P225/60R15.
But you absolutely need to make sure about the offsets. If these aren't right, then the tire could rub - very bad.
I just looked up on Tire Rack and they say a Ford Ranger is using an offset of -19mm and a Probe is using an offset of +40mm. - again, I don't think this swap works!
