97 rims swapped to 2004 ?

[ranger nation]

recently bought 2004 ranger for sonny boy to finish up his college, here's the rub... wanna put the rims from my 97 on it, but I have been told the center opening on the 04 wheels is smaller and wont fit over the hubs on the 97,oops forgot to mention the 97 is 4by ,the locking hubs is what is in question as to clearance, hoping someone knows so I don't have 2 trucks jacked up on driveway !! that really irritates to wife he he he thanks update to the wheel question,,,, 1. 97 rims that are from my 4x4 fit nice on the 04, brakes clear, wheels turn lock to lock with no rub, and 235/75/15 really fill the wheel openings nice. 2. 04 rims, the steel rims you see on about a zillion rangers, fit right on the 86 bronco, and they look darn nice if I do say so myself, and bfg 31x10.5 fit good, and the center hole which is what started the whole thing, is large enough to accept the locking hubs thanks again for the input, hope this helps answer someone else's question on wheels, oh yea, the wife was pissed with all the rangers jacked up on the drive

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Center hole isn't the problem, the wheels (if 15" aluminum) probably won't fit the newer truck.

 

[ranger nation]

murphys law really applies here, no good deed goes unpunished, was hoping to put those 97 rims from my 4by onto the 04 for the boy, was thinking a 15 is a 15 , when you say they probably wont fit , are you thinking off-set ? , mating surface between rim and drum or front hub, or am I not seeing the forest for the trees

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

Did the 04 have 15's?

I know my 97 4x4 wheels would not fit my 2002 sport trac as they didn't clear the brakes on the front.

 

[SenorNoob]

Don't the Sport Tracs have bigger brakes though?

 

[AllanD]

The issue here is that the brakes on the '98 up 4x4 are larger in diameter and won't fit inside 15" rims.

 

[TXxlt]

I've seen 4wd Rangers with 15 inch wheels factory. Even the 2002 Off Road package came with 15 inch Alcoa wheels.

http://cdn.iseecars.com/image2/w450/02ranger.jpg

 

[don4331]

Ranger Nation:

Center holes would be the problem if it was a 4x2 as the hole is only 2.50" on '83-'97 2WD trucks.

But, you don't care about that as your trucks are 4x4 and all 4WD have 2.83" center holes. (As do post-'98 Ranger, post-'94 Mustangs, Explorers, Escapes, and probably a few more).

However, as AllanD says, in '04, the 4WD Ranger went from 11.26" discs to 12.00" discs. And that extra 0.375" radius means some wheels fit and some don't.

But, that is not end of story. The '97 brakes fit on the '04 knuckles. So, if you want to downgrade the brakes on the '04 (and want to go to all the effort - basically unbolting calipers and bleeding brakes); you can put the '97 rotors and calipers on an '04+ and fit 15" rims on a newer truck.

If they were the Alcoa wheels; had brand new tires on them and I was starving student, I might consider it...

 

[hntr45]

I put stock 15" rims from a 07 ranger on my 97 2wd and it worked fine... The locking hubs may not fit though